--- In [email protected], "do.rflex" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "shempmcgurk" <shempmcgurk@> > wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "do.rflex" <do.rflex@> wrote: > > > > > > [snip] > > > > > > > > Capitalism is indeed the most successful economic model yet developed, > > > and the avarice that lies at its core among the most powerful > > > motivators known. But the system is designed to make private money, > > > not public good. > > > > [snip] > > > > The first sentence of what you write above, do.rflex, is the best thing > > you've ever written...indeed, I think it should be in a book of quotes. > > > > The second sentence, however, is slightly flawed and inaccurate. > > > > Yes, the system makes for its sellers of goods and services "private > > money", as you say and is NOT designed to create any public good. > > However, as a by-product of this totally selfish-motivated system, I > > suggest to you that the public good is best served. > > > > You and others have observed that this may be true in some sectors of > > the economy but it is not happening in the health sector. And my > > observation would be: there isn't a true free market in the health > > sector; once there was, then we could judge it accordingly. There is > > TOO MUCH government control that in the health sector that I would > > suggest to you that its faults are the result of the socialized aspect, > > not the capitalist aspect. > > > McDonald's and Exxon-Mobil exist for exactly the same purpose. Yes, > one of them sells billions of hamburgers, while the other pumps > billions of barrels of oil, but grease is not the common interest they > share. It's money. > > McDonald's Corporation exists to make money, not McRibs. If the > corporation thinks it can make more money by making high quality > burgers at a high price, it will do that. If it can make more money > by making low quality burgers at a low price, it will do that. And if > they can get away with making low quality burgers at a high price, > they will do that -- with great joy. > > No matter what corporate motto is stamped on the side of products or > what words hang on the boardroom wall, corporations are simply money > machines. That's true of McDonald's or Exxon-Mobil. It's also true > of Aetna, and HealthSouth, and Cigna, and Kaiser, and the other > private health insurers. They exist to make money. If they can make > money by providing health services, they will do so. If they can make > more money by denying services, then they will do that. They will > provide exactly as much care as maximizes their profits. > > And not a penny more. > > The public good can NOT reliably depend on the greed of capitalism. > Its motivation is NOT altruistic and its NOT designed with the common > good in mind at all. >
I agree with 100% of what you write above... But I will add the following proviso: government does it 10 times worse. So, whereever possible, even in the altruistic health care field, try to find a way to get free enterprise to provide the good or service needed because they'll do it bette than any government program will.
