Memories...

Libertarian economist Tyler Cowen is feeling nostalgic for HillaryCare. Which is probably as it should be. Liberal politicians have largely moved on to ideas I like more and that I would expect libertarian economists to like less.

That being the case, though, the onus to try to make something like the Clinton Plan work properly belongs on right-of-center politicians not "all those smart Democrats" they "put in a room" way back when. We've seen in Massachusetts and California that when Republican politicians and the business community decide they want to come together to try and pre-empt more fundamental reforms, liberals -- quite rightly -- tend not to stand in their way.

Comments

Hearing libertarians converse about national solutions to health care insurance recalls the (apocyphal?) line said by Napoleon: "But where are the pope's armies?"

How many votes will Tyler's minions bring to shaping a solution?

Posted by JimPortlandOR | May 8, 2007 10:58 AM

I think this is mostly right:

What most people, left and right, most want is a health-care system that works better. Actual reforms that promise efficiency should please most people, saving those making a living from the inefficiencies. There are distributional questions, too, and these divide left and right, but these do not go to the core reasons that the health-care market is not working well.

Posted by Tyrone Slothrop | May 8, 2007 11:01 AM

Yeah; Tyler Cowen is always 12 years and more backward on any and every issue. If Hillar Clinton were to make the same proposal now, Cowen would oppose it however.

Posted by Jennifer | May 8, 2007 11:12 AM