When All Else Fails, Manipulate the Data

According to the New York Times (of all places), after decades of collecting health insurance statistics, the US Census is going to change the metrics, at exactly the same time a major change in health insurance policy is taking place. What scientist or statistician does that, unless their intent is to hide the true effects of this change? (The vulgar term for hiding the truth is called "fraud", as in "the regime is a fraud", or "the King is a fink!"

This is the lowest our government has ever sunk, the worst regime in my lifetime, and I lived through the Nixon years! Where are the torches and pitchforks?

Tax Day

I have no objection to paying for the care and feeding of a federated government, limited by the founding documents (the official specification if you will), with the primary function of protecting everyone's individual rights, equally under the law. It costs money to run a legislature, judiciary and executive branch. It costs money to do things like making sure the tax paying citizens are secure within our borders (which the regime hasn't been doing by the way). 

But my individual rights don't cost you a dime. I have a right to free speech, but that doesn't require you to provide me with free air time. I have freedom of religion, but that doesn't require you to buy me a Bible or a Koran. I have freedom of the press, but that doesn't require you to provide me with free paper, or free internet. Do I have a right to keep and bear arms? I think I still have a right to obtain those things, but that right doesn't require you to provide me with free guns and ammo. Do I have a right to food and shelter? I have the right to obtain those things, but that right doesn't require you to provide me them for free. Do I have a right to health care? I have the right to obtain health care, but that right doesn't require you to provide me with free contraceptives. 

While we all have the moral obligation to help provide for the less fortunate, when someone demands that one person provide for another under duress, that is called theft, or slavery. And we deem those things to be immoral.

Thomas Jefferson said, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and government to gain ground”, and that is exactly what has been happening in this country for 230 odd years. But we have had some major upward inflection points since the 'progressive' movement began 100 years ago: FDR's New Deal, LBJ's Great Society, and BHO's bailouts, hope'n'change and ObamaCare. These things all transfer individual freedom (the free market) to government control. Forced redistribution of wealth isn't a Great Society, it's a sick one: creating a dependent idle class at the expense of the independent, productive one. Discouraging self-sufficiency. Creating envy instead of cooperation and healthy competition.

The advent of a bureaucratic state, run by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats who's primary objective is basically mission creep (with all the best intentions), increases cost and thereby the tax load. The worst thing is, taxes don't even begin to cover the cost of government anymore. The deficit and the debt is an even bigger burden on our society. High taxes are only the tip of the iceberg.