December 16, 2009

Riddle me this

Many of my liberal readers consider me a moron. Here is your chance to educate me.

How is it possible to provide goods and services to twenty million, thirty million, or even one hundred people without adding any cost? Funny, most of you ridicule the Bible, where the only example of getting something from nothing is told in the loaves and fishes story.

I await your response.

13 comments:

dick said...

Shit, you'll die of old age before you get a well thought answer for those bastards.

Ed Bonderenka said...

Economy of scale?
How's the beard coming?

Ed Bonderenka said...

No, No, I meant to say: 'We'll make it up on the volume."
No, that doesn't work either.
I tried to help them, since they seemed slow to answer.

jonas said...

HB:

Not that I'm defending any particular position here, but in service to procrastination and topping by the site to say hello...

Isn't the argument one based on efficiency = doing more, better? Now, certainly the gov't doesn't exactly excel at being efficient. But, my vaaaaague understanding is that by streamlining, more people can be served for the same cost.

Now, does "no cost" = no actually dollars spent? Or, does it mean the savings will balance the cost? I think a literal read of $0 spent is of course silly. Anything that will be created for this project costs $$...thus, "no $$ spent" can't be true. However, if its to be taken more figuratively, and in consideration of some long-term target, then we're back to efficiency. Which, of course, might be a complete fallacy anyway.

That all aside, to answer your question: "no $$" means maximizing/altering the system to do more with less or the same $$. Dunno if its possible, but thats the line.

Erica said...

Hey, wait a second...you do know, after a significant episode of whining, God provided the Israelites with manna from heaven and quail? They gave God nothing in return except maybe a splitting headache.

Erica said...

Just sayin'...gotta represent the Heebs, you know what I mean? :)

TheWayfarer said...

Erica, you're a freaking RIOT! We'll be checking you out for more laughs later.

Speaking of laughs, Dumb-O, Orca Winfrey & "Reverend" Wright are on a charter jet headed for a Communist convention in Venezuela. Obama says "I could throw a $1000 bill out the window & make someone happy." Oprah thay "Ah could throw ten $100 bills out the window and make 10 people happy!" Wright says "I could throw 100 $10 bills out the window & make a hundred people happy!" The pilot turns around and says "I could throw ALL you sonsofbitches out the winda & make EVERYBODY happy!!!"

Joe said...

Erica, how are you Baby? Long time since you graced these humble pages.

Joe said...

Jonas, What Government social program has ever operated efficiently? In fact, in the great ponzi scheme of healthcare, the Dems are planning on paying for the new stuff by eliminating the waste in the old stuff!

Erica said...

HB, I always read your humble pages in my feed reader. Pretty much every single day. :)

Erin O'Brien said...

This is one of the smartest podcasts I've heard on HCR.

Olney's show is top-notch.

Joe said...

That is a very interesting podcast, Erin. The takeaway I get is probably different than yours, but the key to reformiong healthcare is not reforming insurance -- the entire aim of the Senate bill -- but reform of health COST. The best way to do this is through tort reform. Sadly, this is not addressed at all.

The Dems in Congress seem far more interested in growing the Government, letting Government provide the healthcare, than in true market regulation and reform.

Constitutional issues aside, the bills in Congress do nothing to fix the real underlying issues.

TheWayfarer said...

"Constitutional issues aside, the bills in Congress do nothing to fix the real underlying issues."

Go figure - kinda' gives you the impression that, just like global warming, the whole fuckin' thing's a scam or shell-game to hide something else.
You can bet they generously reward certain bigtime insurance providers in bed with key Senators and Congressmen though!

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