Quote:
Originally Posted by HydrogenBond
The American Healthcare system is based on capitalism. ...For example, consider the commodity, orange juice. If I only drink one gallon every two weeks and someone else drinks one gallon per day, we are both required to pay for 7.5 gallons every two weeks. This is not free market capitalism but socialism. ....
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Your example of an explanatory model is way off base. Totally bogus.
Let's fix it. People only drink orange juice when they suffer from Vitamin C Deficiency (VCD); otherwise they don't drink it at all. An attack of VCD can kill you or lead to permanent disability. Only 10% of the population ever comes down with VCD. A gallon of orange juice costs $50,000.
Now, THIS is a realistic and useful model.
Unfortunately, 90% of people who come down with VCD cannot afford a gallon of orange juice, and become disabled or deceased. This means that in each generation, 9% of the population gets disabled or dead from VCD and only 1% gets VCD and recovers (because they have the $).
Another fix: nobody tells anybody what to do about this. However, the general population (say 51%) vote to instigate an "insurance" program. Everybody pays $100 a year for 50 years. Total: $5,000. Out of this pool of money, everybody who gets VCD now gets their gallon of orange juice. And nobody has to worry and fret that they or their family members will suddenly die from VCD, or become disabled (which would cost the family $10,000 a year in care).
So, what's wrong with this arrangement? And that's all it is -- an arrangement. A social contract. We do the same thing with police and fire services. You pay for protection whether you ever need it or not. You benefit from a lessening of worry and concern, which frees you up for your personal "pursuit of happiness".
This isn't "socialism". What it is, is sound business management.
