In last night's Republican presidential debate, Ron Paul was caught in a "gotcha" moment, courtesy of moderator Wolf Blitzer, who asked him about whether society should let a hypothetical young man die just because he couldn't afford health insurance. As the audience cheered on the prospect of the young man dying (Good Lord, where do they get these audiences?), Paul tried to reframe the argument in terms of personal responsibility, emphasizing the need in a free society for each individual to accept responsibility for his or her own actions.
I'm hardly against personal responsibility. I'm all for it, in fact. I just happen to think that one of the most responsible things anyone can do is recognize the fact than everyone, in every society, makes choices that can't help but to affect the lives of people around them, including people they've never met. So if, for example, you choose to not accept health insurance, you should also not expect anyone else to pick up the tab when you get sick. In fact, you should not accept health care at all under those circumstances, because you will be diverting health care providers from dealing with patients who have accepted and are managing their obligations to pay for their care. And, ultimately, you burden the health care system with unpaid costs that compromise its ability to serve future patients.
Well, guess what? It turns out Ron Paul knows of one such person. In fact, he knew him quite well. And, if Ron Paul really wanted to illustrate his point about personal responsibility, he could put his money where his mouth clearly is, and pick up the tab.
But then, that would compromise the whole Ayn Rand point of view, by admitting that we ultimately are responsible for each other. That principal is what makes a society a society in the first place.
And that is why Ron Paul won't do it. It is also why he, and anyone who thinks like him, has no business in public office.
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