Category Archives: Politics

Who is the Warning For?

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Quote of the Day

It’s baffling that Americans are falling for such a dangerous ideology. But they are.

A recent poll of likely voters from The Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports showed that 51% of young Americans, ages 18-39, would like to see a democratic socialist in the White House.

Mamdani and Wilson have put a shiny bow on their socialist ideas, and voters bought it.

Beware what comes next.

Ingrid Jacques,
December 1, 2025
NYC, Seattle just chose socialist mayors. Wake up, America. | Opinion

Perhaps she is unaware of the state of government schools. How else could she be baffled?

Everyone with half a functioning brain knows what comes next. Hence, I do not believe the “beware” warning is needed for the Second Amendment people. This is more appropriately a warning to the socialists.

You can vote your country into socialism. You have to shoot your way out.

A FORMER Civil Rights Division Attorney

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The Civil Rights Division’s new focus on the Second Amendment, which is far outside its longstanding mission, is moving us even further away from our nation’s commitment to protecting all Americans’ civil rights.

Stacey Young
A former Civil Rights Division attorney.
November 25, 2025
US Justice Department plans gun rights office within civil rights unit | Reuters

Is she so “tone deaf” she cannot even hear her own words? She contradicts herself in a single sentence. How can the Civil Rights Division be moving away from protecting “all Americans’ civil rights” by protecting a civil right they have never protected in the past?

I would also like to point out the article authors don’t mention the contradiction either.

This is mental illness and/or a deliberate intent of manipulation.

I would like to emphasize the “former” in her title. She richly deserves it.

Perceptions of Other Countries

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Quote of the Day

French-American here — spent 20 yrs in France, 13 in the US. Let me speak to this.

I think the only reason Europoors tolerate their miserable existence is because they tell themselves lies about what the rest of the world is like. They eat gruel in their AC-less social housing while the most awesome party in history is being thrown just next door.

If you hang out in France, you’ll routinely hear them say things like: “in the US, people die in front of hospitals” (they literally believe this to be the case) or “our social system is the envy of the world.”

Their image of the US is completely delusional, and they are often shocked to discover that when they visit here. Their Marxist media brainwashed them into thinking America is some Dickensian horror, with Monopoly-style fat capitalists running around with their top hats and monocles, exploiting dirt poor workers.

…

Now, how do Americans perceive the French (and Europeans at large)?

Well, the tragic reality is that they really, truly don’t think of them. They may cross their minds once a month, at most. Why would they think of that irrelevant backwater of a continent?

The few times they do come to mind, it is, at best, as a quaint vacation spot. A nice place to sip espresso and spend their American dollars — which go such a long way in these third world countries! The closest comparison is how Europeans think of Thailand or Cambodia.

That’s at best. At worst, they think they’re a lazy, entitled, smug, snobbish, rude people with a bright future behind them, who confuse regulation for progress, don’t realize their economies were left in the dust a very long time ago, simply stopped innovating because they’ve lost the will, ability, or both, and who would rather brag about their 60%(!!) public spending to GDP ratio than fix their communist shit hole of a system.

Nice wine though.

Flo Crivello @Altimor
Posted on X, November 26, 2025

I am reminding of something told to me by a person raised in China:

… the schools in China taught that in the U.S. there was lots of food but only the rich could afford it. And rather than let the poor people have food for an affordable price the rich would dump the excess food in the ocean. The fact that food is so plentiful and cheap that poor people in this country are obese apparently didn’t make it through the censors.

I am also reminded of something the president of a small company (about $25 million a year in the mid 1980s) told a small group of us once. Paraphrasing some, “People in other countries have no idea what it is like to live in the most powerful country in the world. Someone in a country that is number five or seven, might be able to come close to imagining what it is like living in a number two or three country. But even the number two country doesn’t know what it is like living in the number one country. And living in the number one country, we have no idea what it is living like in even the number two country.”

I didn’t really understand that then. I understand a little bit now. I have no reason to believe it is wrong.

Disconnection From Reality

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Quote of the Day

Without real data, the human mind ceases to function, and its disparate parts begin hallucinating information that doesn’t exist, and which will often be confidently and violently defended. The modern political Left is a product of delusional psychology that’s hell bent on enacting the worst possible policies because its adherents are fundamentally neurologically broken… and they may not be fixable.

