[TexasGreg]

Sadly, the unwashed masses won't read about the down-side of socialized medicine.

[Hat-Trick]

When our own government has not yet been able to successfully demonstrate it's ability to even distribute free cheese, why would we put them in charge of our nation's health care?

The list of problems that government has successfully addressed is woefully short.

[shhrubbery!]

Great post.

Btw, Kerry is out there proclaiming that his health care "plan" isn't a government run system.

Kerry promises that we'll all have a "choice," and that that choice will be one of many private insurers, such as the Cadillac of insurance policies that members of Congress get.

Question for Kerry: Won't everybody want the Cadillac instead of the Ford? And if that happens, HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR IT? (Of course the answer is, we can't.)

The truth is, Kerry's "plan" may start out as a private insurer system, but it is so unworkable it will lead to plans to scrap it all and go to "single-payer," government health care -- just what Hillary wants.

[Alberta's Child]

The problem, in my ever humble opinion, with your system is that it has come to be controlled by insurance interests ( and H.M.O's) and this has driven the cost of health care ever upwards.

Mr. Canadian is absolutely wrong about this. The primary factor in the dramatic escalation in health care costs has been the dramatic escalation in the quality of care and the development of new technology and treatments on an ongoing basis.

In other words, we are paying a lot more for our health care mainly because we are getting a lot more. That's why you never hear about someone buying a $45,000 SUV and then complaining that it is about eight times more expensive than the Yugo he bought 20 years ago.

[balk]

This article is on-the-money. In addition, you can't get an MRI without waiting six months, so we have to go to Buffalo or Cleveland to get it.

[dinasour]

In addition to the purely economic distortions imposed by socialized medicine, or socialized anything, I think there is a cultural effect to.

In socialized medicine, everyone is on welfare. You are no longer a customer, but in effect, a beggar. And you are treated as such.

With third party payment, there are still market distortions, but you are at least, indirectly, still a customer. If service gets too bad, there will be still be pressure on the "powers that be" to find a better deal.

[Shore]

Your post from a Canadian friend found it's way to my email. I did a Google search to find the source and it led me here. I am glad to see it's not one of those urban legend emails but the real deal.

I expect to see it making the email rounds.