Spoiled rich teenager commits fraud - you gotta read this

[Sauron]

Originally Posted by xouper

For those who consider health care a "right", it then becomes a question of whose rights take precedence? I consider fundamental personal liberties to have precedence over the so-called "right" to health care. In any case, I do not consider health care to be a "right" in the same moral or legal sense as the more traditional rights.

What more traditional rights? The ones you deign to recognize?

That's one of the fallacies of libertarianism: there has never been a libertarian form of govt in this country, or in any country from which the USA draws its legal or historical roots. Libertarians operate from a hypothetical, never-before-seen society.

Those who wish to pay taxes (or who do not mind paying) for a "free" health care system, are certainly free to do so. My point is that it should be a personal choice, not a government imposed "choice".

Many people don't consider the police to be necessary, or the fire department. They would prefer not to pay taxes to support those things, either. Their disagreement doesn't get them a special exemption to paying for those services, however.

For that matter, I disagree with the military and foreign policy of the Bush administration. Where do I go to get my tax refund, hmmm?

I concede the point that as things are today not everyone who needs health care can get it. It is an unfortunate fact of reality and is a natural consequence of the law of supply and demand.

Interesting that this problem is far less severe in other countries, however.

In fact for most of human history, the modern notion of health care was pretty much non-existant for most people.

So was the concept of voting rights. The fact that something did not exist throughout all time does not disqualify it from being a right.

There are privately run charity organizations that do a much better job than the government in helping those who cannot afford health care.

Well, in point of fact this is totally false, especially when viewed on the grand scale. The history of the US (as well as Europe) shows that when health care was left up to charities, they were totally overwhelmed and unable to cope.