Free treatment and the consistency of opinion
I don’t mind a strong opinion, well-considered, even if I disagree with it. I mean, that has its limits — you can consider the hell out of some “slavery is good” opinion and I’m still not gonna respect it — but in general, I at least respect the idea that you considered the pros and cons and decided something, even if what you decided wasn’t what I decided.
What is utter bullshit, though, is halfass pandering opinions born of nothing but a desire not to offend.
Case in point: There is the current idea sprinting through the left that any coronavirus testing and treatment should happen free of charge. Which, yes, obviously it should. You shouldn’t have to pay for anything medically necessary, because you shouldn’t have to decide between eating and being healthy. That this is some sort of debate is confounding to me. Nobody has to decide between eating and keeping their house from burning down, or between eating and the man who killed their brother going free (but I have an idea for a direct-to-streaming Josh Hartnett movie now). If we proposed that, we’d get yelled out of the room. Somehow, though, we’ve decided that staying healthy is something that we should not only pay for, but pay such an exorbitant amount for that “going bankrupt to survive” is not only a possible outcome, it’s practically a likely one.
So yes, treatment for coronavirus should be free, just like treatment for cancer should be free, just like treatment for AIDS should be free, just like treatment for [ailment X] should be free. You say that, I’m with you.
And if you say no, it shouldn’t be free, all medical treatment should cost money, and as much money as we can justify charging, because this is capitalism, dammit, and things cost money … well, I think you’re kind of crappy, but I can at least respect the thought process.
But Joe Biden is trying to play both sides here, and that’s where he loses me. (It’s not just him, to be clear.) Biden has argued stridently against Medicare For All or anything similar throughout this campaign season. He supports some sort of expanded system, but he still wants “choice” — an absolutely gibberish term when it comes to health care, because the “choice” should be “healthy or not?”, and that “choice” is easy. So he thinks private insurance that costs money and therefore is accompanied by exorbitant pricing is a necessary good. Okay! I disagree, and I disagree strongly, but that’s okay!
But now he’s saying that all coronavirus testing and treatment should be free. And I just don’t understand. If I think I have COVID-19 right now, you think I should be able to get care for that for free, but if I think I have colon cancer right now, screw that? It doesn’t make any sense. Either treatment should be free or it shouldn’t, and the fact that something is more likely right now because of a pandemic shouldn’t actually come into play there.
Again, to be clear: Treatment for COVID-19 should be free. Because medical care should be free. (Don’t come at me with “It’s not free, you just pay for it in taxes,” because you know what I mean.) That’s just true, and while I’ll happily debate it with you if you believe otherwise, I will do so from the starting point of “You, person I’m arguing with, are wrong, and here’s why.” So Biden is right in that. But ideologically speaking, he’s pussyfooting here. Either medical care should be free or it shouldn’t. Saying it shouldn’t “except in the case of coronavirus” is just political bullshittery designed to make him look good in a crisis. If you think we should get COVID-19 treatment for free, you think we should get all essential medical care for free. Just say that. It’s the right thing, anyway.