Monday, October 28, 2013

Beware of Beautifully Misnamed Laws

Who would oppose “affordable care” and “farm security”? - Victor Davis Hanson/National Review

Washington has a bad habit of naming laws by what they are not.

These euphemisms usually win temporary public support. After all, who wants to be against anything “affordable”? But on examination, such idealistically named legislation usually turns out to be aimed at special interests and the opposite of what voters were promised....

Then, three years later and with two elections out of the way, the tab for all the perks suddenly came due. The law turns out neither to protect patients from rate hikes nor to make health care affordable. In fact, the administration promises of 2009–10 are becoming the nightmare of 2013....

Beware of Congress bearing the gifts of beautifully misnamed laws.