The majority opinion in the Supreme Court of the United States which held the Affordable Care Act to be constitutional seems to have muddled certain concepts. The US government may have a right to tax individuals, but how is making it mandatory for individuals to buy health insurance consistent with American notions of freedom, especially when certain individuals will be forced to use their own money to cover part of the insurance ?
The US government imposes payroll taxes and it hands out Social Security benefits to certain recipients. However, individuals are not coerced to spend their money on a program, the way the Affordable Care Act intends to do. The constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act will probably be revisited in the future, and may form the subject of ideological and constitutional and intellectual battles in the years ahead. Even those who have left-leaning views about the economy should be wary about the constitutional implications of this Act.
by C. Jayant Praharaj ( send comments to cjpraharaj.blog@gmail.com )
The Global Analyst ( Commentary about economic, environmental, political and other topics )
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