Dear Dismal Political Economist! – Are Republicans in Favor of Health Care Mandates?

An Advice Column for the Perplexed and Confused on Economic and Political Issues

[Editor’s Note:  In his continuing effort to bring light and clarification to  current events and current issues, The Dismal Political Economist is now answering reader’s questions on how the current political and economic climate affects them personally.]

Dear Dismal Political Economist

I have just recently converted to the Republican party but I am unsure about some of the principles that we have.  For example, for several years the party has said they are against “mandates” with respect to health care.  I am also against mandates but I don’t understand why they are now in favor of mandates.

For example, they would mandate that a woman seeking an abortion have an ultrasound even if the procedure is not approved, recommended or suggested by her physician.  They would also mandate that the patient be given certain information by the doctor.  And in Virginia they want to mandate what goes into a person’s medical records.   In fact it looks like they want to mandate a lot of aspects of a person’s medical care.

Can you explain to me how Republicans are against mandates when they seem in favor of all these mandates?

Signed

Confused in Carolina

Dear Confused

There are several aspects of the Republican opposition to mandates.  One part of their opposition is that they are opposed to men having mandates, because that is gay stuff.  They believe it is okay for women to have mandates as long as it doesn’t involve contraception.

But as far as mandates for health care is concerned, Republicans are only against mandates that Democrats are for.  In fact, they believe that the government knows far better what should go on in a doctor’s office than the doctor or the patient.  This is particularly true with respect to women, who according to many Republicans are just too emotional and weak to make their own health care decisions.  So what you may call a mandate is for them just the natural result of protecting women, something they believe that a kind and compassionate government should do.

As a newcomer to Republican politics you should expect to be confused by these contradictory positions.  Don’t worry, after a while you won’t even notice the inconsistencies in policy recommendations from the GOP, in fact you will come to find that it is one of the endearing qualities of that party.

The DPE