[ExI] anti-capitalist propaganda, was: retrainability of plebeians

[Stathis Papaioannou]

2009/5/4 MB <mbb386 at main.nc.us>:
>
>>
>> Centralized spending on health is a really, really good idea. I don't
>> know how US citizens don't freak out every day, dealing with the
>> health system you've got. No wonder there's so much focus on getting
>> rich; you have to, just in case you get sick.
>>
>
> I simply do not see it this way.
>
> I've been very pleased with my health care. I've been able to choose my doctors,
> I've been able to get appointments when I needed them, service was speedy.  And yes,
> there have been medical problems, illness which was hard to diagnose, frustrating to
> treat.
>
> My best friend dealt with the Veteran's Administration (gov't run) hospital service.
>  Often I was his chauffeur and any appointment took the entire day - wait wait wait.
> Meds were delayed hours, and there were big waiting rooms just for the pharmacy.
> Each visit to the VA reinforced my joy and relief at dealing with the private
> sector.

An interesting compromise is publicly funded, privately provided
health care, like in Australia. The government acts as a big health
insurer, ensuring that everyone is covered and that less money is
wasted through (I guess) inefficient competing private health funds.
The per capita absolute spending on health care in Australia is about
half that in the US, for about equal health outcomes. The main
disadvantage is that if you are rich you pay a higher proportion of
your income through the compulsory levy than you would if you only
paid for private insurance.


-- 
Stathis Papaioannou