Is the intersection of Capitalism and Healthcare detrimental to life?

[msc545]

I say it definitely IS. What do you say?

[KrakenAttackin]

An interesting point and a valid question. I have no idea what the answer is except to say the profit incentive creates new treatments, pharmaceuticals (yes, I know there are serious issues there), and medical instruments (i. e the titanium screw in my shoulder and titanium cage in my spine). Having said that the same profit incentive reduces access to everyone.

I have no idea what the solution is.

[richardcory]

There is a huge potential for problems because its possible to spend a nearly infinite amount on healthcare. There is no easy way to make the tradeoff of how much care is reasonable, an capitalism is doing an espeically bad job of it

[lightbulb27]

yea it is. capitalsim values the dollar, health values... health.

Capitalism creates other treatments and abilities that we should all be grateful for. But it also creates poison, ignores less costly solutions in favor of high dollar/protected solutions.

add govt to it, and it's a mess that ends up murdering people, but with good intentions.

[slatyb]

Somewhat complex but it's absurd that a country as wealthy as the US cannot provide health care for all.

[msc545]

This occurs because we allow predatory Capitalism.

[slatyb]

No, it's because we don't vote for enough legislators to enact national health insurance.

[msc545]

That too is the result of predatory capitalism.

[LiamJHayden]

I think it might be crony corporatism rather than straight capitalism. My parents used to tell me how when they were young the doctors would make house calls and apparently the were so affordable that the grandparents paid out of pocket.

Not that this will solve the current problem. In the current reality, your question answers itself with a Yes.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

Yes, we've had two US Presidents and not one can reason with us to give America people a decent Healthcare.

[msc545]

@goodguybreakingbad Who are you talking about exactly?

[msc545]

How is this related to my question?

[Anonymous]

Yes it is, I work in healthcare. Healthcare should be socialized. Socialism is the only hope the working classes have in the coming years as things get too expensive and wages lag behind and corporations get more and more effecient to make more profit.

[NathanDavis]

saving your life... can ruin the rest of your life...

[WindAtMyBack]

Without capitalism health care would be 50 years behind where it is. So it's not detrimental to life, it's the exact opposite.

[exitseven]

Healthcare like everything else is a commodity. Just because you have been born does not automatically mean that you are eligible for free healthcare just like you are not eligible for a free trip to Disneyland.

Yes, healthcare could be administered in a more efficient manner but simply deciding that everyone gets free healthcare will make it so that nobody gets adequate healthcare.

[msc545]

it is a lot more nuanced than that. You seem to believe that healthcare is a limited quantity and that if one person gets it another does not. It doesn't work like that. Take money from the bloated, corrupt defense budget, devote it to health care, and see how many people get it without degrading the quality of the care at all.

It is disappointing that an intelligent person like yourself cannot seem to understand situations like this and instead parrots right-wing talking points that are nonsensical.

[exitseven]

So when you don't have a strong military and you get taken over by some foreign totalitarian government that comes in, takes over the whole Healthcare system and starts rationing it THEN what will you do?

[msc545]

That has not happened and is very unlikely. Interesting that you need to select complete outliers to support your positions...

[exitseven]

It has not happened because we have the best military in the world, or at least we did until a couple of years ago.

[msc545]

LOL! The "best military in the world" that has not won a war since WW II? You are joking, right?

[exitseven]

They have not won a war because the politicians didn/t want them to. Even under the current administration I doubt that there is not another country that would want to go against the US Military.

[msc545]

You really don't get it or won't get it Stop making excuses.

Politicians prolong wars because that uses up more ammunition and equipment which in turn feeds the military-industrial a lot more of our tax money over a longer period of time. Also, morale in the service stinks because service members realize that the wars we fight are basically hypocritical bullshit designed to generate more money for the rich.

[exitseven]

True, but that does not detract from the brave men and women that serve in the military. In vietnam the us could have finished it during a long weekend but dragged it out for 7 years and 56,000 lives.

[msc545]

It could have been finished by using nuclear weapons on North Vietnam and Cambodia, which in turn would have dragged China and Russia into it and at least one of them would have probably used nukes on the US in Hawaii and possibly California. Considering that there was literally NO rational reason for the Vietnam War in the first place, do you think this would have been worth it?

Vietnam is our trading partner now, and they are doing just fine under Communism - arguably a lot better than the US is with the predatory oligarchic capitalism that you love so much. Have you been there? I have. It is beautiful.

[exitseven]

No, The war in vietnam could have been won with cnventional weapons in a matter of days but politicians pressured the military to create rules of engagement that effectively had Americans fighting with one hand tied behind their backs.

[msc545]

You seem to forget what happened to the French before we ever got there. That war would have dragged on for us with a lot more deaths before it was ever finished, and it was NOT winnable with conventional weapons - not to mention that the American public would not have put up with much more of it.

[exitseven]

There is a reason you don't see the French in many wars these days. If Kissinger and Nixon were willing to do what it takes to won wewould have been out of there in time for Christmas.

[msc545]

You were speaking of Kissinger the war criminal? The one that can't go to Europe for fear of being arrested? Maybe more of his criminal behavior would have helped to win the war. Is that the idea?

[exitseven]

Yes, it b is amazing he is stillvalive he must be 100 by now

[msc545]

I read something by him fairly recently. He is still as evil and unapologetic as ever.

[Anonymous]

Nobody goes to Cuba or Venezuela to get medical treatment. Nobody talks about medical care being more accessible in Canada. But I do know that there are Canadians who come to the US for medical care.

[msc545]

You are wrong. People go to Canada, Mexico, Cuba (Cuba has world-famous physicians and nine medical schools and sends physicians all over central and south America), and Venezuela for affordable medical care.

[Opinion Owner]

Right!

[Jamie05rhs]

Absolutely!