A New Project

I've been following politics since I first found that Ann Coulter was amusing on tv.  I've since moved to more of a libertarian position on things, and I've read books by Milton Friedman, F. A. Hayek, Murry Rothbard, Ayn Rand, Garet Garrett, and Jeffrey Tucker (I recommend that everyone, not just those who are interested in politics, read Tucker's Bourbon for Breakfast.)  I've also spent time reading several blogs and libertarian websites (some are on my blogroll to the right).

But after all of this reading and hearing about the issues I think that it is time that I create my own report, with my own data and conclusions, on an issue so that I can be fully versed in the issue and I will know exactly where each statistic has come from.  I would like to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that what I have been reading and thinking is correct, because I looked at the data myself and came to my own conclusions.

So I plan on writing a report on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Obamacare.  I will try to be as fair as possible.  I will try to use only statistics that anyone of any political persuasion would use.  And I would like to think that if the evidence is overwhelmingly the opposite of what I think now, then I will change my mind (does that hurt?) and re-evaluate my position on all issues.

These are my thoughts now, subject to change if the evidence warrants it:

1. more freedom is better than more government, the ACA expand the role of government and reduces freedom

2. Socialized healthcare has been tried in other countries, and Massachusetts, and the cost has gone up and the quanity and quality of healthcare have gone down

3. If a person can afford treatment but lives in another country, then that person will prefer to get medical care in the US.

4. There are better ways to achieve the goals of the supporters of the law

5. I will assume that the advocates for ACA are acting in good faith, and that their purpose is the honorable goals they claim them to be: healthcare for the uninsured and poor, etc.

I will post my data so that anyone else can look at the data, and to fill my new blog.

If anyone who reads this has information, even if its only a link to a story with data, I would appreciate it.  eltim164@gmail.com

If you are a doctor I would be very keen to interview you.