At 3:18 PM 9/16/96, jbugden@smtplink.alis.ca wrote:
I don't think that a reasonable person would argue that medical insurance should be outlawed because everyone should take care of their own needs. A social safety net is simply a form of health and life insurance. Statistical arbitrage if you will. By spreading the risk you minimize the cost. Yes, some people will take advantage of the system. But like a virus, a robust system should be able to withstand this form of attack.
I have never argued against insurance! People who wish to buy insurance are welcome to, obviously. As to the "social safety net," things are far, far beyond a simple safety net. When 14-year-old pregnant inner city girls are given money to set up their own households (cf. Charles Murray's "Losing Ground"), this is not a "safety net," this is subsidized breeding. And so on. --Tim May We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^1,257,787-1 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."