[mikelangr]

Do you only deal in absolutes?

Just thought I'd point out that food has been politicised, managed and interfered with many times before and since Rome. Hunger tends to lead to broken china.

The distortions in the market for food are far smaller than in the market for health care in the US.
Sure. The same would be true in Canada, but from the other end. There are a lot of different ways to deliver care at a high standard though. PBS (I think) did a really good show on systems in 1st world nations around the world. I'll see if I can find the link if you want.

Moreover, I don't see many people yelling for direct government provision of food.
They do when there are shortages and famines. North Americans haven't had to deal with that much since forever (just about) so we take things for granted that many people in other places and times have not had the luxury to do.

[TeLMgNva]

I was missing a word; edited.

[Jasonstawnosaa]

Jesus, don't be such an annoying dick.

He might end up like Kuciwalker...

[soipguibbom]

Oh, how your words wound me...

[Manteiv]

I'd still rather make the choice myself. The fact that not every government is utterly incompetent almost all of the time is not particularly reassuring.

[welihiedginly]

I haven't seen good numbers on how many without health insurance are that way by choice as opposed to necessity. Of course, those without healthcare drive up the cost of healthcare for everyone else (necessitating more rationing) when they require emergency care, but that's a mostly unrelated tangent. Anyway, there's a wikipedia article on this, so I can't possibly be wrong.

From Wikipedia:

David Leonhardt wrote in the New York Times in June 2009, that rationing presently an economic reality: "The choice isn’t between rationing and not rationing. It’s between rationing well and rationing badly. Given that the United States devotes far more of its economy to health care than other rich countries, and gets worse results by many measures, it’s hard to argue that we are now rationing very rationally."

More and better healthcare rationing in the United States, please.

[bestworkothlo]

From Wikipedia:





More and better healthcare rationing in the United States, please.

But not by the Obamacare board, please. If by rationing you mean rationing based on the fact that consumers are now directly exposed to the cost of their choices, yes, I'm all for it.

[bestworkother]

I'd still rather make the choice myself. The fact that not every government is utterly incompetent almost all of the time is not particularly reassuring.

Your preference in this instance is pretty much irrelevant to the question at hand.

[jabader]

But not by the Obamacare board, please. If by rationing you mean rationing based on the fact that consumers are now directly exposed to the cost of their choices, yes, I'm all for it.

The problem with the Obamacare "death panels" is that they're weak and won't ration effectively, not that they exist. I frankly don't care much how rationing is accomplished, so long as it happens before healthcare costs become an unbearable burden on American society.

[dosugxxx]

MrFun would have to stop posting entirely to stop being an idiot. When was the last time he posted a thread and you thought "boy, this looks intelligent!"

Literally the funniest post you have ever written!

Holy ****, I just know I'm going to be laughing throughout the day every time I think of this. Thank you HC, for making my day!

[Prealiitellg]

Literally the funniest post you have ever written!

Holy ****, I just know I'm going to be laughing throughout the day every time I think of this. Thank you HC, for making my day!

Crap. HC made me agree with MOBIUS on something .

And, of course, Drake is right that rationing MUST be done because the costs of health care in the US are unsustainable. It probably needs to be a combination of individual participants knowing the actual costs of their health care (by in some manner ending the tax break for employers to provide health care & perhaps providing a stipend directly to the individual) as well as some governmental action to keep prices down (a national health exchange is a very good idea in that respect).

[FelikTen]

Do you enjoy making yourself look like an idiot? Do you have any idea what utility companies would charge if their monopoly position was subject to governmental regulation?

[SashaLionx]

You are, I see, unaware of the concept of a natural monopoly. I am not surprised.

[encunnibriG]

And, of course, Drake is right that rationing MUST be done because the costs of health care in the US are unsustainable.

Why?

[wJswn5l3]

Imran, please clarify that you don't think health care is a natural monopoly.

[gZAhTyWY]

Well, if you need to go to the emergency room you don't exactly have time to shop for the cheapest one.