Thursday, November 7, 2013

A Different View of Paternalism

 
By Jim Yardley
November 6, 2013
American Thinker
 

The word "paternalism" has been bandied about concerning the various pathetic defenses of Barack Obama's now infamous claim that "If you like your health care, you can keep it. Period."
 
Well, yes, you can actually keep the health care you had before Obamacare was crammed through Congress. The caveat that was always unstated by the president, by any and all Democrats in Congress or the administration and by the mainstream media was that you could keep it if, and only if, it complied with every aspect of the new (Orwellian) Affordable Care Act.
 
Certain people who might generally be viewed as conservative have noted with mild horror that this is governmental paternalism.
Betsy McCaughey, in her article published at Accuracy in Media's website, says:
Obama's pledge never matched up to the actual law. The law epitomizes "Washington knows best" paternalism. Everyone must have the one-size-fits-all health plan designed by "experts."
Paternalism is, in their view, clearly evidence that the government thinks that you are not capable, or intellectually competent, of making a rational evaluation of what is really necessary for your own well-being.
 
However, it should be noted that like cancer, there are stages to paternalism. A common dictionary definition of the term would be:
"...the system, principle, or practice of managing or governing individuals, businesses, nations, etc., in the manner of a father dealing benevolently and often intrusively with his children..."

Read the rest of the article. . . .