Had some thoughts listening to NPR talk about American healthcare and stuff. Non-Americans, please fuck off. This thread isn't for you. You're already wallowing in either a sty of corruption, socialism, or both.
The capitalist model, for a system that functions on selfishness and greed, works suprisingly well. Under capitalism, we have seen great advancements in virtually every part of everything. It's widely agreed that, if you want something done, let the market take care of it. Capitalism ends up working efficiently and with the greatest good for everyone, though it is based on selfish principles. Counter-intuituve, but, fundamentally, greed appears to be the best model yet.
This same model has been applied to the healthcare system in America, a system whose underlying principle is "humans are cool, let's keep them alive by providing medicine and shit that other people paid for," yet with the American twist of corporatism and greed. Should work better, right? Greed is good? Capitalism works, everything better.
Is it? Does it?
The underlying assumption that capitalism works is that a) producers are free to produce, and b) consumers are free to consume.
We see that this is blocked, however by a) patent laws and the FDA, and b) how much value do you place on your life.
Allow me to elaborate a little.
a) A company produces a drug, at great expense, due to extensive mandatory testing, and liability insurance and whatnot. Naturally, they're not going to share their new miracle cure because
b) you're dying and willing to sell everything you own to buy that cure. And so is your family.
So I see two problems-
1. The high cost of producing cures, operations, etc
2. The virtually limitless value a person places on their own life. Essentially, the drug companies and doctors become a monopoly. They can place almost any cost they like on what they produce because a) there aren't many cures/surgeons and b) people will pay whatever they charge.
Your thoughts, Americans?
The capitalist model, for a system that functions on selfishness and greed, works suprisingly well. Under capitalism, we have seen great advancements in virtually every part of everything. It's widely agreed that, if you want something done, let the market take care of it. Capitalism ends up working efficiently and with the greatest good for everyone, though it is based on selfish principles. Counter-intuituve, but, fundamentally, greed appears to be the best model yet.
This same model has been applied to the healthcare system in America, a system whose underlying principle is "humans are cool, let's keep them alive by providing medicine and shit that other people paid for," yet with the American twist of corporatism and greed. Should work better, right? Greed is good? Capitalism works, everything better.
Is it? Does it?
The underlying assumption that capitalism works is that a) producers are free to produce, and b) consumers are free to consume.
We see that this is blocked, however by a) patent laws and the FDA, and b) how much value do you place on your life.
Allow me to elaborate a little.
a) A company produces a drug, at great expense, due to extensive mandatory testing, and liability insurance and whatnot. Naturally, they're not going to share their new miracle cure because
b) you're dying and willing to sell everything you own to buy that cure. And so is your family.
So I see two problems-
1. The high cost of producing cures, operations, etc
2. The virtually limitless value a person places on their own life. Essentially, the drug companies and doctors become a monopoly. They can place almost any cost they like on what they produce because a) there aren't many cures/surgeons and b) people will pay whatever they charge.
Your thoughts, Americans?