Why stop at government healthcare?

Question

If it's the government's job to provide healthcare, why not provide us the following as well:

A house
A car
Food
A job

Oh that's right the former Soviet Union tried that! How'd that work out?

KATYDID: I pay for all those "services" through taxes!! It isn't "free!"

WITZ1960: It IS scary.....isn't it?

What is it about "NOTHING IS FREE" don't people understand?

Answer 1

This is frightening how many people don't realize that your question is sarcastic.

By the way i will need some new clothes in the Spring and my DVD player needs to be replaced.. why oh why can't I get these things too from the government?

Answer 2

Unless I'm mistaken communist nations, including all in the former Soviet Union, were not provided jobs. You mean that jobs were ONLY created by the government; none by the people. I would also suppose that vehicles were only owned by some government employees.

Food was never given to them, let's say how it is given here in the U.S. by churches (to the homeless and very poor), by other community centers, and by foodstamps office. Whomever does not work in those countries does not get any help, unless of course they are disabled or retired. I believe retirements are called pensions.

Regarding homes, I wouldn't be able to tell you if these were bought or sold (from the government, of course), though in Cuba, for example, there are people who are able to buy homes nowadays.

It is only HEALTH and EDUCATION that everyone gets for free!!!

Regarding "how that turned out", Russia is as much Communist as it ever was, and all indicates Vladimir Putin will be "winning" over a new Union pretty soon!

Answer 3

I get your point. Its not actually about this being a right. Its about economic systems and which is appropriate to health care. In any case where the buyers have a choice then capitalism is the best system. Take your example of food for instance. If you see apples for $1 per pound and at a different store they are $25 per pound and they are the same apples which will you choose? Eventually the store that charges too much will lose it business and either change its policies or fail and shut down. The resource, in this case apples, will be distributed to the business that uses them most efficiently for the best price. Now take health care. If your in a car accident and an ambulance picks you up unconscious and takes you to a hospital do you have an opportunity to shop for the best quality at the best price? Probably not. SO you have no choice which means the health care provider has no reason to fear you taking your business elsewhere. There is no incentive for them to be efficient or frugal. That means capitalism is not necessarily the best system for that industry because the whole purpose of capitalism is to enforce efficiency and lower cost through competition. Would you want a private for profit legal system to uphold the law? Imagine if the police only protected those who paid them a monthly fee and judges made their rulings based on an auction. "I have innocent for murder going once, going twice, sold to the gentleman with the swastika tattooed on his forehead." Capitalism is the best system for clothes, food, and shelter because you have a choice about all of those. It is not the best system for everything. Incidentally education could benefit from a free market approach and we mostly socialized that institution. Socialism is not appropriate to everything either but thats another issue.

Answer 4

We kind of have that. What do you think Section 8 Housing is? The government pays for your rent and you live in a buildling they own. We have food stamps that helps people buy their food though is not much but more of a supplement. If you are jobless, you are most likely eligible for unemployment checks. We have TANF, medicaid, medicare, Social Security, and food stamps. Is all a big government system to cradle people. Now they want more? People want stuff handed out to them and they are being taken care of by the government.

Answer 5

Cost/benefit. By having much cheaper, preventative and comprehensive health care, we avoid more expensive health issues down the road, and we also prevent more expensive, after the fact, trying to deal with contagious or infectious disease outbreaks.

Look at all the nations with nationalized health care. Look at their life expectancies and infant mortality rates compared to us. We rate with nations that are considered backwards or Third World, while nations that are modernized, western-style societies with nationalized health care all have better outcomes, for less expense.

So, "How's that working out?"

Answer 6

Socialist health care is a bad idea. I hope you aren't in any kind of hurry to get taken care of, you have to get on a waiting list to get treated. Also if you need to see a specialist prepare to wait in another monster sized line since the first doctor the government makes you see wont have any idea. The funny thing is that you already knew you needed a specialist.

Answer 7

Why not take the opposite approach?

The government provides
- no healthcare You need to get private fire insurance
- no schooling to anyone. You need to save your money and pay for schooling.
- no fire protection. You need to get private fire insurance
- no police protection. You need insurance for this as well.

So if your house catches fire and you have no insurance, the fire doesn't get put out. Similarly if you're in a car accident and you have no medical insurance, you die or lose your home.

What a great solution. Let's make hospitals, doctors, fire departments, and education available to the rich only.

Answer 8

A house
A car
Food
and a Job... are all in the best interest of a thriving public? why is it so lost on all of you that only 3% of your taxes come back to you in the way of services?
why do you have no problem with Pork spending across the board, but kick and scream at the idea of universal health care?
it's absolutely ridiculous... and what's more the same people that champion this moronic position are pro life... oh yea, don't you dare abort that fetus, "but don't ask me to help you with it when it's born, you lazy bum" ??????
DUH?

Answer 9

mmm.. I see where you are going with this.. but those with health care are already paying for the poor care for those that don't and have to go to the ER. The Health Care cost is already shared... we're just proposing a better way to share that load that should produce a healthier society as well.

Answer 10

Are you getting your water from a river or a faucet? Are you driving down paved roads? How about electricity? Did you go to a public school? Believe it or not, the government has it's hands in most of the necessities we need. Health care is a basic need that not everyone can afford.