Alleged health blogger Ezra Klein, noted rocket surgeon extraordinaire, continues to double down on the stupid. Today he opines that even the Father of Our Country liked him some mandates. As reported on Twitter:
"In 1798, Congress mandated that sailors buy health insurance. John Adams signed it into law."
The twit (tweet?) directs the unwitting to Ezra's latest contrivance, wherein he demonstrates profound difficulty discerning the difference between forcing all citizens to purchase a product as a condition of citizenship and specifying that certain individuals must buy a product in order to serve in the military.
Seems pretty clear to me.
In order to show that he really doesn't get it, Ezzie doubles down by citing a 1790 Congressional mandate that "ship owners buy medical insurance for their seamen." Perhaps noticing that there's a pretty glaring logical fallacy here [ed: is there any other kind with this guy?], he observes that "in 1798, Congress ... enacted a federal law requiring the seamen to buy hospital insurance for themselves."
Again, one can choose whether or not to be a sailor. But the [Evil] Individual Mandate applies to all citizens (well, almost all). How come you don't talk about those exceptions, Ezra?
[Hat Tip: FoIB Holly R]
UPDATE/IRONY ALERT: I can't believe I missed this before posting. Ezra Klein relies on legislation from the 18th Century to make his "point?" Is this the same Ezra Klein that pooh-poohs the Constitution because it's "not a clear document. Written 100 years ago, when America had thirteen states and very different problems, it rarely speaks directly to the questions we ask it?"
Why yes, yes it is.
The stupid burns strong in that one.
"In 1798, Congress mandated that sailors buy health insurance. John Adams signed it into law."
The twit (tweet?) directs the unwitting to Ezra's latest contrivance, wherein he demonstrates profound difficulty discerning the difference between forcing all citizens to purchase a product as a condition of citizenship and specifying that certain individuals must buy a product in order to serve in the military.
Seems pretty clear to me.
In order to show that he really doesn't get it, Ezzie doubles down by citing a 1790 Congressional mandate that "ship owners buy medical insurance for their seamen." Perhaps noticing that there's a pretty glaring logical fallacy here [ed: is there any other kind with this guy?], he observes that "in 1798, Congress ... enacted a federal law requiring the seamen to buy hospital insurance for themselves."
Again, one can choose whether or not to be a sailor. But the [Evil] Individual Mandate applies to all citizens (well, almost all). How come you don't talk about those exceptions, Ezra?
[Hat Tip: FoIB Holly R]
UPDATE/IRONY ALERT: I can't believe I missed this before posting. Ezra Klein relies on legislation from the 18th Century to make his "point?" Is this the same Ezra Klein that pooh-poohs the Constitution because it's "not a clear document. Written 100 years ago, when America had thirteen states and very different problems, it rarely speaks directly to the questions we ask it?"
Why yes, yes it is.
The stupid burns strong in that one.
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