Copernican
November 13, 2025
Urban Bugmen and AI Model Collapse: A Unified Theory

Via a comment from Rolf.

This is absolutely awesome article. I could pull many QOTDs out of it.

The quote above is just one of many dimensions of awesomeness.

It started out with me a little skeptical. The author does not seem to touch on The Alignment Problem, which I think is vital for anyone thinking about commenting on the problems of AI. But as I read further, I realized the author had insight into something much more fundamental than just AI training. Straying into the alignment problem would have been tangential.

I was totally hooked when he started writing about urban populations and their disconnects from reality. I remember growing up and when my urban cousins visited the farm for a week or two. Or working at Microsoft on Windows Phone 7 and people suggested we could just always assume the phone was connected to the Internet. Or people at my current job now asking if I had fun during my week-long vacation the previous week. “I moved 100,000 pounds of dirt, so it was ‘rewarding’ but not really ‘fun’.” They didn’t really know what to do with that information. They could not relate to what that could even mean.

I remember my first week at college in the relatively small town of Moscow, Idaho. There were a surprising number of students from big cities. They were almost disoriented and asked, “What do you do here?” I did not and could not understand the question. They were looking for clubs and social life. Growing up on the farm with anything representing a “big city” over 100 miles away, my reality only marginally intersected with their reality.

I remember about the second time Barb contemplated visiting my little corner of Idaho. Rather than ride with me on the drive over, she said she would fly over later and meet me at the motel. “I’ll pick you up at the airport,” I offered. “No, I’ll just take public transportation from the airport to the motel in Orofino,” she countered. I was confused. Was there really public transportation from one of the local airports to Orofino? After 30 minutes or so, it was Barb that was confused. “Why can’t I find public transportation from the airport to Orofino?” she asked. “Probably because it doesn’t exist,” I suggested. This, basically, did not compute in her version of reality.

The whole “Why do we need farmers when food just comes from stores?” joke has a little too much truth in it. People quickly have delusions about reality when they are disconnected from it. For me driving tractor in the field or a truck loaded with grain to the elevator and all the maintenance, repairs, weather, insects, weeds, four legged pests, and government nonsensical regulation is reality. How dare people who have never even worn shoes appropriate for walking across a field express an opinion on the price, quality, or any other fundamental aspect of food.

When people speak of “Locally grown!”, “Organic!”, “All natural!” I just roll my eyes. These people are not connected to reality. The same applies to electricity production and “green energy” in general, lumber, manufacturing, mining, “the trades,” etc.

If the disconnect of urban people from reality with their deep immersion in an artificial environment limits their capabilities and causes delusions, what can we expect from something trained entirely upon the content of the Internet?

Thanksgiving Day Memes

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GrandParaLarry @ParaLarry posted this. I went looking for the original posting by the Atlas Society but could not find it:

Via the The Atlas Society @TheAtlasSociety:

And todays favorite is via GrandParaLarry @ParaLarry:

Happy Thanksgiving!

These Politicians Don’t Condemn Socialism

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Quote of the Day

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution condemning socialism Friday morning, with several Democrats crossing the aisle to rebuke “socialist policies” in the U.S. following Zohran Mamdani’s recent election as the mayor-elect of New York City.

Eighty-six Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure in a 285-98 vote. Two members, Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Pa., and Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., voted present. 

Notably, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. — who endorsed Mamdani just days before the mayoral election — also voted in favor of the measure. 

The resolution, introduced by Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., highlights a list of the economic system’s failures and serves as a rebuke of political forces inching toward more socialist platforms. Among other items, it asserts that socialism has led to famine and mass murder under the Cuban Castro regime, the Chinese rule of Mao Zedong, the ongoing Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro and others.  

“Resolved by the House of Representatives that Congress denounces socialism in all its forms and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States,” the text reads.

Leo Briceno
November 21, 2025
86 Dems vote with Republicans to condemn socialism in wake of Mamdani’s mayoral victory

Give me a break. Don’t urinate on head and tell me it is raining. Probably 90% or more of those congressmen are eager to continue existing, and create new, socialist policies.

