The problem with Leftist Grails

I stumbled across a blog that makes no apologies for what it is, and I appreciate it. I can't say I agree with everything he says... but 99%'s pretty good, don't you think?

It's the Anti-Idiotarian Rotweiler. I can already hear the cries of meanie-ness and insensitivity. Anger. Negativity [shudder].

All I can say is, is the guy basically right? Yes he is. Is he angry? Yes he is. Does he have things to be angry about? Yes he does. Are they important? Yes they are.

I think I may have to make a list of favorite quotes from him, but here's my favorite so far:

... an illegal immigrant is not a "undocumented immigrant" any more than a rapist is an "undocumented boyfriend"

At any rate, following links from his blog I got to all kinds of things concerning the much vaunted lefty grail of public health care -- and more specifically how great Cuba's and Canada's are. Not.

Here's a link to a very recent story on it from CBS (no, not FOX) news... You know, Dan Rather and his buddies.

Here's the crux of it, though:

The system is going broke, says the [Canadian Taxpayers] federation, which campaigns for tax reform and private enterprise in health care.

It calculates that at present rates, Ontario will be spending 85 percent of its budget on health care by 2035. "We can't afford a state monopoly on health care anymore," says Tasha Kheiriddin, Ontario director of the federation. "We have to examine private alternatives as well."

It's a little microcosim of what is wrong with Lefty politics. It all starts out like this

"Wouldn't it be great if...."

(and it would!) but when it comes to

"Who's going to pay for it?"

there's either a lot of mumbling, or some spirited rant involving "rich, evil Corporate America". Or, "I don't mind paying taxes." Uh-huh. Sure you don't. Well, I do, after a certain point. We're past that point.

I just sent off my tax underpayment check yesterday. Fully 1/3 of my income goes to Federal, State, and Local government. And you want public health care? You know, where you might have to wait three years to have a torn knee ligament repaired?

The average Canadian family pays about 48 percent of its income in taxes each year, partly to fund the health care system.

That's from the same CBS News article in case you haven't read it. It also says that about 40% of those taxes go to public health care. So let's see, that would basically mean a tax increase (added to the rate, not "of" the rate) of 19%. As in 40% of 48% is about 19%. Let's be generous and say the US could have this stellar example of public healthcare for only T (the current tax rate) + 15%. This would mean 33% + 15% = 48%.

Want 48% of what you make to go to the government in the name of fairness? Remember, history shows that when tax rates hit about 50%, there's generally a revolution close on its heels. Want the Bolshevieks or ... how about some Wahhabis? Revolutions are usually won by those who are most willing and able to apply force.

On top of paying all this tax so everyone can have "free" health care (assuming they survive long enough to actually GET that health care) -- if you actually WANT the health care before its too late (the lefties who have actually thought this out past the ends of their noses will tell you) nobody's going to stop you from paying a private doctor to do it.

That's right, if you really want the healthcare, you can pay for it twice.

Yeah, sign me up for that.


PS: Look at this blog entry exposing Cuba's wonderful free health care. If I am not mistaken, this appears to be a Cuban ... or an ex-Cuban ... activist for a free and democratic Cuba.