[ExI] wealth and health (was: Re: Transhumanism and Politics)

[Damien Broderick]

At 07:01 PM 1/24/2008 -0800, Spike wrote:

>there are a lot of people in the states
>who work just to get health insurance, people who could otherwise live on
>their accumulated wealth.  I am one of these.  So the current system keeps a
>lot of productive people in the workplace who would otherwise retire.  If
>the US government ever offers universal free health care, there will be a
>wave of retirements that will crush the system.

What is it in particular about the US that would provoke this 
terrible crushing from work-shyness, when nations like Australia, 
Canada and the UK already have universal health care paid from taxes, 
and have had for generations, without their societies going belly up? 
Is it because incomes are so marginal, due to a shockingly high level 
of taxation, that very few productive workers get as wealthy as Spike 
and other salary-earners on this list? I doubt it. Protestant work 
ethic"? Maybe. The desire for a new 50 inch plasma TV set, an 
impressive car and/or boat, expensive tertiary education (or 
whatever) for the kids, and an annual holiday in Bali or China? 
Surely that's part of it.

Damien Broderick