Ten days ago, I quoted Veronique de Rugy, warning that Minnesota’s day-care fraud scandal was “only the tip of the iceberg.”
Beyond subsidized daycare? Health care, home health care, Medicaid.
Fraud, fraud, fraud.
But it wasn’t just a lone Reason scholar saying it. “What we’re seeing in Minnesota … is dwarfed by what I saw in California,” The Epoch Times quotes Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Minnesota, Dr. Oz said, “is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Just in California’s hospice and home health care, Oz figures, fraud rockets up to at least $4 billion.
Add a few billion here and there and soon you’re talking real money.
I titled my commentary quoting Ms. de Rugy “The Tip of the Socialism-berg.” Remember Mr. Socialism? Karl Marx? He introduced to the world a complicated, rather magical theory of exploitation in market society focusing on “surplus value.” While I have trouble making heads or tails of his theory — seems utterly nuts — I do know something about its origin.
Marx nabbed it from classical liberal French scholars who preceded him. But they said the exploitation was through government mechanisms: it’s those who skim off of taxes who exploit the masses.
Marx turned it upside down.
So let’s turn things right-side up: we all know that when it comes to policy, good intentions don’t make up for bad consequences. And those who de-fraud the taxpayers don’t have “good intentions.”
They’re thieves.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
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13 replies on “Oz in Fraudland”
Didn’t Trump just give Argentina $20 – 40 billion?
“Total Scope: While the initial, finalized, and most cited number is $20 billion, some reports in October 2025 indicated that the Trump administration was exploring a total package of up to $40 billion, with the remaining funds intended to come from private banks and sovereign wealth funds.
Controversy: The bailout faced criticism for occurring during a U.S. government shutdown and for appearing to favor a political ally (Milei) and billionaire investors.”
I don’t remember your concern over this giveaway just as Musk was destroying much of the healthcare system.
No, Pam, a currency swap is not a one-way transfer of funds.
The Argentine state got a line of credit, and swiftly repaid with interest what it borrowed with that credit. The purpose of the loan was to ensure that the state could service its Peronist debt even if access to the foreign-exchange market were blocked.
Do your homework before you wiggle your butt.
You are such a fan of this swap, why don’t you invest $50k in Argentine pesos? Just do the trade for one year! You are gutless but you talk out your butt!
“ Here’s a summary of Argentina’s annual inflation rate over the past five years based on official CPI data and reputable historical series:
9 Annual Inflation (Year-End or Full Year)
over seven years Reuters
2021~50.9%
2022~94.8 %
2023 ~211.4%
2024~117.8 %
2025 ~ 31-32 % (estimated lowest in seven years.”
Pam, you’re trying to deflect from the point. Milei was not given the money that you claim.
As to the Argentine rate of price-inflation, note that it was a result of Peronist policies, and that the rate has dropped dramatically under Milei.
And the Argentine state was not allowed simply to inflate its currency to reduce its debt to the US.
Censorship again! Do like what I say? Obvious!
Pam, how many times do you need to be told that the moderation queue of this ‘blog is not checked every hour. Some of my comments have waited in the queue for the better part of a day. Stop squealing “Censorship!” after just a few hours.
It was all day! The time is when I sent the reply. It is NOT the time my reply was posted. Why don’t you mind your business and you will have more time to fixate on butts?
No, Pam, anyone can look at the time stamps. Between your original message and your squealing about censorship, fewer than six hours passed. Moreover, while I didn’t see your comment as soon as it left the queue, well less than a day passed before I saw it and replied.
Again: Stop squealing about illusory censorship.
The currency swap is such a good deal with Argentina that it is classified! It is only to support Trump’s friend. This is NOT a good deal! Have you bought any pesos yet?
Pam, the details were classified to prevent forex traders from using the information. If the details remain classified indefinitely, then you will have a better basis for complaint.
Mind your business, butt hole!
Scientist are curious how you got such a big head up your butt! Please tell.
All that is left to you, Pam, are insults of the sort that one might hear on a playground.