RE: R&D Re: Europe, the US, and Environmentalism

[Baardwijk, J. van DTO/SLBD/BGM/SVM/SGM]

> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: John D. Giorgis [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Verzonden: Wednesday, July 18, 2001 12:31 PM
> Aan: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Onderwerp: RE: R&D Re: Europe, the US, and Environmentalism

> Because in the United States, when we don't have enough surgeons, we
> start traising the prices we pay for surgeons until more people decide
> to become surgeons.

And you think surgeons' salaries haven't gone up here? It's not that nobody
here wants to become a surgeon -- our universities just don't have the
capacity to let every applicant into medical school.


> Socialism, on the other hand, just pretends that scarcity doesn't
> exist, and/or the government doesn't have to do anything about it.

Jeez, and I thought that one of the characteristics of socialism was that
government is heavily involved with everything... IIRC, that's exactly why
capitalists hate socialism.

And socialism does not pretend that scarcity doesn't exist, it believes
scarce goods should go where they are needed most, not to whoever wants to
pay the most for them.


> In this case, your socialistic system survives because you guys can
> make up your capacity shortage by flying to the free-market USA.

Do you have any data on how many Europeans per year fly to America to have
surgery, as compared to the total number of Europeans going abroad for
surgery? AFAIK, capacity shortage in one European country is usually made up
for by sending patients to an other European country.


> Maybe we *should* go socialistic, so that way we cause the whole house
> of cards to topple over.

Well, the United States going socialistic might actually be an
improvement...   <grin>


Jeroen

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