Ask them about “Social Security”, Medicare, Medicaid, “Food Stamps”, Public Education, Unemployment Insurance, Farm Bill Subsidies, FEMA, WIC, Progressive Federal Income Tax, Public Housing Assistance, and Federal Student Aid. This vote was about weathervanes aligning with the wind. It had nothing to do with political philosophy and/or principles (other than getting reelected).

This reinforces my assertion that all politicians should be regarded as criminal suspects, continually investigated, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. It should be a fourth branch of government, given generous funding, and constitutionally require congressional hearings if the guillotine in the plaza hasn’t been used in the previous five years.

Emotion, Not Constitutional Analysis

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Considering much of the justification for restricting the Second Amendment comes down to preventing violence, this distinction is strange.

The Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First Amendment’s protections has expanded over the years. It’s almost impossible for a public person to win a defamation or libel lawsuit, since the Supreme Court ruled in the 1964 case New York Times v. Sullivan that the plaintiff must prove “actual malice,” which means knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard.

Commercial speech used to be unprotected. Now, it receives intermediate scrutiny after SCOTUS’ 1980 ruling in Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission.
Hate speech, flag burning, violent video games and lies about military honors are all protected now.

If the Supreme Court applied strict scrutiny to firearms regulations, they would fail due to the lack of historical tradition. Requiring a minimum age of 21 to own a firearm would fail, since 18–20-year-olds served in the 1791 militia. Red flag laws would fail, since there are no pre-deprivation hearings. Magazine limits would fail since there is no founding-era analogue. Many felons are nonviolent, so laws prohibiting their possession would fail as too broad.

Judges justify the hypocrisy by pointing to the need to prevent gun deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 44,400 people died from gun-related injuries in the U.S. last year. However, when compared to a similar country, England (and Wales), which bans firearms, the U.S. has lower overall violent crime rates. This reveals that judges are making decisions based on emotion, not relying on a purely constitutional analysis.

Rachel Alexander
November 19, 2025
Courts Broadly Interpret the 1st Amendment, While Hypocritically Limiting the 2nd Amendment – FourG

There are other options. It is possible, even probable, that it is not an emotional basis for the decisions. It could be there are “just” different principles at work. A disarmed population is a compliant population. Political power grows from the barrel of a gun, etc.

The Difference Between a Thief and a Congressman

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The difference between a thief and a congressman: When a thief steals your money, he doesn’t expect you to thank him.

Walter E. Williams
2008
Liberty Versus the Tyranny of Socialism: Controversial Essays, page 110.
Also, in a 1994 column titled “Government vs. Private Charity.”

There are other differences as well. A thief won’t make innocent actions into criminal acts and tell you it is for your own good.

One could probably make a quite large list of differences indicating that thieves are more honest and honorable than congressmen. But I prefer to just say all politicians are criminal suspects and should be fully investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

When Have They Ever Been Concerned with Facts?

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If Congress passes a national concealed carry mandate, anyone you see could have a gun on them—and the police would be powerless to protect you.

Leaders must stand up for public safety and put a stop to the gun lobby’s dangerous agenda.

GIFFORDS @GIFFORDS_org
Posted on X, November 17, 2025

Objection! Presumes facts not in evidence.

The police don’t have the power to protect you now either. They only have the power to investigate and potentially arrest people after a crime has been committed.

Objection! Presumes facts not in evidence.

The post presumes private citizens who carry concealed guns are all criminals. The evidence is that people with concealed carry licenses are far less likely to commit a crime than even police officers.

Objection! Presumes facts not in evidence.

Allowing people to carry the most effective self-defense tools available increases public safety. It is only a dangerous agenda for violent criminals.

To be fair, gun control groups have never been concerned with the facts.

Via ‘Gun-Control’ Groups Don’t Trust You.

Antifa Terrorist Conviction

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Quote of the Day

Five far-left extremists have admitted to being Antifa members and terrorists in federal plea deals stemming from a coordinated ambush shooting on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on the Fourth of July.

It is the first known case in U.S. history in which Antifa members have officially admitted to being part of an organized Antifa cell.

