While driving to work yesterday and enjoying the nice spring morning, I was channel surfing the radio and landed on NPR. The topic on the radio had commentaries about health care reform.
One of the key comments made had to do with limiting excess profits. The idea is for companies to make enough profits to pay claims, doctors, etc., but eliminate excess profits.
What a sinking feeling.
No, I’m not talking about reducing my health care cost, which would be nice (but not likely even after reform). In reality, we will pay in some shape, form or fashion for this reform – both monetarily and our in our freedoms – of choice and time for example. Instead, what I’m referring to are things like mutual funds, exchange traded funds, retirement accounts, insurance policies, etc.
That’s right, these excess profits go to shareholders, such as you and me, not just the demonized Wall Street suits we only hear about. Why invest our money if we won’t get a return on our money?
How do insurance companies pay for life insurance for example? The companies use money to make profits to pay the policies. Have you ever looked at a prospectus to see where the money goes and which companies are invested in?
Yes, Obama has made it clear he does not like profits (for everyone else in my opinion). However, he made $5.5 million last year. Obama has mentioned, there is a time for profit, but it is not now. That’s just plain wrong – there is always a time to profit. As well, he has labeled bankers as fat cats, yet has not reduced earmarks for pork projects.
Barney Frank made comments about eliminating profits going to shareholders as well.
The ironic thing about socialism and capitalism is that the Socialist are Capitalist themselves.
The elites, who put their pants on one leg at a time just like the average Joe, are really capitalizing by taking from everyone else. Therefore, capitalism works, socialism doesn’t. And why should one man or a small group of people determine what everyone else makes – or limit individual potential?
To finish, I saw a bumper sticker that read “I’ll keep my guns, money and freedom…You keep the change”. When all of the new changes that have been occurring over the last year and in the years to come, I hope we are not simply left with pocket change.
