LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
P.J. MAKES A HOUSE CALL TO ANSWER YOUR HEALTH CARE QUERIES
Supposedly America is engaged in a “Health Care Debate.” I’d say that’s debatable. I’ve never heard much actual argument, disputation, or controversy on the subject of health care per se . When my son Buster falls out of a tree and breaks his arm, it’s not as if this results in strong differences of opinion about health care.
Buster’s mother: “Take him to the emergency room!”
Buster’s sister: “Take him to the funeral parlor!”
Yes, there are questions about American health care. But these aren’t really difficult questions, and they don’t rise to a level that deserves heated polemic. To begin with, let’s ask about “single-payer health care” (the current term for what used to be called “socialized medicine”).
because it’s stuck in 4WD creeper gear, and an agricultural equipment registration that makes it illegal on the highway. I have a splendid 1990 Porsche 911 that’s lots of fun except, due to some Götterdämmerung in the mysterious Teutonic electrical wiring, it’s dead as a smelt. And I have a beat-to-hell Chevy Suburban full to the rearview mirror with hay bales, fence posts, feed sacks, and other farm detritus. Some of the electric windows won’t go up. Others won’t go down. And the seat covers stink inexorably of wet dog. But I’d rather put my whole family in that private Suburban and drive from New Hampshire to Disney World than entrust my wife and kids to the public in the New York City subway system.
Q: Does America want a “private” health care system or a “public” health care system? This is easily answerable by a quick comparison of other examples of private versus public : Your bathroom vs. public restrooms Your backyard vs. public parks (especially after dark) Your car vs. public transportation Note that the favorability of the private option holds true even if your bathroom is a mess, your yard is a postage stamp, and you own a lousy car. I own several. I have an ancient Jeep with no roof or doors, a top speed of 25 mph
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American Consequences 7
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