The political fiasco around Terri Schiavo's feeding tube points out a contradiction in thinking among Republicans.
On the one hand there are the "right to lifer's" who always want to err on the side of life even if it means maintaining expensive medical care beyond any reasonable prospect of recovery.
On the other hand there are the "limit spending libertarians." These are folks who would say, "if you are sick and don't have private resources (insurance / savings) too bad. It is not government's job to help you. The world doesn't owe you a living or life.
With the cost of health care rising so fast that it is the main thing driving growth in government spending, this contradiction becomes more glaring.
When Republicans call for curbs in government spending, do they really mean pulling the plug on people?
Of course there are some ways to deliver medical care in more efficient ways, like reigning in liability costs. Still, things like tort reform can only solve part of spiraling health care costs.
The cost of health care bankrupts Republican thinking in more ways than one.
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