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Shekicromaster -> RE: 5 Myths of Socialized Medicine (11/1/2008 6:20:16 PM)
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You will forgive me if I'm replaying directly to the first post without reading further, it is almost 02 here and I've been on the net for about 18h,....can't concentrate properly..
Well in this things ideologies and personal and „class“ motives tend to get in the way of impartial analysis.
Personally I'm not to impressed with the USA. I'm talking abut social systems, please don't take it personally. I'd say for the vast majority of people a democratic socialism of for example Swedish type would be ideal if we have to choose from the contemporary societies.
In politics, economics, religion or anywhere else extremes proved to be inefficient. Neither the absolute control (of the market) nor absolute liberalism is an optimal solution IMHO.
In many ways even our country in socialistic times was better than most „capitalistic“ societies. It was not ideal as the democratic socialism I mentioned earlier; it was more a somewhat liberal socialism. However no one had to worry about credits, mortgages, health insurance, pensions... as soon as you started to work (and that was also mostly taken care of and getting fired was rather difficult) you would get an apartment from the state for free. And people who would opt for a family house would usually build it without getting into life long debts. Of course no one even considered pre-fabricated ones that would last just for a generation or two. Health care was free and the same for anyone, there was not even an option of a different standard. Schools and universities were completely free (though they are not to expensive now either) and the elementary/secondary education and high schools were probably better, at least judging by those moving to the USA, usually even average students would comment about how easy were the schools in the states and how low the general level of knowledge. At least in public schools. But than the market was not completely state controlled as in strict communist countries, though big companies were, you could at the best have a medium level company. Jet most people at least in this region feel that the life was much easier than. Less stressful but even materially better for the most. No one was as wealthy as some individuals are now, but no one was homeless either and frankly we found it hilarious at the time that a country where you could find homeless people and where you could be unable to get to the same health care standard as the manager of your company considered itself a world example of an ideal society. But that was only in the later periods when strict socialism started to shift towards a more liberal market retaining at the same time most of the social mechanisms of wealth distribution.
The downside is that in such a situation the economy sometimes slows down. It is probably better to let it grow freely but control it with additional measures (much more than it is the case in the USA it seems).
Another recent example I can find locally with the banking system and the recent recession.. of course it is global and getting everywhere, but at that time much criticized controlling methods and security measures of the local national bank governor imposed to the individual banks proved now to have been grounded in a good foresight and the impact of the global situation is not there jet (though eventually it can't be avoided for too long).
Of course no system is good for everyone, but I would dare to say that a socially sensitive system that is based on the free market but with a certain amount of state control proved to be more effective in the real world than absolute liberalism. Liberal economy is just an idea like any other and it is not reasonable to get to attached to ideas and make expressions like the free market (or socialism or whatever) sound almost like a religious mantra.
It seems to me that in the present state such a liberal system tends to sustain an elitist trend in the society in the sense that USA have the most advanced medical institutions in the world, but one of the worst situations with general health care in the western world. It has (probably, I’m just making suppositions) very good private high schools and universities, but public schools are probably not too good. And so on.
Uh, I'm too tired and not that good with English, hope all this makes sense.
Bottom line is that from the perspective and interests of the majority I would look upon the societies like Sweden with the former government or Germany in the 80's if I'm not remembering something wrong, I was still a kid at the time. The USA are much more impressive on an international level than with their inner politics. But than again every country has its problems, a different history, demographic situation and who knows what else so making such comparisons is probably a little simplistic but nonetheless I don't see an alternative to some level of state control in health care, education and similar structures.
Privatization is always based on profit. Good for the economy, not that much for the individual. If you have only private health care it is just natural that the insurance companies (btw I'm working in one of the world's biggest :D ) will as always try to minimalise their risks and people who need health care the most might not be accepted or might have to pay more than they can afford. Simply there is no alternative if you want the same standard for everyone. At least a basic level of health insurance should be regulated with eventual possibilities for additional higher standards on individual basis, if it is left to the free market you will never get a fair universal health care system.
Though you could also argue that general economic prosperity reflects back on the individual and that a free marcen is indirectly more beneficial... but than again those mentioned countries would prove different... but than again there is a difference in mentality, international position and maybe even sheer size and so on… Oh well, fortunately that’s not my problem..
why am I even writing all this ?? [8|]
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