Thin Gruel

Now admittedly I am not the go to guy for recent healthcare reform in US, considering I was more fascinated with the political theatre than with the policy.

With the necessary caveats dispensed while I am generally disposed towards conservative position, I am left underwhelmed by the argument that mandates are unconstitutional.

Usually the arguments goes like this, “US government can’t force citizens to buy a products. Mandates or fines levied on citizen for not buying insurance policy amount to the same. Hence the mandates are unconstitutional”. This is to me seems like too much lawyering. I am not an expert on US constitution so may be I am getting it wrong, but it is well within legislative prerogative to impose taxes. Mandate in effect is a tax, sure it is discriminatory, but then so is tax credit for children, or tax deduction for agriculture. In its favor thought it is far more credible than Obama being communist.