On Nov. 19, Seth Sikes, Joy Abigail Gibson, Lynette Read Sharp, Nathan Baumann and John Phillip Thomas each admitted to one count of providing material support to terrorists for their role in the shooting attack on the Prairieland facility in Alvarado, Texas, that resulted in a police officer being shot in the neck and other officers being fired upon.

As part of their plea deals, which would see them imprisoned for no more than 15 years (they were facing up to decades in prison), they also agreed to a set of stipulated, or formally agreed-upon, facts of the case.

“Beginning on or about July 3, 2025, and continuing until on or about July 4, 2025, in the Northern District of Texas, [defendant name] planned with others to provide resources and personnel, including [himself/herself], knowing and intending that they would be used to carry out acts of terrorism,” Baumann, Gibson, and Sikes admitted were true in the court filing. They admitted that the terrorism was “calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion, or to retaliate against government conduct.”

In Baumann’s stipulated facts, he admitted: “Baumann found that others who participated in the acts against Prairieland adhered to an Antifa, revolutionary anarchist or autonomous Marxist ideology that is anti-law enforcement, anti-immigration enforcement, and calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law. Antifa is a militant enterprise that advocates insurrection and violence to affect the policy and conduct of the U.S. government by intimidation and coercion. In line with his Antifa ideology, on or about July 3 and July 4, Baumann, along with others, participated in the planning of the ‘direct action’ against Prairieland set for the night of July 4, to influence and affect the conduct of the government by intimidation and coercion…”

Andy Ngo
November 20, 2025
ANDY NGO REPORTS: First Antifa terrorism convictions in US history | The Post Millennial | thepostmillennial.com

The following is from Federal case 4:25-cr-00272-P, Document #89:

Beginning on or about July 3, 2025, and continuing until on or about July 4, 2025, Sikes conspired with others to provide personnel, including himself, knowing and intending that it be used to carry out acts of terrorism, that is, violations of 18 U.S.C. § 1361, depredation against property of the United States, including the Prairieland Detention Center (Prairieland), which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) was using to house illegal aliens awaiting deportation. The terrorism was calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion, or to retaliate against government conduct.

Sikes and his coconspirators adhered to an Antifa, anarchist ideology and
organized cells or “affinity groups” around their beliefs. On or about July 3, Sikes and his coconspirators began planning a “direct action” at Prairieland, for the night of July 4, in order to influence and affect the conduct of the government by intimidation and coercion, and to retaliate against government conduct.

It is long past time there were some convictions. Antifa has caused millions of dollars in damages and at least one murder but this is the first conviction.

Child-Brained Imbecile

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Critics have lambasted Wilson as a child-brained imbecile, citing basic private property rights and her lack of authority to issue an exit tax without considerable state and local support. Again, socialist candidate make promises they cannot keep. This might get them elected, but their time in office immediately becomes a clown show, proving conservatives were right all along.

Tyler Durden
November 15, 2025
The Socialist Mayor Clown Show Is Truly Something To Behold | ZeroHedge

See also Et Tu, Seattle? ‘Democratic’ Socialism Goes Bi-Coastal.

Of course, it all depends upon the socialist’s definition of success. If the goal is access to power and the destruction of the “capitalistic patriarchy” they probably will make some progress. Expect capitalists to leave and more buildings be boarded up.

Barb and I barely venture into Seattle at all anymore. This mayor is going make the Seattle environment even more hostile.

Making Lemonade from Socialists

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Mamdani, I think, is probably going to end the city. Being an entrepreneur, I think that in five years we’ll go and pick up all the pieces at a very low price point.

Kevin Maloney
Founder and chief executive officer of Property Markets Group
November 5, 2025
Mamdani Won. South Florida Expects a Real Estate Bump. – The New York Times
And here: NYC’s Mamdani sparked $100M rush into Florida real estate as ‘nervous’ New Yorkers flee city, developer says. Is this the ‘end’ of the Big Apple?

Socialism is destructive. But some people can make money from destruction. Broken windows need to be fixed so invest in glass production if you are expecting widespread riots in the near future. Lemonade from lemons and all that.

