Obamacare Has Backfired; Pot Legalization In States May Set An Example For How To Kill It
Glenn Harlan Reynolds notes in his USA Today column:
As it turns out, most of the people signing up for Obamacare aren't the uninsured for whom it was supposedly enacted, but people who were previously insured (many of whom lost their previous insurance because of Obamacare's new requirements). "At most," writes Bloomberg's Megan McArdle, "they've signed up 15% of the uninsured that they were expecting to enroll. ... Where are the uninsured? Did hardly any of them want coverage beginning Jan. 1?" It looks that way.In fact, there seem to be more uninsured than there were before Obama took office, leaving Jonah Goldberg to ask, "So what was the point of Obamacare again?"
If the program fails, it won't be because Republicans stopped it, despite all the House votes and defunding efforts. It will be because millions of Americans' passive resistance brought it to its knees. Irish Democracy, indeed.
Meanwhile, on the marijuana front, the people of states like Colorado are engaging in an odd, 21st century variety of nullification. Unlike the 19th century John Calhoun version, state laws legalizing marijuana don't purport to neutralize the still-extant federal laws banning cannabis. But the state, and millions of Coloradans, are simply ignoring the federal law and, in essence, daring the feds to do something about it.
Reynolds thinks the way to nullify Obamacare may be the way Colorado de facto nullified federal laws on pot:
(Colorado) started a process that may very well snowball, all without directly attacking the federal laws, or the federal government, at all. Meanwhile, millions of Americans may be in the process of effectively killing Obamacare simply by staying home.As we struggle, mostly in vain, to rein in the metastasizing power of a federal government that has grown out of control, perhaps Irish Democracy offers a solution. Sometimes it seems like that's the only kind of democracy that's likely to make a difference.
Passive resistance is all that's left to us, given the fact that Congress and the courts have abdicated their responsibilities in reining in the administrative state, and the states won't either, since they've by and large been bought off with federal money. The only question is whether the resistance will turn out to contain elements of violence. The federal response to the resistance will determine this.
cpabroker at January 27, 2014 4:02 AM
We're waiting until the last possible moment to switch, because the low income insurance plan we have now is worlds better than what we will get under the ACA.
Our insurance was originally set to end in October, but after the ACA rollout debacle our coverage was extended through June 2014. I'm curious to see what happens in July, and again a year later after the one year fine rises from a flat fee to a percentage of income.
Michelle at January 27, 2014 4:20 AM
About the fine:
http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/13/news/economy/obamacare-penalty/
Michelle at January 27, 2014 4:27 AM
It's patently illogical to assume -- even if the Federal government capitulates and legalizes pot -- that this same remedy will work on Obamacare. You have to consider what the Federal government has at stake in each case.
Also, if the uninsured do not register for Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act will simply require of them an extra tax, and they will get the care they need (and not necessarily in that order).
This article was very poorly thought out.
Patrick at January 27, 2014 4:51 AM
The government STILL has no business trying to FORCE people to buy something that THEY DON'T WANT.
Bastards.
Flynne at January 27, 2014 5:31 AM
Several things are becoming clear: (1) The supposedly enormous pool of involuntarily uninsured does not exist and never did. That "40 million uninsured" was totally a made-up number. (2) Cash-strapped states are going to start using their federally-granted authority to come after the estates of people who were forced into Medicaid by Obamacare. If you are ever at any point on Medicaid, then when you die, expect the state government to seize all of your assets. (3) The federal government is all in for the nationalization of the medical industry, and they aren't going to let the citizenry stand in the way. The citizens' failure to comply with the mandates will be a pretense for further, more draconian action.
Cousin Dave at January 27, 2014 6:45 AM
Count me among those millions who passive resist.
With employment being a temporary condition between months of unemployment nowadays, insurance comes and goes, if it is even offered with the job (usually not).
The choice with money is often; put gas in the car (to get to a temp job), buy groceries, pay rent and other necessary bills.
Buy health insurance? Health insurance won't help me if I'm homeless, will it?
If I buy my own health insurance and do get offered a job I do NOT get extra income or any sort of benefit by telling the employer that I don't need their health insurance coverage. They just say okay and pocket the money they've saved.
For now, at least, the "penalty" (I guess I should say "tax" since that is what the Supreme Court has ruled it to be) is way less than what insurance would cost.
And what about those who don't file taxes? Those who do everything "under the table"? Since they get paid in cash, don't file taxes, don't have insurance, how are they going to pay this penalty?
Charles at January 27, 2014 7:16 AM
"The government STILL has no business trying to FORCE people to buy something that THEY DON'T WANT."
And you should not pay for a service that you do not get.
Radwaste at January 27, 2014 7:24 AM
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