Government can't run health care

Of course the government can run a national health care system. Not very efficiently, but they can run it. It's just another benefit of being taken care of by the nanny government. Don't worry, they know how to spend your money better than you do. Don't worry, be happy.

The writer is totally right and it has been proven in countries throughout the world that nations with government run healthcare have their people waiting longer for procedures than in this country now. When others come to this country for healthcare then that should tell you something about what they don't have and we obviously don't need.

France has better medical care at half the cost. Have you ever met a French citizen coming here for a procedure due to a delay in service? Yet I know U.S. citizens who praise the care they have received in that country which Republicans disparage and despise.

confused dashiel, Americans didn't like the ultra-liberal and anti-American government of France. Now that that government has been thrown out, I haven't seen any complaint about France. As far as the French coming to America for health care, well, how many can afford to after paying the social taxes?

Transportation, energy, communications, health care...there must be some area in which we lead those backward frogs. Oh, I know: Domestic WHINE production.

I love the Whine comment!!

The obamaman administration can deliever the flu vaccine to the detainees at gitmo tho.. They are to receive the immunizations while high risk americans wait!

There is no correlation between government-run health care and the delivery of a particular product.

grouse, duh?

grouse, why not--the govn't has a heck of a lot to do with who gets what and when--including govn't run health care or swine flu vaccinations, duh--I can tell you are one of the blind obamaman/pelosi sheeple! Or better yet one of the three monkeys!

Dashiel the reason we need the trolley is because all those Europeans coming here for surgery, because it is so cheap, will need a transportation system to get them downtown for shopping during the days they are recovering. Its almost like the argument that people will leave the medical profession. But have you ever met a plumber or electrician that used to be a doctor? It is amazing how eat up with dumb some of our countrymen are and absolutely amazing that they can't see what a scam crowd the CONS are.

southernguy08 - You said France spends nothing on their national defense and guess who protects their wimpy butts? You must know something everybody else don't know because there are no US military bases in France and never was. So where do you get the idea we're protecting the folks you call wimps? France never even participated in the US dominated alliance called NATO until very recently. Going further, do you think we're protecting those unarmed wimps in Switzerland too. Could you think militarizing the world is just heaven on earth and people everywhere should be appreciative.

I think the gov't can run a healthcare system and there are many western world examples of successful socialized healthcare systems (France being one of them - better, cheaper than ours). However, we are not talking about a socialized healthcare system in our debate. We are talking about having a public option. You can keep your private insurance if you prefer a CEO to stand between you and your doctor.

gaspring, you best research your facts a little. France was a founding member of NATO. And even after they left in 1966 they have still participated in NATO activities. We probably had some bases there somewhere around 1944.

As opposed to a bureaucrat? Sure would.

gas, "protecting their butts", it's called the nuclear unbrella!

blittle are you just blind and dumb or just too lazy to pay attention they already had public healthcare in massachusetts it was bankrupt within a couple of years the govt cant run social security or medicare but you think it can run it for an entire country oh and also there are alot of french and canadiens that come to america for cancer treatments because their plans do not pay for expensive medicines that work and care is rationed in their countries

justthefacts - Thanks. I'm aware Allied troops were in France during the war and shortly after. But De Gaulle was determined that no Allied military command would run France and he prevailed. France did cooperate with her allies and she did accept military aid while she was bogged down in French Indochina and North Africa. But De Gaulle and the French nation chose an independent path. De Gaulle was never a big US or British fan and the French are the most independent minded people in Europe.

philldinkens - Thank you. Are not aware that the France developed their own nuclear weapons completely independent of the US? And they developed their own delivery rockets too. They have a sizable arsenal of nuclear and conventional weapons. De Gaulle simply refused to accept any US nuclear protection guarantees. He never trusted the US.

They still hide under the US military shield!

philldinkens - Some would say that in the US but I doubt you'll get any Frenchman to agree with that. Have you noticed they don't even particularly like you. I suppose you'd say folks in Switzerland are hiding under America's benevolent protection too.

Who in the world cares who the French "like". What they hate is their insignificance. They were once a world power and have never been able to grasp the concept that they no longer matter.

justthefacts - Right on! The French are just as insignificance as the British, the Germans, the Italians, the Dutch and the others too.

justthefacts - it is not so much about us caring about what the french like, it is looking at statistical facts: their healthcare indicators (infant mortality, life expectancy, etc) are better than ours and their healthcare costs are less. So it is not even about emulating the European model, but it is interesting to note that our system is neither better, cheaper, or more efficient.

Hey, do you want some "Freedom Fries" with that French Whine? And I think that the Federal Government has been doing a good job with Medicare since the 1960's. Now let's cover the young people too who cannot afford health insurance and are back living at home with their parents. Yowzer!

bdittle - Thanks. I don't have the information at hand and I'm not going to retrieve it either. But the World Health Organization compiles statistics and I recall see one that rated nations on quality of healthcare. Japan was first in the world, and France was around fourth place while the US was down in the 15th place. And like you said, the US puts about 16% of its GDP in healthcare while France only pays about half that amount and everybody in France is covered. For satisfaction, I doubt a Frenchman would trade his healthcare system for our. Folks can heap scorn on the French but the numbers show they're doing some things right.

Niko Mahs - I agree with you! I think Medicare should be extended to cover everybody in the county. It could be implemented in steps. Something like, all children get coverage first, all pregnant women covered second, the qualifying age dropped to 55, and all the remaining get covered last. Move through the steps as quickly as possible. We would be a healthier nation in the future and spend less money too.

gsw, you know enough to know that those stats leave a lot of information out. Many factors not taken into account. Additionally, the rest of the world has access to our drugs/medical devices without the R&D costs. Lastly, do you have any idea the amt of unfunded debt already owed under Medicare? Medicare is an unmitigated disaster.

Not every policy implemented in one country will work everywhere. To many greedy politicians will have their hands in any US government run heathcare plan for it to succeed. Look at how they steal from SSI if you have any doubt. Look at what lobbying does to this country. I am against any government run heathcare plan and I have always been against the SSI program. I should determine the path of my retirement dollars not someone who steals from the fund. Isn't that what they tried, convicted and imprisoned the Teamsters for?