Obamacare for Everything

It looks like the feds want to bring Obamacare to ISPs by controlling what they allow on their networks. I was reading some comments and I want to share one in particular because I have heard this sentiment several times in the last few days. The person commenting was saying that increased regulation is good and difficult to argue with because, "we are living through the bleak aftermath of an economic collapse created by too little regulation."

First let's quickly examine the main presupposition underlying this statement, that the current recession was caused by "too little regulation." That's like saying automobile accidents are caused by too few cops on the road. No, highway accidents are caused by drivers screwing up. Behind so much of the current push for bigger government is the idea that with just the right committees, advisers, and regulations we can fix all of our problems, or in other words, create a utopia. You see, we have really smart people in government right now, and we can trust them to come up with the correct "plans" for our economy.

If you want to see the ultimate outcome of a planned economy, look no further than Cuba. They have committees, advisers, and regulations to cover everything. I will trade the cyclical recessions of the free market system for the chronically under productive misery of a government regulated and planned economy any day.

I don't think this comparison is unfair because most reporters and commentators have missed a major theme of Obamacare for the economy. President Obama has a vision of what he believes the US economy should look like and he is implementing "plans" to realize his vision. The big issue at the moment is healthcare, 1/6 of our GDP. He thinks it's all wrong the way it is now. Whatever you believe about the "government option," no one can argue that Obama wants to establish a myriad of government panels to guide doctors and hospitals how to best do their jobs.

The assumption here is that the people who are actually doing the work are completely ignorant about how to best do their jobs. Doctors are always ordering the wrong tests. Hospitals have no idea how to run their business. Private insurers are bloated by inefficiency and greed. But committees in Washington will (the heavens open bathing us all in pure white light) be able to guide these poor fools to the truth.

This is just a continuation of what we have already seen. Obamacare applied to the auto industry resulted in the sacking of the GM's CEO and is pushing automakers (heavens open again) into business models centered around environmentally sensitive cars. This will be the ultimate demise of the US auto industry. Rather than let the marketplace guide auto production, Obama insists that his vision of the green future must guide production.

Four legs good, two legs bad. Planned economy good, market economy bad.

Look, I don't know how much clearer President Obama could make this. He repeatedly lectures the American people telling us that our future lies in "green" industry. If we get to this so-called "green" economy via market forces, fine. But if anyone, Obama or any future president, tries to regulate and muscle the American economy into this utopian green vision, it will be a disaster.

Pay attention the next time President Obama speaks on these issues. I want to give you a simple listening guide. First President Obama will declare how he is a firm supporter of the "free market system" and believes it's the "best system to guide our economy." Most people stop listening at this point, relieved that President Obama is a free market guy.

But next he'll start outlining all the ways he thinks government should curb, regulate, and direct the "free market." Forget about the pro-free market rhetoric, this gives us a much better clue as to what Obama really believes.