Hate and Destruction is Easy

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While a lot of reports have done good work documenting the Antifa and leftist protests that attempted to shut down a Turning Point USA event on the campus of UCLA at Berkeley earlier this week (here, here, and here), I want to highlight one fundamental and truly ugly aspect of these protests that I think we no longer see because it has become so common.

While it is clear these leftist protesters have nothing positive to propose, it is their hate and anger that stands out above all. All they can do is vent hate, pure and simple.

Robert Zimmerman
November 12, 2025
The leftist protest at Berkeley this week: Feel the hate! – Behind The Black – Robert Zimmerman

Surely everyone has gotten frustrated and/or angry and threw or struck something and broke it, right? It is an easy thing to do.

The difficult thing to do is the design, build, and maintain something of value. In minutes an arsonist can destroy a building which took months or years to design. A valuable painting created by a master such as da Vinci, Michelangelo, or Raphael took months or years and “climate change activists vandals” thrown paint on it and think they have accomplished something.

By the time they have made it past the toddler stage of development most people realize that willful destruction of life and/or valuable property is seldom a good use of your time. But those that advocate for and participate in riots are a special type of socially retarded.

One has to wonder, this willful destruction is far more common from the political left, so is bell curve for this social retardation shifted compared to other political persuasions? Or is the mean the same and the standard deviation greater such that there end up with more people in the tail of the bell curve willing to participate in anti-social behavior?

The solutions to reducing this behavior might vary depending on the answer to those questions.

Courts or Legislatures? Why Not Both?

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While many Americans still believe the courts are the key to restoring liberty, gun rights leaders say it’s time for a reality check — because the courts aren’t coming to save you. That’s the blunt warning from Hannah Hill, Vice President of the National Foundation for Gun Rights, who says far too many liberty activists have fallen into the trap of thinking they can sue their way back to freedom.

“No. The courts are NOT coming to save you,” Hill said in a recent statement. “If you’re waiting for a judge to fix this country, you’re going to be waiting forever.”

According to Hill, too many well-meaning conservatives are convinced that “one big lawsuit” will topple gun control laws or fix deep-rooted corruption, when in reality, the legal system is stacked against liberty from top to bottom.

Chris McNutt
November 14, 2025
Reality Check: The Courts Aren’t Coming to Save Your Gun Rights – Shooting News Weekly

I have been saying just the opposite for quite a while now. The legislatures in so many states are completely hopeless. I think the courts and/or prosecutions are the only hope in those gun-rights hellholes. If we can maintain an originalist majority on the SCOTUS long enough, we can get most of the bad laws removed from the books. Once the bad laws are off the books we can create a history of life without oppressive gun laws. The more history we can create the better our chances for a non-oppressive gun law future.

The risk is losing the majority on SCOTUS via the anti-gun politicians packing the court in the next five to ten years.

That said, having all the bad law the Federal level is plausible even without the support of SCOTUS. And if we can get rid of all the bad laws at the Federal level and in half or more the states then we have additional leverage for the remaining states.

I see the point of the article, and I am not entirely in disagreement with them. And redundancy in protection and plans are always a good thing. If we can get both the courts and the legislatures to see the plain and clear language of the 2nd Amendment that would be great. It would be much better than having just one or the other. So, both right?

The problem is that resources are limited and must be allocated to best accomplish the final goal. With the current SCOTUS I believe the path forward is more certain and less resource intensive than attempting to make similar progress in the legislatures. Hence, I’m going to be expending my resources on the courts for now. But I’m certainly not going to fault someone who can make a difference at the legislative front.

Romantic Comedy Premise

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Romcom premise: therapist of a woman with chronic TDS that’s ruining her life tells her that part of her therapy is exposure: she needs to spend time around a Trump supporter until her anxiety wears off. She must date a Trump supporter to be cured of her disease.

Hilarity ensues.

Title: “Making Amelia Great Again”

Peachy Keenan @KeenanPeachy
Posted on X, November 15, 2025

My impression is that many of those opposed to the Trump presidency go to great lengths to not be soiled by contact with any information that might cause them to question their hatred. Hence, while I could find humor in watching a movie or show like that, it would probably be a marriage breaker in some relationships to even suggest viewing something like that.

