This Is Fascism?

As of Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Robert Levy’s column “A Form of Fascism” (Jan. 13) makes the fallacious argument that the Affordable Care Act embodies the essence of this sinister form of government.

To begin with, his definition of fascism is only a partial one, used in a purely economic context. Webster gives a much fuller one, as follows: “A political philosophy or regime that exalts nation and race and stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.”

Mr. Levy’s faith in a profit-driven fee-for-service model is undermined by empirical data. The United States spends twice as much per patient and gets key health care outcomes that compare unfavorably with other developed nations. We incur annually about $60 billion worth of health care fraud.

Health care economics are unique because the normal laws of supply and demand don’t always work. Building more hospitals doesn’t necessarily mean lower costs. Since the government pays a large part of the costs, it is proper that it should have a role in determining whether more facilities are viable.

It has been the GOP’s incessant claim that progressives champion government interference while they support state and local control. If that is true, then how do you account for the special session of Congress that the GOP called to overrule a decision in the Terry Schiavo case, a private end-of-life decision that only a family should make?

In recent years the GOP has been the party of “No,” honing its skills for destructive obstruction. It needs to become more involved in crafting solutions rather than constantly harping about problems. Here, Gov. Pat McCrory has all the tools he needs to do that. Let us hope that he does.

Ted Weatherly

Carthage

More like this story

kzowens 4 months ago

Mr. Weatherly, good letter. You certainly point out how Mr. Levy's mind works. I wonder if he came up with it himself or if he wrote his column while listening to Rush Limbaugh.

As Chairman of the Republican Party of Moore County it is Mr. Levy's job to tell lies, inaccuracies, and partial truths to incite the public and drag the county back to where it used to be. He doesn't want Republicans to craft solutions. That would require thinking, and that would be dangerous for the Republican Party.

nothingspecial 4 months ago

Ted, pigs will fly I bet before we hear from you as "critical an analysis" of the Affordable Care Act as you claim to make of our U.S. health care system, using a few goofy, disjointed paragraphs. I bet it's because you know enough to realize such an analysis could never stand the light of day. So now you're in the shoes you tried to put Mr. Levy in and which fit you better.

Spocks_Brain 4 months ago

Gee that Webster definition describes Obama's plan exactly. So we are fascist? Well the CEO of Whole Foods has come out saying this like today

teufelhunden 4 months ago

Sounds pretty darn close.

DaveyNC 4 months ago

Mr. Weatherly, take a deep breath. Let's start at the beginning of your letter:

"...his definition of fascism is only a partial one, used in a purely economic context. Webster gives a much fuller one, as follows: “A political philosophy or regime that exalts nation and race and stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.” Your definition is also partial. Here is a much fuller definition, too long to post here: http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Fascism.html This Mr. Levy's definition is much closer than yours. In fact, yours (Webster's) is even more bleak than Mr. Levy's preferred definition. Not sure that that makes your case, you know. If you are going to take Mr. Levy to task, perhaps you shouldn't out-dictator him right of the gate.

In your 2nd paragraph,you disparage a "profit-driven, fee for service model" and then go on to decry the amount of fraud in health care each year. You don't say what is wrong with being profit driven, so I would be interested to hear what you think is wrong with profits. I agree, that the government-dictated fee-for-service model doesn't work and that $60 billion in fraud is too much. So, since the government dictates fee-for-service and it is largely the government that suffers the fraud, I say we get government out of the health insurance business entirely. When is the last time you heard that Aetna or United Healthcare were defrauded out of $60 billion? The government gets tagged by fraudsters at every turn; healthcare, welfare, defense and so on. In the end, the government doesn't really care about it. Why? Because they can't go out of business. Aetna and the like can, so they take it pretty seriously.

3rd paragraph: "If that is true, then how do you account for the special session of Congress that the GOP called to overrule a decision in the Terry Schiavo case, a private end-of-life decision that only a family should make?" I do not account for it. I deplored it then and now. Just as many of us on the right deplored the creation of Medicare Part D by W. W didn't listen to us then just as 0bama doesn't listen to us now.

Finally, your closing paragraph about Reps obstructionism. You are aware that our government was set up so that opposing groups could put a check on each other, right? What you see as obstructionism we see as trying to restrain a government that has metastasized into a 50 pound tail wagging a 20 pound dog. We spend too much. We regulate too much. Our federal government interferes in things it has no business fooling around in. If Reps are the party of "No", then the Dems are the party of "Why the hell not? Get it all now and let our kids and grandkids pay for it down the road!" Despicable. I am willing to bet that you are a Baby Boomer.