Jonah Goldberg, of the National Review Online takes a sympathetic look at the warm, soft, moist, smothering embrace of government intrusion (French style!) into every nook and cranny of the market place – not for those who enjoy shaking their heads ruefully at the extreme American example of captalism, red as it is in tooth and claw:
The Sorbonne takeover is the most interesting and revealing part of the story because these are the best students France has to offer. In other words, these kids should have the least trouble finding work. But they’re revolting because they understand that France isn’t an egalitarian society ‚Äî French propaganda notwithstanding. It is a system designed to lavish job protections, perks and, most of all, the French “lifestyle” on the upper-middle class. France pretends to be a great civilization, but in reality it wants to be an Epcot Center attraction, a “FranceLand” where everything is comfortable and protected. Liberating the job market, even a tiny bit, threatens a system designed to keep the French upper crust from working too hard and to keep those brown-skinned and lower-class slobs out of the best jobs and cocktail parties.
Probably just a problem with the Gallic interpretation. I’m sure that we’d do things better over here, with more governmental regulation. Why, if Hillary (in ‘08!) can stop running from press questions about the Feingold Resolution long enough, we can maybe get on with that single payer health system, like the Brits have in the National Health Service – NHS: The envy of the world!
First patient is David. Elderly man. Charming. He was a tank commander during the war. He is in atrial fibrillation, he is not maintaining his blood pressure, he keeps flipping in and out of heart failure and is being admitted for pacing in two days. When Dr Crippen was a houseman, all patients such as this were “clerked in” by the houseman. That does not happen anymore. Nowadays, they are assessed by cardiac nurse specialist. She is much cleverer that Dr Crippen because she can do this assessment by telephone. David has had a letter saying that he should be at home by the phone this afternoon, waiting for her call. He is puzzled. “How can she assess my cardiac status over the phone?” Beats me. I have to use a stethoscope, but then I am only a doctor.
The rest of it here, from a British doctor who clearly needs a long vacation. Careful with that link, by the way – there’s an absolutely hideous photo of an elderly patient’s bed sore in there.
(And H/T to Iain Murray of the Corner for the link)
Disgusting stuff.
The American system ain’t perfect by a long shot, but it sure seems better than any of the alternatives out there.
That was the most depressing article that I have read in a long time, and that includes the presentation on Iran and the coming conflagration that you put up a couple of days ago.
British healthcare is an oxymoron. We have dear friends who live there and have this story to tell:
Uncle Joe, age 63, had a painful, degenerative hip problem. He called his Dr. to get an appointment to start finding out what could be done. Took 2 months to get that appt. After a cursory exam wherein the good Dr. said “you have a hip problem”, Uncle Joe was referred to a specialist. Took 8 months to get that appt. By the time Uncle Joe saw the specialist, he was in a wheelchair. The specialist did a cursory exam and said “you have a hip problem”. Surgery was scheduled, but since Uncle Joe’s condition wasn’t considered critical – despite the fact he was now in a wheelchair full time – it took 6 months to get a surgical appt. By the time poor Uncle Joe had surgery for the hip replacement, it had been almost 18 months since he scheduled his first Drs. appointment. (The surgery went well and Uncle Joe was back in top form after about 6 months post-op.)
Our British friends envy our healthcare system with all the choices we have and access to Drs., even if the price staggers them. America DOES need to do more to make healthcare affordable for everyone, but PLEASE don’t let the powers-that-be force us into a national health system.
“…it shows how even the best and brightest can become addicted to welfare.”
I hadn’t read the story on the French students when I first saw this post – don’t really like the French so why waste my time, right? Well, after a bracing cup of coffee, I decided to plunge in and see what the ruckus was about.
Wish I’d stayed away as originally planned. The more I hear about the “worldly, sophisticated European”, the more I’m convinced that being American isn’t merely a fault of geography, it’s a state of mind and a way of living. And one that I fully embrace and would never give up, flaws and all.
I am a middle of the road type of guy. I can see the arguments of both sides and determine each case on its merrits, not spout out some party line. I say this regarding health care: I separated from the Navy after 8 years in 1994 having reached the high rank of Lt. Now, I am self employed and pay my own health insurance for my family of four. In the last 3 years, my insurance rates have gone up 56%. I am now paying more every month to my HMO than I pay for the mortage on our house. It is sick. As far as the actual health practitioners go, they are adequate. Nothing more, nothing less. Here is a shocker… the number one rated health care system in the country right now is: The VA. Yes, that’s right, the Veteran’s Administration hospitals get very high marks. That is as is should be. It also proves that government health care can be done right.
I dunno Ivan – I still remember the nightmare tales of VA hospitals after the Vietnam war, when everyone just wanted anything to do with the military to go away for a while.
While I salute the fact that the VA gets high marks currently, it only demonstrates that government health care can be done right on a limited scale, with patients who the public and elected officials have emotional ties to.
Whether that same degree of passion will adhere if “all of us” are under the same system is something I wonder a great deal about. The example of our closest cultural cousins in Great Britain and Canada leave wondering.
Bottom line? You get what you pay for.