The Left: Private monoplies bad, public monopolies good

Markos Moulitsas, the founder of the Daily Kos, one of the most popular left-wing blogs, recently wrote on his blog that if the Senate health care bill is gutted of a public option, but still includes an individual mandate, then it should be “killed.”

Moulitsas stated, “My take is that it’s unconscionable to force people to buy a product from a private insurer that enjoys sanctioned monopoly status.”

But wait - Isn't that exactly what we have going on right now with public education? Moulitsas' statement could easily be revised to "It's unconscionable to force people to buy a product from a public entity that enjoys sanctioned monopoly status."

Do we have compulsory education laws? Check.

Does the government force citizens to buy a specific product - in this case, public school education? Check.

Does the public education system effectively enjoy a sanctioned monopoly status? Check.

To be sure, some might quibble with that last statement. Certainly people can and do send their children to private schools, if they choose to pay twice for their child's education. But in effect, when the government confiscates your money, and tells you exactly where you must spend it, that effectively creates a monopoly situation.

This all reminds me of one of Tammy Baldwin's e-newsletters from last spring, where she was trumping up her bill which “would repeal the railroads' antiquated antitrust exemptions protecting freight railroads from competition."

Baldwin goes on to state that "This legislation is long overdue and absolutely necessary to begin to end the railroad monopolies that are driving consumer prices up and service down." (Italics mine).

Now, I have no problem w/ Rep. Baldwin's attempt to rein in any private sector monopolies. But I am completely at a loss as to why she and her Democratic colleagues continue to (correctly) assail private sector monopolies, all the while continuing to coddle and fund government run monopolies? If monopolies in the private sector lead to "driving consumer prices up and service down" shouldn't the same be true for public government sanctioned monopolies?

Indeed it is. It is just that the Left in this country continues to refuse to acknowledge it, all at the expense of our children.

The Daily Kos is right about one thing - it is unconscionable.