UBI is Feeding the Goldfish in the Aquarium

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“Universal Basic Income” means “feed the goldfish in the aquarium, until the time is right to pull the plug.”

Matthew Bracken @Matt_Bracken
Posted on Gab November 13, 2025

This appears to be a reasonable hypothesis.

Whoever (the “elite”, a super AI, The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement, etc.) has or acquires the power to pull the plug is likely to at some point in time come to the conclusion most other people are “just parasites”. From there the obvious conclusion is that the world would be a better place without “those people.”

I am listening to a fascination book, On Tyranny (Expanded Audio Edition): Updated with Twenty New Lessons from Russia’s War on Ukraine by Timothy Snyder*. Snyder is a historian and makes the claim there is a frequent crossroads in the late history of an empire. This is my paraphrasing so I may misrepresent him some… The controlling elites get tired of giving so much to the far reaches of the empire and decide it is time to collect on their investment. At about the same time the far reaches of the empire get tired of the controlling elites taking all their resources and decide it is time to get something in return. For some reason the resulting resolution does not go well. I could see Universal Basic Income arriving at a similar crossroads and those involved do not see the humor in the situation as much as I do.

Prepare appropriately.

* You may wish to skip the book part where he makes his case as to why President Trump is a tyrant, and get to the history of Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Vikings, and Russia where the good stuff is.

Compassionate Leadership Means Hard Labor Camp for Life

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Despite his website promising “compassionate leadership for a just future,” Smeltzer vowed in a recent post to “round up EVER [sic] SINGLE red hat wearing MAGA and put them in hard labor camps for the rest of their lives.”

While locking up those with whom he disagrees appears to be one of his key objectives, Smeltzer told the Washington Free Beacon that he is running a “health care and tax-the-rich campaign” and would use a role in Congress to advocate for his fellow “furry” fetishists.

Joseph MacKinnon
November 10, 2025
‘Furry’ Democrat running for Congress celebrated Kirk assassination, wants to put MAGA voters in ‘hard labor camps’ | Blaze Media

This refers to Samuel Smeltzer, a Democrat seeking to represent Michigan’s 7th district in Congress. He has six to eight opponents to defeat in the primary, then he would face the Republican incumbent in the November 2026 election. So, he still has a long journey ahead before he seizes the reins of power.

He certainly has the attitude I would expect from a socialist. The compassion part may not seem obvious in the current context. But if he really thinks all “red hat wearing MAGA” should be lined up in front of a ditch to be shot, then I suppose hard labor for life could be considered compassionate.

This is why we have the Second Amendment. This is why I created Boomershoot.

Prepare appropriately.

No Brakes Required

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Chuck Schumer stepped on a rake with the shutdown and the hammer and sickle wing of the Democrats wants to use Mamdani narrowly beating Cuomo as justification for taking over. I am happy to let AOC take the wheel and drive off a cliff.

Slow Joe Crow
Comment to Becoming Woke

While there is the certain hazard the rest of the country suffers as the car goes over the cliff, I cannot plausibly imagine a less bad outcome from our current predicament. What can we do to make sure the drive train is in good working order and the car is fully fueled? I don’t really care whether or not the vehicle has working brakes. They always double down on their mistakes so I would not expect them to be used in any case.

Let Me Translate This for You

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Democrats are looking ahead with hope that the anger in their party boils over so they can focus on hammering Republicans over health care. Next month, Republicans will give Democrats a vote on extending the enhanced ACA subsidies. It will almost certainly fail, and Republicans are preparing an alternative plan they can put on the floor to vote for instead. Nevertheless, it will give Democrats another opportunity to go on offense.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said while it’s “definitely a disappointment” the shutdown didn’t end with the outcome Democrats preferred, people should be directing their anger at those imposing higher health care costs on Americans.

Igor Bobic, Jennifer Bendery, and Arthur Delaney
November 11, 2025
Why Democrats Caved In The Shutdown Fight | HuffPost Latest News

What I don’t see discussed in the media in plain language is the consequences of these higher premiums. Except for U.S. New & World Report, the wording is all, at best, very circumspect:

5 Consequences If ACA Premium Subsidies End in 2026 | AJMC

The return of the subsidy cliff would likely lead to “coverage churn,” where individuals cycle in and out of insurance due to fluctuating income. This instability not only undermines continuity of care but also disrupts the broader insurance market by reducing the number of healthy, continuously insured individuals.

