CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked Representative Ron Paul what we should do if a 30-year-old man who chose not to purchase health insurance suddenly found himself in need of six months of intensive care. Mr. Paul replied, “That’s what freedom is all about — taking your own risks.” Mr. Blitzer pressed him again, asking whether “society should just let him die.”

And the crowd erupted with cheers and shouts of “Yeah!” -- Paul Krugman, NY Times editorial, "Free to die" Sept. 15

by Clifford F. Thies

At the recent Republican presidential candidate forum the question was posed should a person who refuses to pay for health insurance nevertheless be administered medical care. Ron Paul, a medical doctor and a principled libertarian, was trying to say he could not imagine that such a person would be refused. But some in the audience said "no."

The question is sophomoric. Let me give the supposed ultimate killer question to a libertarian: If a baby is observed starving to death on another person's property, would you commit trespass in order to feed that baby? Of course you do. Pending a hearing, you would also take the baby and make sure he or she was not abused or neglected.

The purpose of law, after all, is to protect us in our rights, and those who need their rights protected the most are the most vulnerable among us, infant children, persons enfeebled by old age, those who are least able to make good choices in the marketplace. Government protects us all from the violent criminal element, but government also protects us from neglectful and abusive family members and from fraudulent businessmen.

But, what about adults, presumably capable of making their own decisions, who decide badly; who take physical or financial risks, or who just plain act stupid. Who drive motorcycles without a helmet, smoke cigarettes and eat Big Macs, who promiscuously engage in homosexual acts, or who go to Michael Moore movies. What about them?

Well, says Paul Krugman, writing in the New York Times, they are to be treated like children, and be taken care of by the government. Instead of dealing with the question posed to Ron Paul, to which the audience answered "no" and Ron Paul hesitated to answer, Krugman said that because we would not let a child make a very bad decision, we shouldn't let any adult.

Pretty brave words from somebody now famous for Space Aliens and 9-11 Truther conspiracy. But, what will Krugman say when the police come after him?

First, they went after those who smoke marijuana, and I said nothing because it's been years since I did any of that shit. Then they went after the members of the Church of Scientology, and I said nothing because I'm into the New Age. Then they went after the Austrian economists, and I said nothing because I'm a Keynesian. Then they went after me and there was nobody to protect me.

First of all, if health insurance were a good deal, almost everybody would freely buy it. But, it's so damn expensive, because of the cross-sbsidies, the practice of defensive medicine, the "one size fits all" mentality of the country when it comes to medical care, and the fact that it's not health insurance but merely third-party reimbursement. If we reformed our health insurance so it operated the way health insurance works in Japan, Taiwan and Singapore, it would be a tremendous bargain.

Secondly, if somebody shows up without insurance and it really was because they decided to not pay and used the money other people use for health insurance in order to buy other things, then it depends on whether they happen upon somebody like Ron Paul, who is a kind and decent man, or somebody like the members of that audience that said no. You gotta ask yourself, punk, do ya feel lucky?

Dr. Thies is a professor of economics at Shenandoah Univ. in Virginia