David Lapidus calls for less partisan extremes and a greater
balance between free markets and government control (?Balance market,
government roles,? Jan. 21). Yet it is precisely this mix that causes the
problems Mr. Lapidus cites, especially regarding our health care system.
Free markets work precisely because they are free. That is,
they allow people to produce and trade values free of coercion. This is
essential for any productive activity, from computer technology to health care.
Government involvement in the economy, on the other hand, can only act to
destroy prosperity.
Every act of government providing entitlements, whether by
mandating certain insurance coverage, redistributing wealth though Medicare and
Medicaid or a myriad of other interventions, is a restriction on the freedom of
both health care providers and patients.
Freedom is the key to a healthy economy and prosperous
society. A government that claims to protect freedom while also acting as an
entitlement provider is a fraud, since every entitlement is necessarily
provided at someone else?s expense.
Mixing freedom and controls is like mixing food and poison;
it will only make you sick.
Jim Allard
UW Senior
?