Those of us who went through the Obamacare wars will recall that one of the most clarifying moments came during a Republican presidential primary debate in 2011. When one of the candidates, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, was asked if an uninsured 30-year-old patient should just be left to die if they needed life-saving medical care, members of the audience cheered and applauded. The congressman, who had served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force before becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist, responded that people should take responsibility for themselves.
Most people already understood that this was essentially the right’s philosophy about healthcare, but it had rarely ever been expressed so honestly. Republicans believe that healthcare is a commodity, and if you can’t afford it, or if you fail to buy it, you’re simply out of luck.
