How is the socialized medicine system that is the VA (that was the blueprint for ObamaCare) dealing with some care deficiencies? Leaning on the private sector, of course.

WalMart’s CEO is challenging Congress to raise the minimum wage. Why doesn’t he just do it himself rather than try to get Congress to make him? The answer is to stifle competition.

And it looks like the Supreme Court is going to have to rule on religious freedom pretty soon. Another private business is being sued for not participating in a same-sex wedding, and no, it has demonstrably nothing to do with not serving gays.

Mentioned links:

Veterans get access to urgent care, more doctors starting Thursday under new law

Episode 64: Who Really Killed the Incandescent Light Bulb

How a higher minimum wage could help Walmart

Washington Supreme Court rules against florist who refused service for gay couple’s wedding

Show transcript

I’ve talked here before about the Department of Veterans Affairs and how its medical plan for veterans has been failing our vets. It’s basically socialized medicine, with all the usual drawbacks from that, including long wait times and few facilities.

Well here’s some good news on that front. The VA has implemented a plan that should help some vets get the care they need. Now, if the average driving time for the veteran to a VA health care provider is 30 minutes, or if the veteran has to wait at least 20 days to see a VA health care provider, the Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act (or the MISSION Act, another one of those legislative “backronyms”) will allow vets to use health care facilities outside the VA network.

What this is essentially admitting is that socialized medicine doesn’t work for too many of those it’s supposed to help, and the solution is the private sector. But I can already hear those saying that private sector health care was failing people as well, and so perhaps we need a combination of the two. That’s fair enough, but here’s my problem with that. As we’ve seen many time before, as socialized medicine grows by government coercion, the worse it gets and the longer the lines. If it works at all, it only works on the smallest of scales. But what happens is that politicians find that they can get votes for promising “free” health care for all and keep growing it until it becomes the behemoth that is, for example, ObamaCare. Giving away free stuff always gets politicized, and its growth is just unsustainable.

So I applaud the Trump administration for doing right by our vets by giving them real choice.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon has issued a challenge to Congress to raise the minimum wage. Right now, they pay a minimum of $11 per hour, so what’s stopping them from just raising it themselves and not waiting for the government to do it?

Well you see, this is not about wages at all. When corporations lobby government to do something they could do themselves, there’s often an ulterior motive or two. To explain, let me go way back to 2014 and episode 64 of this podcast. In that, I explained why light bulb manufacturers GE, Philips and Sylvania lobbied the government to outlaw the incandescent bulb. Now,

Are we consistent with our principles? Do they apply them equally to everyone, even those in our "tribe"? In this episode, I'll show 3 examples of where this isn't being done on the Left.

Just one question about abortion, which makes all others pale in comparison

Palestinians launch 600 rockets at Israel, Rep. Ilhan Omar blames Israel. California experiences predicted results of minimum wage hike

Some over-reaction on the Right about Notre Dame comments. The Supreme Court takes on LGBTQ vs religious freedom.

The movie "Unplanned" is opening eyes about the abortion industry. And a new segment, "Letters from Auntie M", tackles antisemitism in the Democratic Party.

Dan Price's $70,000 minimum wage 4 years on. Yale discriminating against Christian firms.

This time out I’m talking about the release of Attorney General Bob Barr’s summary of the Mueller Report, what it says, and who lost the most with its release.

Iowa State is only against freedom of association for Christians. The border crisis is real, a listener is an eyewitness. Saving kittens...but not babies.

Returning from transgenderism isn't very easy, especially when the people who initially encouraged you are now ignoring your plight. And it turns out that paying people for not working doesn't work.