Monday, August 10, 2009

Claire McCaskill Attacks Insurance Profits and Salaries

Driving home today, I heard a snippet on the radio where Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) was criticizing the profits of insurance companies and the high salaries of their CEOs. I have tried to find the video of that, but so far am unable. It has also been reported that Senator McCaskill is canceling some or possibly all of her scheduled town hall meetings this month because of the opposing voices that are showing up.

I'll say. Check out this one on July 27 at Forest Park Community College in St Louis. She was not present, but her staff held the town meeting. Watch the reaction at the opening when the speaker refers to having the opportunity to hear from those opposed to the health care plan.

Good thing Claire wasn't present. It's also good that Claire wasn't present to answer this US soldier:


However, what I really would like to address is Senator McCaskill's comments about the insurance companies. It is not my intention to shill for those companies. They are motivated by the idea of profit-but are not most of us? Senator McCaskill is offended by the notion that the average salary for the top insurance CEOs is $10 million. She also threw out a huge figure for the amount of profits these companies make every year (which escapes me).

I say so what?

As long as people are making their money honestly, I have no problem with them making a large-even huge profit. At what point in Senator McCaskill's mind does a profit or salary become "obscene"? In my last posting, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) objects to the figure of $14 million dollar salaries for insurance company CEOs.

You see, this is all part and parcel of the left's attack on corporations, on profits, on capitalism itself. Just appeal to the class envy, (which the Democrats are expert at) and yell about the "greed". The objective is to tear down and redistribute wealth. The problem is that the Democrats offer no incentive or pathway for average people to obtain wealth themselves. Instead of being envious of the wealthy, we should look to emulate them. Why is it that the wealthy are wealthy? (I am talking about legally-earned wealth of course.) Is it because they went to school longer? Is it because they are more intelligent? Is it because they have more incentive? Is it because they work harder?

What Senators McCaskill, Harkin, and most Democrats) are doing is demonizing the insurance companies. They also demonize the pharmaceutical companies. They basically demonize everyone who, according to their definition, is rich.

Well, almost everyone.

You don't hear them demonize those rich folks in Hollywood, who mostly support them and make propagandistic movies to push their causes. You don't hear them demonize the rich attorneys, who are mostly on their side and get rich by suing the rich corporations (and doctors)for anything they can think of. You don't see them demonizing the big publishers like Arthur Sulzberger at the New York Times.

No, it's always the rich capitalists that they demonize.

So I say to Senator McCaskill: Don't cancel those meetings. Go and tell your constituents why you are so down on the insurance companies. It seems they are itching to hear from you, Senator.

Or are you waiting until all those purple-shirts from the SEIU are available to stack the hall?

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