Obama should pass an executive order abolishing insurance companies!!!

[prolesunited]

Who's with me?

[TwilightZone]

1. Home? Life? Auto? Flood?

[Leo The Cleo]

2. I am not quite sure how or if that would work!

Maybe, it could work if he said that insurance companies had to be nonprofit as they once were. I don't even know if that could happen.

[niyad]

3. I wish he would, but he likes them too much. I remember some speech he was giving where he said

that we can't do away with insurance companies, because our friends and relatives work for them.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. An arugument once used to defend the slave trade

of course. So not a strong argument in my book.

[emulatorloo]

7. I do have a relative that works for one in customer service

He answers phones and answers questions about the status of claims, helps with paperwork, and what not.

So it is true, There are friends and relatives who work for them.

[TwilightZone]

12. That would seem to be an accurate statement.

Abolishing insurance companies would put a significant number of people out of work, some of whom might even be friends and relatives.

That's ok, though. I'm sure they'll find other jobs.

[geek tragedy]

18. You want him to violate the constitution?

Figures.

[joeycola]

32. He also said he wanted to build up a Uniquely American system-the

health insurance companies. And he and congress have done that so far!! They are trying to fix things around the fringes of a broken "stytem"!! damm.

[Davis_X_Machina]

5. It's sad to contemplate...

...how, after over 220 years, some of us still want to have a king, and that a good third of the people who voted for Obama last year walked away from the voting booth saying "Now we've got our Bush, and the son-of-a-bitch better start breaking shit."

[jefferson_dem]

11. If the OP is serious, this is actually worse than Boosh's sycophantic apologists.

Most of them don't know any better.

[Arkana]

16. Pretty sure he's not, since no one in their right mind

would suggest abolishing insurance companies. The CEOs are dickknobs, but the people who work for them might not be.

[dionysus]

23. oh i'd bet you a lot of money you could find a bunch here.

[Arkana]

26. I used to be one of them.

[Jennicut]

15. Yes, sad that some people do not know how the US govt. works.

Or at least is supposed to.

[Oregone]

24. Is the form of government more important than the manifestations of government?

While historic examples suggest that a monarchy does not often act in the interests of their people, the poster is clearly posting with a hypothetical of a benevolent "king" in mind (which may or may not be realistic). While you may find disdain for the notion of a king/dictator/etc, is it rather more important what the governing action results in, rather than its very structure? While America has a representative democracy (and we all hail democracy), its manifestation has definitely not been in the interests of the people at large on important issues. Whereas a king is already rich, saavy lying politicians can enter their field to be sold to the highest bidder, creating a natural conflict of interest within the governing class.

Now, I don't think it is a stretch for me to see that democracies, overall, produce better results than dictatorships. But when someone is referencing but a single example with a positive result in mind, its a bit hyper-critical to take the approach of dictatorships-always-bad-in-every-scenario (even the ones where the needs of the people are actually met).

You may have a better argument by attacking their grammer

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

40. The potential for harm really is always greater in a monarchy/dictatorship.

There really is no question about that. All it takes is the wrong person taking over, leaving the people with no real recourse but a coup. That said, I would agree that for some situations, it can be better than a democracy. Iraq, with its multiple and very distinct ethnic populations, immediately comes to mind.

However, I would sooner argue that in those situations that the nation itself be split apart rather than forcing a situation where people cannot live amicably under one democratic government. Perhaps it's time we start considering the United States a candidate for such a solution. I know I've long argued that Lincoln made a huge mistake in not allowing the Confederacy to separate from the union.

[jefferson_dem]

6. That's a joke, right?

Under what authority, exactly, may a president abolish private companies?

Barack ain't Hugo...

Besides, until something else is in place, I'll keep my insurance coverage (hopefully).

[Sebastian Doyle]

33. Under what authority can Congress force you to pay a private corporation?

:shrug:

[tritsofme]

36. Commerce Clause. nt

[wayoutthere]

8. "Surely You Don't Want "Total Gov Takeover of HC" ,,,, "Surely You Don't"

:banghead:

[emulatorloo]

9. LOL n/t

[dionysus]

10. huffing glue is very dangerous for your health.

[cali]

13. Not me. I am not with stupid.

[slackmaster]

14. I don't believe he has the authority to do that

The legislative branch has the power to regulate interstate commerce.

[HamdenRice]

17. Obama needs to get his education agenda passed real fast

because what I've been seeing on DU lately shows that 8 years of Bush have dumbed the population down to terrifying levels of ignorance.

[Blue-Jay]

27. .

.

[geek tragedy]

19. Unrec'd for advocating a violation of the constitution

and flunking grade school civics.

[dionysus]

21. it makes me wonder if half the posters here are even of voting age yet...

[Odin2005]

20. That would be illegal.

[Captain Hilts]

22. He isn't, he said the insurance companies perform an "important role." What that is, I don't know.

[PeaceNikki]

25. K&R

:patriot:

[prolesunited]

28. This was a test

Just discouraged from the posts I was reading today. I thought maybe I had been transported to bizarro world. I guess not by the mostly sensible posts here.

(Anyone have any doubts about my sanity or grasp of issues is free to search my name.)

[HamdenRice]

38. Got ya! Funny! But next time, don't forget your sarcasm smilie! nt

[PurityOfEssence]

29. Um...how do you "pass" and edict?

I guess you eat the thing and wait...

[w4rma]

30. Obama has too much respect for our democratic-republic to do that. (nt)

[EstimatedProphet]

31. Yes! Absolutely!

Health insurance companies are profitting off of sickness! Their policies actually make people sick, so that they make more profit! Obama should make it illegal to work for a health insurance industry in any form. Make it retroactive too - people who used to work for health insurance companies but quit shouldn't get a free pass! They knew exactly what they were doing! Lock em all up!

[NoPasaran]

34. I voted for Obama, not Chavez

[harun]

35. It will be 200 years before enough people figure out why that is a good idea to

actually do that. Although some of us know why already.

[Dreamer Tatum]

37. Exactly what do you think the range of Obama's powers is? nt

[Starbucks Anarchist]

39. He's the President, not Willy Wonka.