Hacker News Reader

Or maybe we should just disentangle health care from employment..

And once we're all on mandatory government healthcare, how does that reduce the incentive for the government to dictate the exact same policies (vis a vis 'penalizing the smokers, the overweight, the gun-owners, the non-conforming') under the guise of "Well it's cheaper if we do it..."

Bonus, there's even MORE motive (of the 'means, motive, opportunity' triangle) for them to continue turning the surveillance state against ordinary folks to find out "who's actually smoking and lying about it to their doctor?"

ACLU called it back in 2006 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMCjnZyU1Lg

Smokers and the overweight vote.

Using my country as an example, any attempt to meddle with the universal healthcare system is treated with immediate and intense hostility by the voting public. The government floated the idea of introducing a $5 copay several years ago and it was met with almost unanimous contempt. The idea was promptly canned.

If voting changed anything, we wouldn't be allowed to do it.

Best answer

Reply on news.ycombinator.com