A Slippery Slope

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States (henceforth known as SCOTUS), upheld pretty much all of President Obama's healthcare law, including the individual mandate, which says that individuals are required to have health insurance.  In the 5-4 majority ruling, John Roberts, Chief Justice of SCOTUS, said that while the Commerce Clause does not allow the Federal Government to force individuals to purchase a product, the individual mandate is essentially a tax and Congress can levy taxes so therefore, it's legal.  Do you follow that?  SCOTUS said that the Federal Government forcing an individual to purchase a product is a tax!

Let's forget for a moment that President Obama said way back in 2009 in an interview with George Stephanapolis that the individual mandate wasn't a tax.  "You can't just make up that language and decide that that's called a tax increase," is one of the quotes from the interview.  Let's just think about the consequences of this ruling...it is now considered constitutional for the Federal Government to force you to buy a product under the guise of it being a tax.  What's next???

-Don't want to buy those fluorescent light bulbs?  Too bad, you have to, it's just another tax.

-Hate working out?  That's too bad, we're an overweight society so you have to join a gym.  Don't worry, it's just a tax.

-You have to buy a more fuel efficient vehicle.  Sorry, just another tax.

-All Americans have the right to defend themselves, so everyone has to buy a gun.  Just a small little tax.

Are some of those absurd?  Maybe, but even 5 years ago we would have thought the Federal Government forcing people to buy health insurance was absurd.  Where does it end?

This is one of the worst decisions ever made by the SCOTUS.  Right up there with saying slavery is okay back in the day.  I expected the 4 liberal judges to go this way because they don't typically follow the law, they just advance the liberal cause.  But Chief Justice Roberts is supposed to know better.  I guess Washington D.C. corrupts some faster than others.

If there is a bright spot in all this it's that President Obama now has to defend this atrocious law all through the election, and maybe we'll all finally find out what's in the law, unlike the people who actually voted on it in the first place.