Thread: Exclusive: Ten Growing Threats to Our Liberty

September 21, 2009

Exclusive: Ten Growing Threats to Our Liberty
John McClaughry


I have been, until last month, the President of the Ethan Allen Institute. When several of us founded that independent think tank after I left the Senate 16 years ago, we named it after a great figure in our state’s history, the leader of the Green Mountain Boys, Col. Ethan Allen.

We did not lightly choose Ethan to be our namesake. We chose his name because the pole star that guided the life of that great, brawling, boozing adventurer was Liberty. He signed his letters to the Hartford Courant as “a lover of liberty and propertyâ€

OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA

Is it "liberty" to let banks and health insurance companies operate in such a "free" market that the world's economy is put in peril ?

It it "liberty" to let health insurance companies DENY 25% of a Dr's recommendations, for the welfare of his patient ?

With the deregulation of the airline industry, haven't we witness the elimination of too many jobs and their related pension plans and company furnished health plans. It it easier and more fun to fly today ? Do these airline companies have the freedom to confine us inside a air, for hours and hours. (Yes).

Without necessary regulation and oversight of the govt., companies have the liberty to take our freedom, by stealing our wealth or our "treasure". Has your 401k turned into a 201k. Where did your money go ?

Your investment losses have lined the pockets of wealthy CEO's and CFO's that want a truly "free market", so they can take our money without going to jail.

To you want to continue with this type of liberty ?

No one said our health care doesn't need improving, but government run healthcare is not the way to go. I do not want to be like every other country in this world. Get rid of the restrictions on insurance co and let us buy insurance from state to state. There are 1300 insurance co and Ca businesses can only use 6 of them. Allowing the market to be open would invite much more competition. Get rid of the amount a person can get from a malpractice suit but don't restrict the amount given for lost wages past, present and future. Get rid of pre-excisting condition clauses. Insurance is suppose to be like your car insurance. You pay for maintainance and checkups but your insurance takes over when catastrophic events happen. That is the way insurance should be, for catastrphic illnesses or "emergencies". Americans think nothing of paying $100 for a haircut but balk at paying more than $25 for a drs. visit. I don't know when they started the copay thing. We also would need a discount on medications if we were paying for them ourselves. If we did it like car insurance our premiums would be cheaper, unless of course, the govt makes insurance manadory, like in Ca, then you can forget it.

The govt. hasn't done too badly with medicaid, medicare and our VA hospitals. Ask your parents or a vetern if we should eliminate these programs.

I would like to see apublic option for a bare bones, health insurance to cover major illness. This would help keep the insurance companies honest.

Remeber, these companies only want ypur money. After you get sick, they try to drop your covergae. Hope it never happens to you.

We have the most expensive healthcare in the world, but not the best.

Originally Posted by magyart

The govt. hasn't done too badly with medicaid, medicare and our VA hospitals. Ask your parents or a vetern if we should eliminate these programs.

I would like to see apublic option for a bare bones, health insurance to cover major illness. This would help keep the insurance companies honest.

Remeber, these companies only want ypur money. After you get sick, they try to drop your coverage. Hope it never happens to you.

We have the most expensive healthcare in the world, but not the best.

I agree. Some form of Catastrophic Medical Insurance would be a great first step. As a Union member I have for the most part always had insurance but felt taken advantage of each year when I realized I only used perhaps $800 to $1000 of preventative care but paid in over $10,000 for the insurance.

As a fiscal conservative I would rather have paid for the preventative costs out of pocket and paid perhaps $2,000 a year for Catastrophic Insurance. I strongly feel such a system is plausible.