This works so long as you don't think it's unethical for hospitals to turn away people that can't pay. Otherwise other people's negative health choices cost me money.
Yes. The cost of my health insurance is based off of the cost to hospitals; hospitals need to charge paying customers more if they have to write off their non-paying customers.
> All of our stupid pointless wars cost me money, as well as being deeply evil, but that argument hasn't stopped them yet...
Our stupid pointless wars are indeed one of the biggest breakdowns in democracy. Bush promised to stay out of foreign entanglements and Obama promised to leave Iraq and Afghanistan. As CiC, the president does not need any help from congress to withdraw (or refrain from sending) troops, so these are much easier promises to follow through on those that require congressional approval.
> in the meantime keep your hands off my consumption of beverages.
If you're going to wait for politicians to act with high standards of ethics before they pass any regulations, you are, for all practical purposes, arguing for anarcho-libertarianism.
The thing that the system does, continuously, for decades, is not a "big breakdown". It is obviously the purpose of the system, intended by those who control the system. The system is not waiting for a good person to come along. That candidates lie about everything all the time has been a commonplace assumption throughout my lifetime. Yet still they are elected...
Since I am an anarchist, I often argue against arbitrary authority and its capricious and unjust actions. I contrast my position with those of people like yourself who believe that their own economic decisions entitle them to subvert the autonomy of others.
How do you decide the role of government intervening?
Is the role of government to maximize each individual's contribution/cost ratio by force of law, how do you balance that against personal freedom?
Off the top of my head, I'd say a combination of genetics (studies show political leaning has a genetic component) and input (from social circles and reading).
I believe voluntary association is the only moral form of governance.