Universal health care

[Emsworth]

No. Among ideas that are actually being seriously considered by politicians today, I can think of nothing worse than the idea that the government should pay everyone's healthcare costs.

[Emsworth]

The view that healthcare is a "right" is rather shocking. Sure, I agree that everyone has the right to obtain medical care--at his own cost. I would not agree that there is a right to take someone else's money to pay one's medical bills.

Pity that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects "life, liberty and security of the person," but not private property.

[Emsworth]

I just think it's smug and cruel to deny access to health care.

Libertarians are not banning people from accessing healthcare. That would undoubtedly be cruel. Rather, we only believe that one is not entitled to steal another's money in order to obtain healthcare.

[Emsworth]

Rather, we only believe that one is not entitled to steal another's money in order to obtain healthcare.

Yet oddly it is okay to steal my money to kill Iraqis... Hmmm

Like the Libertarian Party, I oppose the Iraq war, so that point isn't exactly valid.

[Emsworth]

So you feel that taxation for military funding is also stealing?

Strictly speaking, all taxation could be considered stealing. I support taxation for military funding in some circumstances, but oppose it in many others.

It is essential for a nation to maintain a military to defend itself. Funding the military cannot really be avoided, and taxation for this purpose is a necessary evil. Within reasonable limitations, I do not oppose taxing to fund the military. However, I do oppose using the military to perform actions that do not actually involve national defense. For example, the Iraq war was definitely unnecessary.