Penetrating Insights into the Obvious
Posted on 08/21/2008 9:31:18 AM PDT by djsherin
'If I were designing a system from scratch, I would probably go ahead with a single-payer system," Barack Obama told an audience in Albuquerque on Monday. He was lauding the idea of a health-care market -- or nonmarket -- entirely run by the government.
Most liberals support single payer, aka "Medicare for All," because it would eliminate the profit motive, which by their lights is the reason Americans are uninsured. The Democratic Presidential candidate takes a more moderate campaign line, though we suppose just about everything is "moderate" compared to a total government takeover. While preferring that option in theory, Mr. Obama continued, his health-care plan is designed to "build up the system we got," and over time, "we may . . . decide that there are other ways for us to provide care more effectively."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
The ‘profit motive’ is responsible in very large measure for the incredible advances in health care, medicines, devices etc. that we have benefited from. Ask these liberals how quickly the pharma industry would have come up with the effective anti-HIV drugs we have if not for the profit motive. Ask these liberals why they go to work (those that do) if not for the profit motive. Ask them why their hero, Bill Clinton, gives all those exceeding high-priced speeches he gives if not for the profit motive. Ask them why their favorite Hollywood icons charge so much for the movies they make. Hypocrisy and lack of depth of thought.
I think that as we have a “right” to healthcare, we should also have a “right” to the best “legal representation”.
Lets first, have the government take over the legal profession and everyone gets it for free.
I wonder how the trial lawyers assoc. will react to that?
Just wait until they finally get the single payer system and find out that, in any context, the one who pays the bills is inevitably the boss. "Single payer" for anything translates to "sole arbiter" of it.
Meaning, you get only the treatment that Uncle allows.
One can only imagine the symphony of toddlerish screams which will rise when that reality begins to bite.
I agree. There is no “right” to health care in this country. I think it is something you earn and pay for yourself. Compare our health care to any other system in the world and we come out pretty close to the top. Look at medical innovation and medical technology and ask where most of it comes from. If you keep taking away from the productive members of society to give to the unproductive, pretty soon those productive resources migrate to a place where they can keep the rewards of their resources, be it labor or capital.
“One can only imagine the symphony of toddlerish screams which will rise when that reality begins to bite.”
Hopefully we’ll never get to that point.
“Meaning, you get only the treatment that Uncle allows.”
Right but the politicians pushing for it won’t care because they’ll get all the special treatment that the Kennedy’s get. If Barack had a hang nail the surgeon general will be there in a heartbeat.
We can only hope... but I live around liberals and “we NEED health care” so I’m not to optimistic. Too many people think we NEED health care, aka socialized medicine.
“If you keep taking away from the productive members of society to give to the unproductive, pretty soon those productive resources migrate to a place where they can keep the rewards of their resources, be it labor or capital.”
Can’t be said enough times. Ultimately the success of this nation in defending itself against all who hate us and/or are envious of us depends on the continued hard work of those who innovate and produce. Politicians are generally parasites who produce nothing, benefit from the work of others, and survive by being good manipulators.
Make them declare themselves. We ‘need’ food, clothing, heat, light, housing, transportation, entertainment, and sometimes legal representation, etc. Ask them if all of these things should be federalized and provided by the government. Ask them if the government should own the farms and set food prices. Ask them if the government should own all the airlines and set prices. Ask them where they work and if the government should take over their place of work in order to make it run more cheaply and efficiently. Show me a socialist/communist and I'll show you someone who is either a hypocrite, angry/jealous/envious, or ill-informed.
“The profit motive is responsible in very large measure for the incredible advances in health care, medicines, device etc. that we have benefited from.”
True, and that’s why so many people come to our country for treatment. Where will we go when the incentive is not there anymore and we start to fall behind in the field?
As the saying goes, when America adopts universal health care, where will Canadians go?
“when America adopts universal health care, where will Canadians go?”
I guess they’ll be out of luck, like we will be. :-(
workers paradise of Cuba, naturally.
Of course. Haven’t you ever seen Michael Moore’s video? EVERYONE in Cuba has access to beautifully decorated and sanitized hospitals with clean beds and fresh sheets with visual spectacles galore including luscious gardens and masterful art work and the children dance and sing and play and the rooms are plated with gold and silver and lined with jewels from the far reaches of the world and exotic dancers entertain the patients and it rains chocolate and they serve milk and honey and it’s all FREE!!!
... sarcasm much?
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