[ExI] Yet another health care debate

Damien Sullivan phoenix at ugcs.caltech.edu
Sun Sep 21 07:20:59 UTC 2008


On Sat, Sep 20, 2008 at 10:40:15PM -0700, spike wrote:

> > Now one thing that simply amazes me is the tremendous 
> > interest evinced on this list by non-U.S. citizens that the 
> > U.S. should adopt socialized medicine for the U.S., i.e., 
> > provide health benefits without charge... Lee

That might be a truth-loving reflex, in response to the hordes of
ignorant Americans who say "socialized medicine doesn't work".

> Lee I will offer my admittedly cynical notion: the US would be an attractive
> destination to live and do business, if and only if an immigrant could get
> health care from the US government.  Otherwise, best to stay home.  The tax

I know of some foreigners who refuse to travel here for fear of getting
sick while here.  (And others who refuse post 9/11 travel, due to the
lack of any guarantee of decent treatment or rights-having by the US
government.)  Conversely, I know skilled Americans who are tempted to
get jobs overseas for the same reason.

> That being said, I hafta wonder if our politicians realize there are
> *plenty* of yanks who work 9-to-5s mostly for the employer-provided health
> insurance.  If we could get the government to take on our health care
> expenses, there are tidal wave of us who would retire tomorrow with
> sufficient savings and assets to cover all the other expenses.  Can the

Given the US savings rate, probably not that many with sufficient
savings and assets.  Anyone really up to retiring can probably afford
individual insurance anyway.  Well, unless they have 'complications'.

> system handle that cost?  I think it cannot.

You really think that many Americans are able and eager to retire?

-xx- Damien X-) 



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