To Your Health

I don't really have a strong opinion on nationalized health care. There are good and bad things about it (and the bad things are not what you might expect), and it's certainly possible it'd be better than the weird hybrid we have right now.

But some seem to be overinterpreting this recent poll on Americans and health care, stating it's what Americans are clamoring for. The poll shows most people like their own health care but don't like the cost. (That makes sense.) Most Americans want significant change. (I sure do.)

But what is it really saying? Almost two-thirds want the government to guarantee health care for all. It's easy to misinterpret this to mean they want the government to provide health care for all. Many (most?) of these people likely want the government to make sure if you can't afford it yourself, a certain minimal amount will be supplied.

Once again, by a ratio of two to one, Americans think the more important issue is to make sure everyone's covered, over keeping costs down. Well sure, if you make the choice that stark--my health versus filthy lucre. I'm surprised it was only two to one. Most people understand the real tradeoffs are much more complex.

In general, Amercan are ambivalent about these issues. Polls taken around 1992 probably had similar numbers, but Hillary Clinton found out health care reform wasn't the easy poltiical winner she (and Bill) assumed it would be. Will she be smarter the second time around?

Columbus Guy says: You don't have a strong opinion about nationalized health care? So why do you admire this Guy? Because he controls the media?

LAGuy responds: You're bringing up Milton Friedman? The guy who supported a guaranteed national income?

Columbus Guy rejoins: Of course. Why wouldn't I? He called it a negative income tax. I admit it's welfare, which I don't support, but that battle is lost, or to the extent it isn't I'm not fighting it. If you are to have welfare, this is hands down the way to do it. And in any case, he surely didn't support a negative income tax AND nationalized socialized medicine. So, nice try, LAGuy, but go sell crazy somewhere else; we're full up here.