Is Socialized Medicine a Bad Thing?

In this trailer to Sicko, Michael Moore offers an overview of the Norwegian health care system as compared to our system. Is socialized medicine really such a bad thing? I grew up as a staunch conservative Republican and anti-communist, but I can't see turning our back on people who have diseases and injuries. I also can't see the harm in a "socialized" methodology. When it comes to mission-critical, important public services, I think the government should run them, because that way we (the public) have control, and there is a refreshing transparency about the system. The Post Office is a socialist institution, and I'm very happy with it. (Can you imagine mailing a letter across the country for less than a dollar, if the Post Office were private? First class mail is a bargain, even if the rate were doubled.) The Highway Department is socialist, and it's pretty good, although there is movement underway to privatize it. Then you have the military, and if anyone argues against socialism, then of course they have to argue against a standing army, navy and air force. So in regards to critical public services, socialism can be beneficial. When it comes to consumer products and services, then let's go with the capitalist model. Let's not get hung up over ideology, which gets in the way of rational thinking. The important thing is to receive the maximum benefit from our efforts, avoid human suffering, and promote human happiness. I think we can learn a great deal from countries such as Norway. Instead of condemning them as "welfare states," maybe we should look at measures such as infant mortality rates and average lifespans.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• health
• care
• medical
• insurance
• hmo
• norwegian
• norway
• socialized
• medicine
• socialism
• welfare
• state

[letsgojogging]

This is not a size comparison contest about which country is bigger or better. It is about Norway's medical system. Are there good ideas that we can borrow to fix our health care system in the U.S.? If so, what? If not, why? There is nothing wrong with borrowing a good idea from another country. It's free, and they won't mind sharing.

[sindre101]

UN just conclude that Norway is the best country to live in. USA sucks

[knutlima]

In Norway you can choose your hospital. You can allso use the private clinics.

I would say that I would rather live in a country where evereybody is treated equal, than in a country where you are treated by how much money you have...

[RUXOID]

Beautiful pictures on the background of the final ass. :)

[RUXOID]

@1dschamp They got nothing, the cost of insurance for the year increased by 9%. This is the only result obamokar. Economic statistics and U.S. Eprope the same as counterfeit at the time the Greek. According to the method that was during the Reagan now unemployed in the U.S., 9% and 17%. Your socialism is bankrupt.

[1dschamp]

@adamholzer1992 more bankrupt that the US. EU countries have high debt, but are not only no comparison to the US at 90-100% of GDP, they've received a lot for it such as universal health care and university education, paid maternity leave, 6 weeks annual holidays etc. Exactly what have Americans received for their 15 triilion??

[adamholzer1992]

screw that. they pay close to half of their income to the government and some of the european countries are still bankrupt

[MrEpeener]

@xHippieHunter There is actually a lot of medical research going on in Norway, and especially on cancer treatment. Based on our small population the scale of the research and the number of positive results are ofc less than in the U.S. However, it's you who are commenting on stuff that you have no clue about, I bet you don't really know anything about Norway or Europe in general. Now go back to hugging your broken system and rejecting to learn anything from those parts we do better than you.

[oneirishpoet]

@xHippieHunter sweet holy jeebus yo'ure a fucking moron aren't you?

[Xcellerz]

@xHippieHunter it dosnt matter how many drugs we've created if you can't afford to buy them

[regelemihai]

@sindre101

Yeah, the UN. lol.

[xHippieHunter]

tell me something how many life saving drugs has norway created? Because the U.S has created 34% of the entire worlds life saving drugs sorry what has norway done again o thats right nothing

[theShadow117]

@sindre101 'concluded' oh, and by the way; the UN never gets anything done.