What expiring ACA subsidies could mean for consumers and the economy | Mizuho Insights

In the absence of subsidies, the U.S. healthcare system will confront lower volumes, tighter margins, and renewed financial pressure across the board. For a sector already navigating demographic shifts, labor shortages, and cost inflation, the withdrawal of federal support could prove a defining headwind in the years ahead.

What the End of Obamacare Subsidies Could Mean for Your Health Coverage | TIME

Insurers across the market—not just those relying on ACA subsidies—are bracing for the effects of the expiration, as volatility is expected.

The shutdown is about to end. Will millions lose their health insurance?

Without the pandemic-era subsidies, ACA health insurers could face the prospect of serving a larger share of high-cost enrollees, Corlette said.

“We could be in for a stretch where insurance companies have to raise their premiums again to reflect a smaller and sicker market,” Corlette said. “So 2027 premiums are likely to be even higher, and some insurance companies may decide this is not a market they want to continue being in.”

Hospitals Face a ‘Slow Train Wreck’ if ACA Subsidies End, Expert Warns | Health Care | U.S. News

Could the loss of these subsidies destabilize insurance markets, and if so, what kind of consequences could we see for patients and for providers?

We already know that insurance companies are bracing for a market that is much smaller, has fewer enrollees but is also much sicker than it has been.

That’s because insurance companies are assuming that the people most likely to be deterred by a higher premium are folks who are relatively young and healthy. What insurers really need is what they call a balanced risk pool, where there’s essentially a balance between healthy and sick people, with healthier people subsidizing sicker folks. Then the healthy people drop out, which means that the insurance companies have a smaller group of more expensive people to cover and then they raise their premiums.

Some of them may find the market less attractive because they worry they can’t fully recoup their costs. So we could see over time, not only rising premiums in this market but also fewer insurance companies participating.

Let me translate this for you. With the subsidies ending there is a high risk of a death spiral in the health insurance industry. As premiums rise, healthier enrollees are likely to drop coverage, leaving insurers with a sicker, costlier pool. This forces insurers to raise rates further, compounding “instability.”

Copilot supplied:

Bottom Line

The end of ACA subsidies would mean higher premiums, fewer enrollees, and greater instability for insurers, while threatening the ACA’s long-term viability. Unless Congress extends or replaces subsidies, the ACA could face a slow-motion collapse driven by adverse selection and affordability crises.

The insurance companies will have to revert to some of the previous practices which protected them against this sort of death spiral insurance premium situation. They will need to be able to refuse insurance to people with preexisting conditions. While unpopular, they may revert to having lifetime and annual limits which were banned by Obama Care.

As near as I can tell, the U.S. Constitution does not give the U.S. Government the power to provide health insurance. Of course, during the Obama administration SCOTUS disagreed with my reading of the U.S. Constitution.

My take on this is that the money has to come from some place. The subsidies are paid by taxes. By cycling the money through the tax process, then back to insurance companies, then to healthcare providers a considerable amount of “friction” has been introduced, and the total cost of health care has been increased. This is a waste of money.

Free markets are best because they reduce “friction” and the competition results in innovation.

Let ACA fail. Let people evaluate their own risks and be responsible for their own health care. Let insurance companies tailor their coverage for the markets and how they decide to define them. Let private charity groups vet and pay for deserving people unable to afford insurance or pay out of pocket. Let the people who chose to abuse their bodies with consumption of alcohol, tobacco, other recreational drugs, and other risky behaviors pay the price for their stupidity.

Prepare appropriately for the transitions.

Rhetorical Question

Posted on by

Via Alice Smith @TheAliceSmith:

I think it is a rhetorical question.

To me, the answer is obvious. Those pushing the “war on women” cannot tolerate being in agreement with their political opponents no matter how clear the truth is. Yet, they are willing to distort the truth to whatever extreme they can get away with to harm their political opponents.