Mark Steyn, with his inimitable talent for finding the mot juste, finds the perfect metaphor for government-run health care and the inevitable effect it will have on American society:
Socialized health care … changes the nature of the relationship between citizen and state into something closer to junkie and pusher.
In other words, once all Americans find themselves dependent on Big Brother for health care, they will do anything to keep the supply flowing. No matter how badly it works, the voters will resist any change.
It will be like the NHS in Great Britain. The Brits know it’s a terrible system, and endlessly complain about it. But they won’t vote for any politician who proposes serious reform.
Why? Because they’re afraid. They know you can’t always get what you want with the NHS, but if you really try (and you know someone on the board of the local NHS trust) you might get what you need.
That’s why the Democrats and our new President want to foist government-run health care on you. They want the kind of power over you that a crack dealer has over a crackhead.
Comments 3
….. Do the Brits complain about the system? Or just aspects of the system? I’m sure if they had to start paying insurance premiums there would be more to complain about. I live in New Zealand where there is a health system that is largel government run and I wouldn’t have it any other way, we all take universal access to health care for granted here.
Posted 04 May 2009 at 10:55 pm ¶“I’m sure if they had to start paying insurance premiums there would be more to complain about.”
They do pay premiums, Richard, in the form of outrageous taxes. There is no such thing as free health care.
Posted 05 May 2009 at 9:34 am ¶In addition to the outrageous taxes, it’s worth noting that many Brits–especially doctors–also pay insurance premiums for private care so that they can avoid the NHS. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe they get any tax break for this.
Posted 06 May 2009 at 2:32 pm ¶Post a Comment