Free Republic

It takes a certain kind of fool to fall for the economic death trap that is socialism after a 20th century filled with death, oppression, stagnation and eventual collapse at the hands of those who fought for Marx's flawed vision of human history and progress. Such a fool, while probably motivated by the noble ends of eradicating poverty and inequality, ultimately lacks the courage to see the world as it is and fight within the confines of reality to better it. Rejecting a sober and honest appraisal of what works and what does not work given human history, he seeks...

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 23 — The Cambie Surgery Center, Canada's most prominent private hospital, may be considered a rogue enterprise. Accepting money from patients for operations they would otherwise receive free of charge in a public hospital is technically prohibited in this country, even in cases where patients would wait months or even years in discomfort before receiving treatment. But no one is about to arrest Dr. Brian Day, who is president and medical director of the center, or any of the 120 doctors who work there. Public hospitals are sending him growing numbers of patients they are too...

Europeans Unhappy With Socialized Medicine Turn to Private Sector BY REBECCA GOLDSMITH HAMBURG, Germany -- Europeans once lived and died by their national health plans. In exchange for steep taxes, they received a lifetime of free or low-cost medical care. They expected doctors to diagnose their ailments, drugs to make them feel better and hospitals to perform necessary procedures. But this once-sacred social pact is starting to break down. Fed up with long waits and worried about the quality of medical care, European patients are losing faith in government-run health systems. Informed by the Internet and motivated by cheaper...