Definitions

To the Editor:

Matt Pommer had an informative article about the Medicaid program in Wisconsin in the Review (Feb. 11) complete with some facts and figures. He included a comment about the fact that Medicare costs are going to challenge our next governor, which considering the spending spree of our Democrat-run state could arguably be labeled an understatement.

Pommer then used President Barack Obama’s straw man technique to ponder the philosophical nature of Medicaid. He wrote: “Others will suggest that these Wisconsin numbers amount to socialism run amuck. Some on the far right may suggest it amounts to communism.”

I would like Pommer to tell us who Mr. Others and Mr. Some are. I would assume that Pommer has the ability to inform his readers about what philosophically is Medicare instead of passing the buck to a couple of straw men.

What Medicare isn’t, philosophically speaking, is free market capitalism. It is not democracy since that is a method of electing officials and not a system of governance. It’s probably not communism since that usually requires a dictator. That would leave socialism, statism, fascism, liberalism or some other ism that I am unable to think of at this time.

Mr. Pommer, I want to know what you think. I don’t want the opinion of some nameless “right winger” straw man.

I think Pommer was trying to lead the reader into agreeing with his “left winger” views on Medicare, which is to expand government at any cost, and demonizing anyone who is opposed. I would have preferred that he use a reasoned argument to accomplish his purpose rather than the divisive rhetoric that he chose.

Dennis Gasper,

Plymouth