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Megan McArdle's ideal society.

Jesus...fucking...Christ:

Moreover, as a class, the old and sick have some culpability in their ill health. They didn't eat right or excercise; they smoked; they didn't go to the doctor as often as they ought; they drank to much, or took drugs, or sped, or engaged in dangerous sports. Again, in individual cases this will not be true; but as a class, the old and sick bear some of the responsibility for their own ill health, while younger, healthier people have almost no causal role in the ill-health of others.

Perhaps they deserve it by virtue of suffering? But again, most of them are suffering because they have gotten old, often in high style...

As a class, the old and sick are already luckier than the young and healthy. Again, for individuals within that class--those with desperate congenital conditions, for example--this is not the case. But I'm not sure it's terribly compelling to argue that we should massively disadvantage a large group of people in order to massively advantage another, equally large group of people, all to help out the few who are needy, or deserving, or unlucky.

Roy at Alicublog says:

Try to imagine this woman on a lifeboat.

One of his commentors responds:

I find it easier to imagine her outside the lifeboat, circling it.
Anonymous

Mind you, this is the same woman who's just been tapped to blog for The Atlantic. What the fuck is wrong with this country? And if someone can explain to me how the basic Libertarian outlook doesn't boil down to, "I got mine, fuck you" I'd really appreciate it .