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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JohnM who wrote (47843)	2/4/2008 11:01:05 AM
From: slacker711	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 541604

I think the future of the prescription drug benefit program is a cost lowering one by permitting government agencies to bargain for best price and permitting competition via Canada. My point was a general one, once instituted, government programs pretty much never expire. It really doesnt matter whether they are effective, serve the intended purpose or cost far more than planned. They are essentially one way streets...and it is one very large reason why I am leary of universal health care. It could increase costs or severely bring down the quality of care (for those insured), but the most we would get would be a tinkering with the mechanisms. We would never go back to a free market system. Another example is farm subsidies. The thought of helping struggling farmers sounds great, but the fact is that we now give the majority of our funds to a few select "corporate" farms. Not exactly what anybody envisioned, but that doesnt really matter much. As for the Patriot Act, that whole business of curbing civil rights scares me no end. But I don't see the mechanism for bringing it to an end unless it's completely bipartisan. Some aspects of the Patrios Act have been struck down by the courts, and I think there is a fair chance that the Democrats will put substantial curbs on many of the granted powers (if not eviscerating them completely). I agree though that it is unlikely that they would vote it down by name. There are at least a few Democrats that likely agree with some of the provisions and on top of that, the political risk would be too great. Slacker