Markie Mark- So you are saying that the VA is not government run health insurance?
How about Medicare and Medicaid? SSI Disability, etc? Try again, Markie. On 1/25/11, THE ANNOINTED ONE <[email protected]> wrote: > Tommy, > > Since the Merchant Marine was then, is now and will always be part of > the fleet reserve forces for the US Military (Navy) of course they and > the US Navy (also covered under the law you quote) had to carry > insurance and treat the wounded. > > The law covered ALL US flagged ships... and unlike the socialistic > programs you attempt to compare it to was the fore runner of the VA/ > Military Hospital system. > > Try again. > > On Jan 24, 9:47 pm, Tommy News <[email protected]> wrote: >> Congress Passes Socialized Medicine and Mandates Health Insurance -In 1798 >> >> The ink was barely dry on the PPACA when the first of many lawsuits to >> block the mandated health insurance provisions of the law was filed in >> a Florida District Court. >> >> The pleadings, in part, read - >> >> The Constitution nowhere authorizes the United States to mandate, >> either directly or under threat of penalty, that all citizens and >> legal residents have qualifying health care coverage. >> >> State of Florida, et al. vs. HHS >> >> It turns out, the Founding Fathers would beg to disagree. >> >> In July of 1798, Congress passed – and President John Adams signed - >> “An Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seamen.” The law >> authorized the creation of a government operated marine hospital >> service and mandated that privately employed sailors be required to >> purchase health care insurance. >> >> Keep in mind that the 5th Congress did not really need to struggle >> over the intentions of the drafters of the Constitutions in creating >> this Act as many of its members were the drafters of the Constitution. >> >> And when the Bill came to the desk of President John Adams for >> signature, I think it’s safe to assume that the man in that chair had >> a pretty good grasp on what the framers had in mind. >> >> Here’s how it happened. >> >> During the early years of our union, the nation’s leaders realized >> that foreign trade would be essential to the young country’s ability >> to create a viable economy. To make it work, they relied on the >> nation’s private merchant ships – and the sailors that made them go – >> to be the instruments of this trade. >> >> The problem was that a merchant mariner’s job was a difficult and >> dangerous undertaking in those days. Sailors were constantly hurting >> themselves, picking up weird tropical diseases, etc. >> >> The troublesome reductions in manpower caused by back strains, twisted >> ankles and strange diseases often left a ship’s captain without enough >> sailors to get underway – a problem both bad for business and a strain >> on the nation’s economy. >> >> But those were the days when members of Congress still used their >> collective heads to solve problems – not create them. >> >> Realizing that a healthy maritime workforce was essential to the >> ability of our private merchant ships to engage in foreign trade, >> Congress and the President resolved to do something about it. >> >> Enter “An Act for The Relief of Sick and Disabled Seamen”. >> >> I encourage you to read the law as, in those days, legislation was >> short, to the point and fairly easy to understand. >> >> The law did a number of fascinating things. >> >> First, it created the Marine Hospital Service, a series of hospitals >> built and operated by the federal government to treat injured and >> ailing privately employed sailors. This government provided healthcare >> service was to be paid for by a mandatory tax on the maritime sailors >> (a little more than 1% of a sailor’s wages), the same to be withheld >> from a sailor’s pay and turned over to the government by the ship’s >> owner. The payment of this tax for health care was not optional. If a >> sailor wanted to work, he had to pay up. >> >> This is pretty much how it works today in the European nations that >> conduct socialized medical programs for its citizens – although 1% of >> wages doesn’t quite cut it any longer. >> >> The law was not only the first time the United States created a >> socialized medical program (The Marine Hospital Service) but was also >> the first to mandate that privately employed citizens be legally >> required to make payments to pay for health care services. Upon >> passage of the law, ships were no longer permitted to sail in and out >> of our ports if the health care tax had not been collected by the ship >> owners and paid over to the government – thus the creation of the >> first payroll tax in our nation’s history. >> >> When a sick or injured sailor needed medical assistance, the >> government would confirm that his payments had been collected and >> turned over by his employer and would then give the sailor a voucher >> entitling him to admission to the hospital where he would be treated >> for whatever ailed him. >> >> While a few of the healthcare facilities accepting the government >> voucher were privately operated, the majority of the treatment was >> given out at the federal maritime hospitals that were built and >> operated by the government in the nation’s largest ports. >> >> As the nation grew and expanded, the system was also expanded to cover >> sailors working the private vessels sailing the Mississippi and Ohio >> rivers. >> >> The program eventually became the Public Health Service, a government >> operated health service that exists to this day under the supervision >> of the Surgeon General. >> >> So much for the claim that “The Constitution nowhere authorizes the >> United States to mandate, either directly or under threat of >> penalty….” >> >> As for Congress’ understanding of the limits of the Constitution at >> the time the Act was passed, it is worth noting that Thomas Jefferson >> was the President of the Senate during the 5th Congress while Jonathan >> Dayton, the youngest man to sign the United States Constitution, was >> the Speaker of the House. >> >> While I’m sure a number of readers are scratching their heads in the >> effort to find the distinction between the circumstances of 1798 and >> today, I think you’ll find it difficult. >> >> Yes, the law at that time required only merchant sailors to purchase >> health care coverage. Thus, one could argue that nobody was forcing >> anyone to become a merchant sailor and, therefore, they were not >> required to purchase health care coverage unless they chose to pursue >> a career at sea. >> >> However, this is no different than what we are looking at today. >> >> Each of us has the option to turn down employment that would require >> us to purchase private health insurance under the health care reform >> law. >> >> Would that be practical? Of course not – just as it would have been >> impractical for a man seeking employment as a merchant sailor in 1798 >> to turn down a job on a ship because he would be required by law to >> purchase health care coverage. >> >> What’s more, a constitutional challenge to the legality of mandated >> health care cannot exist based on the number of people who are >> required to purchase the coverage – it must necessarily be based on >> whether any American can be so required. >> >> Clearly, the nation’s founders serving in the 5th Congress, and there >> were many of them, believed that mandated health insurance coverage >> was permitted within the limits established by our Constitution. >> >> The moral to the story is that the political right-wing has to stop >> pretending they have the blessings of the Founding Fathers as their >> excuse to oppose whatever this president has to offer. >> >> History makes it abundantly clear that they do not. >> >> UPDATE: January 21- Given the conversation and controversy this piece >> has engendered, Greg Sargent over at The Washington Post put the piece >> to the test. You might be interested in what Greg discovered in his >> article, “Newsflash: Founders favored government run health care.” >> >> More:http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/01/17/congress-passes-socializ... >> >> -- >> Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. >> Have a great day, >> Tommy > > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -- Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. Have a great day, Tommy -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
