I’m glad that my training in economics was useful—the art of using numbers to produce whatever outcome the people paying the bills want. Fortunately, I write from Canada so I can watch the train wreck with a certain amount of detachment—indeed, I expect that Obamacare may help to solve Canada’s doctor shortage.
The amount of hubris involved in the whole project is truly astounding. Because the healthcare in Canada is provincially based, the largest system (Ontario’s) serves only 13.5 million and has grown organically over the last 40 years, beginning at a population half that size—admittedly a single-payer system is easier to administer, so if Obama received the green light for what he wanted, it wouldn’t be quite as challenging, but there is no evidence that the bureaucracy is up for that challenge, which, given the sheer scale of things, would be immense.
I’m completely against the oh so compassionate government (the British with their Liverpool path and Sebelius with her “some will live and some will die” denial of a lung transplant for the little girl)getting between me and my doctor regarding my health care. What gives them the right??? I was doing fine on my own without their damn interference.
My sister is married to a Dutchman - they are quite liberal. Well guess what? She got brain cancer and her private insurance pays for Avastan - something her husband admitted Holland won’t pay for. She beat the odds of 5% survival in 16 months and now her official odds are 50% for 5 years. I haven’t brought the subject up but my guess is they haven’t admitted their liberalism is bad for your health.