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Politics : American Presidential Politics and foreign affairs
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To: TimF who wrote (39727)12/18/2009 1:02:11 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof  Read Replies (1) of 71588
 
Re: "1 - Whether or not its a good program (again I'm not really a fan), it isn't corporate welfare, its providing a service to people at subsidized rates. Yes the companies receive subsidies, but that's to make the insurance packages cheaper."

No.

It *is Corporate Welfare*.

These are FOR PROFIT corporations, and HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF TAXPAYER MONEY GET PAID DIRECTLY TO THEM.

And they sell insurance policies, (which, as with any policy they maintain as part of their business for any length of time), they EARN PROFITS on. They would not sell for a loss for very long.

WELFARE. Corporate Welfare. And... *expensive* welfare at that!

Re: [Nothing should be exempted from Anti-Trust law. Monopolies and Oligopolies KILL free market Capitalism.] "If it was a general or wide exception to anti-trust law might agree... A free market case can be made against anti-trust law in general, but its controversial,"

Not a good one.

Exercise of MONOPOLY POWER DESTROYS and SURPLANTS Free Markets.

And, about the only form of 'Capitalism' that can exist in the absence of Free Markets is what is often called 'Crony Capitalism'... which does not have any of the DNA of Free Markets in it's make-up at all, and so really isn't 'Capitalism' per se.

Re: "This specific anti-trust exemption was apparently put in place to allow sharing of rate-making data, which might even result in increasing competition"

HaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GASP! (Yeah... it must 'promote competition' SO MUCH and that is why between 20 and 30 of our 50 states effectively have OLIGOPOLIES controlling their local health insurance markets. For just one example, I believe that in Alabama just one insurance company controls more then 75% of the market.)

Ignore the fancy self-justifying theories that the Monopolists put forward to justify themselves, and just look at the ACTUAL REALITY that has developed on the ground: Oligopolic control over many local markets is both WIDESPREAD and of LONG STANDING.

Anti-Trust regulations SUPPORT vigorous Free Markets... not the other-way around! :-)
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