What about the firemen, the roads, etc.? Do you think everything should be privitized?
No, some things are too much of a public consumption item (economists call it a public good) to effectively privatize.
Firemen, police, are examples, they also give a good indication of the kinds of problems we will have with a massive health care union if it governmentized. The pension and compensation issues and their effects on State taxes and budget will affect the housing market.
Eventually, universal health care will become necessary just to get out from under the health care commitments of the civil service employees.
My concerns are really pretty simple on the process. Unfortunately, anything touching our government currently becomes a political football and IMHO, gets corrupted by special interests whether those interests are the big unions, big corporations or extreme fringe of the two major parties.
The example of the doctor being rewarded for getting people to quit smoking is great, however in our system, how come I have a gut feeling that’ll get turned into incentive pay for getting girls to sign “vows of chastity” to prevent unwed pregnancy?
Like others, I fight a bit with my weight and chlosterol levels. My doctor works with me. It is work. Unfortunately, IMHO, too many Americans want an easy solution, eating better, excersizing, keeping track, takes work. Walking through Target and picking up the magic “Alli” is easy, and judging by the decimated shelves, many are going with that ‘solution’.
Watch the superbowl, what do you see? Ads for Beer, Soda, Chips, and ED pills. Are we really dumb enough that we cannot connect the dots from lack of moderation in Beer, Soda, & Chips to the need for the last product?
Have we avoided the hard conversations in the schools long enough that the schools have outsourced their lunch menu printing program to McDonalds, which is willing to do it because of the advertising space and captured youth impressions?
There are many weaknesses in our currently system and many point directly back to the end consumer’s behavior. Unfortunately, our society is mass consumption oriented, people over-use services when the cost to them is low.
To make it worse, we’ve burdened our system will a mass of uninsured and illegals going to the most expensive point of service becuase they cannot be denied.
My original concern isn’t about universal healthcare, it was about a very narrow and one sided view experience has taught me to expect from MM. My past experience has also lead to my first post about the decision necessary in any universal program.
