This whole ObamaCare episode is incredibly evocative of the final chapters of Atlas Shrugged.
In the novel, as the country is falling apart, there is chaos and confusion on the part of the pro-totalitarian-government forces and their acolytes.
Some admit the whole purpose of the exercise was to gain power for themselves, and they don't really care if the nation falls apart to get it. Some are terrified and confused.
And some (the "Leader" Thompson in the book) don't know what to do - and that's why they arrest John Galt and try to make him an Economic Dictator - under the premise that he can force all the terrible laws they've been passing to somehow achieve good result.
John Galt refused to go along with this charade, knowing that the whole root of the collapse was people using force to replace the choices of others with their own:
Galt: "If you order me to issue a directive, I will issue the directive you order me to issue."
Thompson: "Oh, but I don't know what directives to issue!"
Galt: "I don't, either."
There was a long pause.
"Well", said Galt? "What are your orders?"
"I want you to save the economy of the country!"
"I don't know how to save it."
"I want you to find a way!"
"I don't know how to find it."
"I want you to think!"
"How will your gun make me do that, Mr. Thompson?"
A very scared Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana backed by a number of other Democrat Senators, including Dianne Feinstein of California, has written a bill commanding insurance companies to allow individuals to keep their old insurance plans. Landrieu does not know what directives to issue, but she thinks all she has to do is order insurance companies - as Mr. Thompson does above - to "find a way!".
Some Republicans and a majority of the country have already told these progressive leaders how to fix this problem - to "get out of the way". But repeal of ObamaCare and the rest of the crushing regulatory burden on doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies is anathema to the "progressives":
Thompson: "We want you to tell us what to do!"
Galt: "I told you what to do."
"What?"
"Get out of my way."
"That's impossible! That's fantastic! That's out of the question!"
...
Galt: "I said it can't be done."
Thompson: "YOU could do it."
"How?"
"Somehow." He heard Galt's chuckle, and added, "Why not? Just tell me why not?"
"Okay, I'll tell you. You want me to be the Economic Dictator?"
"Yes!"
"And you'll obey any order I give?"
"Implicitly!"
"Then start by abolishing all income taxes."
"Oh, no!" screamed Mr. Thompson, leaping to his feet. "We couldn't do that!"
Progressives have been screaming the past week now that Republicans have to take ownership! Republicans have to step in and help try to "fix" ObamaCare!
As Galt did in the novel Atlas Shrugged, the Republicans but more importantly we the people must be prepared to let the destructive progressive policies of the past 70 years come to their logical conclusion - in utter, abject failure and destruction - before we can begin to rebuild an intellectual foundation of individual liberty and free markets.
Republicans, please, let the Democrats and their progressive friends flail and fail. The only "help" they want from us is our moral sanction - and that is the one thing we absolutely should not give.
In the novel, as the country is falling apart, there is chaos and confusion on the part of the pro-totalitarian-government forces and their acolytes.
Some admit the whole purpose of the exercise was to gain power for themselves, and they don't really care if the nation falls apart to get it. Some are terrified and confused.
And some (the "Leader" Thompson in the book) don't know what to do - and that's why they arrest John Galt and try to make him an Economic Dictator - under the premise that he can force all the terrible laws they've been passing to somehow achieve good result.
John Galt refused to go along with this charade, knowing that the whole root of the collapse was people using force to replace the choices of others with their own:
Galt: "If you order me to issue a directive, I will issue the directive you order me to issue."
Thompson: "Oh, but I don't know what directives to issue!"
Galt: "I don't, either."
There was a long pause.
"Well", said Galt? "What are your orders?"
"I want you to save the economy of the country!"
"I don't know how to save it."
"I want you to find a way!"
"I don't know how to find it."
"I want you to think!"
"How will your gun make me do that, Mr. Thompson?"
A very scared Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana backed by a number of other Democrat Senators, including Dianne Feinstein of California, has written a bill commanding insurance companies to allow individuals to keep their old insurance plans. Landrieu does not know what directives to issue, but she thinks all she has to do is order insurance companies - as Mr. Thompson does above - to "find a way!".
Some Republicans and a majority of the country have already told these progressive leaders how to fix this problem - to "get out of the way". But repeal of ObamaCare and the rest of the crushing regulatory burden on doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies is anathema to the "progressives":
Thompson: "We want you to tell us what to do!"
Galt: "I told you what to do."
"What?"
"Get out of my way."
"That's impossible! That's fantastic! That's out of the question!"
...
Galt: "I said it can't be done."
Thompson: "YOU could do it."
"How?"
"Somehow." He heard Galt's chuckle, and added, "Why not? Just tell me why not?"
"Okay, I'll tell you. You want me to be the Economic Dictator?"
"Yes!"
"And you'll obey any order I give?"
"Implicitly!"
"Then start by abolishing all income taxes."
"Oh, no!" screamed Mr. Thompson, leaping to his feet. "We couldn't do that!"
Progressives have been screaming the past week now that Republicans have to take ownership! Republicans have to step in and help try to "fix" ObamaCare!
As Galt did in the novel Atlas Shrugged, the Republicans but more importantly we the people must be prepared to let the destructive progressive policies of the past 70 years come to their logical conclusion - in utter, abject failure and destruction - before we can begin to rebuild an intellectual foundation of individual liberty and free markets.
Republicans, please, let the Democrats and their progressive friends flail and fail. The only "help" they want from us is our moral sanction - and that is the one thing we absolutely should not give.
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