Socialism or Capitalism

[KAOSkins]

Quick question (help me win an argument):

Is it socialism or capitalism to spend tax payer monies on preventative health care for the uninsured? What I mean is when it's proven that preventative health care, well...prevents catastrophic illness and the major expenses involved, isn't it a better business decision (capitalism) to provide it rather than wait for an uninsured person to have a life threatening illness where the government will pay for the costs?

I'd agree that it's certainly socialistic too, but are they always mutually exclusive?

[Predicto]

Well, it certainly isn't capitalism. Capitalism is not a synonym for "making better longterm business decisions." Nor is socialism a synonym for "any government program."

[DGreenistheBest]

Hardline socialism means the community as a whole controls the distribution of wealth, typically via the government. Hardline capitalism means that the distribution of wealth is entirely controlled by the private sector. We fall somewhere inbetween. It's not that capitalism and socialism are mutually exclusive, they are two ends of the same line. The question is where does this practice fall on that line? I would say that it is closer to socialist economics than capitalist because it you are allowing the government to regulate the distribution of the tax payer money.

[GibbsFactor]

Socialism - We are a village.

Capitalism - Every man for himself

[KAOSkins]

All right we're a mixture. Got it! Thanks fellas for the civic lesson.

Let me try again. I tried to phrase it ambiguously but that didn't work so:

Why would fiscal conservatives have a problem with a system of healthcare that is cheaper in the long run than the current one?

[outbaksean]

Why would fiscal conservatives have a problem with a system of healthcare that is cheaper in the long run than the current one?

Because you can't prove that to be the case.

[alexey]

Quick question (help me win an argument):

Is it socialism or capitalism to spend tax payer monies on preventative health care for the uninsured? What I mean is when it's proven that preventative health care, well...prevents catastrophic illness and the major expenses involved, isn't it a better business decision (capitalism) to provide it rather than wait for an uninsured person to have a life threatening illness where the government will pay for the costs?

I'd agree that it's certainly socialistic too, but are they always mutually exclusive?

Making a capitalistic decision to provide socialistic services earlier, eh?

[KAOSkins]

"Because you can't prove that to be the case."



My insurance company, who definitely has an interest and lot's money/motivation and data to study it, feels otherwise and tells me so continuously.

[KAOSkins]

Making a capitalistic decision to provide socialistic services earlier, eh?

Thank you! I'm not a total idiot at least one person got the gist of where I was going with it.

[Predicto]

All right we're a mixture. Got it! Thanks fellas for the civic lesson.

Let me try again. I tried to phrase it ambiguously but that didn't work so:

Why would fiscal conservatives have a problem with a system of healthcare that is cheaper in the long run than the current one?

Because they have been convinced by the news and opinion sources that they trust that changing the healthcare system would be worse for them personally, and possibly would be more expensive.

It is the same reason that almost everyone who thinks global warming is a hoax also turns out to be politically conservative. They get their science understanding from the same sources that get their political understanding, and the medical/financial understanding.


This is, of course, aside from the pure merits of the issues - which probably no one on here realy truly understands. We believe in the facts as presented by the sources we trust - it's human nature. I trust the Washington Post - and Sarge laughs at me. Sarge trusts WorldNetDaily - and I laugh at him. Ken trusts 911conspiracy-dot-com and so forth. It influences how we view reality.

[USS Redskins]

Even if it is cheaper the quality of care would probably go down.
A small example would be that there would have to be a cap on doctors salaries to maintain costs - which means allot of smart people wont become doctors and you will get a bunch of people with degree's from the Philippines who probably should really have been Veterinarians becoming MD's.

[Midnight Judges]

Why would fiscal conservatives have a problem with a system of healthcare that is cheaper in the long run than the current one?

Because the only thing worse than wasting money is seeing some mooch get something for nothing.

[USS Redskins]

It is the same reason that almost everyone who thinks global warming is a hoax also turns out to be politically conservative. They get their science understanding from the same sources that get their political understanding, and the medical/financial understanding.

.

Thats a pretty ballsy statement considering the great Scientist and Dr Al Gore is leading the Global Warming is going to kill everyone charge.

[DGreenistheBest]

Even if it is cheaper the quality of care would probably go down.
A small example would be that there would have to be a cap on doctors salaries to maintain costs - which means allot of smart people wont become doctors and you will get a bunch of people with degree's from the Philippines who probably should really have been Veterinarians becoming MD's.

I really don't understand why people think this would happen. It doesn't really make any logical sense.

Because they have been convinced by the news and opinion sources that they trust that changing the healthcare system would be worse for them personally, and possibly would be more expensive.

It is the same reason that almost everyone who thinks global warming is a hoax also turns out to be politically conservative. They get their science understanding from the same sources that get their political understanding, and the medical/financial understanding.


This is, of course, aside from the pure merits of the issues - which probably no one on here realy truly understands. We believe in the facts as presented by the sources we trust - it's human nature. I trust the Washington Post - and Sarge laughs at me. Sarge trusts WorldNetDaily - and I laugh at him. Ken trusts 911conspiracy-dot-com and so forth. It influences how we view reality.

You are quickly becoming my favorite poster.

[DGreenistheBest]

Because the only thing worse than wasting money is seeing some mooch get something for nothing.

Which is a perfect reason to switch away from the current system since that's what happens under it.