why does the healthcare discussion always regress to capitalism vs socialism? everyone cites canada as the ideal model of social healthcare but forget to mention the long wait times and the fact that their population is only a fraction of the US. i think our system could use some tweaks but throwing it out altogether for a socialist program is not it.
No we cite the entire OECD except America each of which rank higher in healthcare quality by WHO standards and cost at most half as much. It’s like a poor student saying “just because I’m the bottom of my class doesn’t make me dumb” — in a way, no but in a much more relevant and important way, definitely. It shows relative to your peers you suck at the task at hand.
It comes down to this debate because the pro market people offer zero solutions other than staying the course and the course is straight down. Offer something better.
> the fact that their population is only a fraction of the US
I don't understand why that matters. But if it does, couldn't the US implement social healthcare at the state level? Canada and California have roughly equal populations, for instance.
They totally could but for some reason no state does... Instead, I only see senators, representatives, and potential presidential candidates trying to force it upon the entire country. We are the united states, let individual states start the process and let it bubble up to the federal level once enough states enable it just like we are doing with marijuana laws.
IMO, the federal government has been getting too large just like how they dangle interstate highway funds from states for enforcing the stupid 21 year old drinking age.
> They totally could but for some reason no state does
No state alone can, because it would have (or at least would fear) a large influx of people coming for the free healthcare. If enough states set up their own systems and make them interoperable, it might have some legs. I hear rumblings of this from time to time,
What I meant was a federally-mandated, state-implemented system. Federal law can define a minimum level of healthcare that every state is obligated to provide. States set up and administer their own systems, any way they want - single-payer, mandatory private insurance etc. Isn't that how Canada actually does it?
It handles the "US is too big" objection to universal healthcare that everyone loves to bring up, by moving the systems to a lower level.
