Michael Moore and socialized medicine

[revots33]

Saw an interview with Michael Moore, and he was talking about the knee-jerk negative reaction many people have to the term "socialized medicine". His argument was that health care should not be a for-profit business. Insurance companies are beholden to their shareholders to maximize their profit. This creates a natural conflict between what's good for the shareholders, and what might be best for the patient (as in, expensive treatments).

He then mentioned that we already have some socialized services in the USA, which people have no problem with. He used the example of fire departments, which provide service to everyone and are not expected to turn a profit. He argued that if fire departments were forced to maximize revenues for shareholders, it would be a terrible idea that might compromise safety in life-or-death situations. Since healthcare is also often a life-or death issue, a socialized approach, where profit concerns are removed from the equation, is the best answer.

This seemed like a reasonable argument to me. Am I wrong for thinking this?

[Vagos]

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Saw an interview with Michael Moore, and he was talking about the knee-jerk negative reaction many people have to the term "socialized medicine". His argument was that health care should not be a for-profit business. Insurance companies are beholden to their shareholders to maximize their profit. This creates a natural conflict between what's good for the shareholders, and what might be best for the patient (as in, expensive treatments).

He then mentioned that we already have some socialized services in the USA, which people have no problem with. He used the example of fire departments, which provide service to everyone and are not expected to turn a profit. He argued that if fire departments were forced to maximize revenues for shareholders, it would be a terrible idea that might compromise safety in life-or-death situations. Since healthcare is also often a life-or death issue, a socialized approach, where profit concerns are removed from the equation, is the best answer.

This seemed like a reasonable argument to me. Am I wrong for thinking this?

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It's gonna be a tough sell around here...where half the people don't even agree with his point about socialized fire departments.

[JuntMonkey]

Explain how for-profit fire departments would be half-assed and compromise safety. Won't they want to do the job well so that they get good "business"?

[TomCollins]

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Explain how for-profit fire departments would be half-assed and compromise safety. Won't they want to do the job well so that they get good "business"?

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No, they would be incompetent. All capitalists are. Then they fire their workers. See Roger and Me.

[iron81]

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Explain how for-profit fire departments would be half-assed and compromise safety. Won't they want to do the job well so that they get good "business"?

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Around the turn of the last century we had for-profit fire departments. They did in fact do a half-assed job and compromised safety. That's why they were socialized.

[ElliotR]

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Explain how for-profit fire departments would be half-assed and compromise safety. Won't they want to do the job well so that they get good "business"?

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Around the turn of the last century we had for-profit fire departments. They did in fact do a half-assed job and compromised safety. That's why they were socialized.

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What?!?! You mean that The Market didn't solve all of the problems? Shocking!

[haarley]

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Explain how for-profit fire departments would be half-assed and compromise safety. Won't they want to do the job well so that they get good "business"?

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Around the turn of the last century we had for-profit fire departments. They did in fact do a half-assed job and compromised safety. That's why they were socialized.

[/ QUOTE ]Not all fire departments are socialized. Where I live you have a choice to subscribe for fire service, If you don't subscribe and your house catches fire the fire department will watch it burn.

[ShakeZula06]

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Explain how for-profit fire departments would be half-assed and compromise safety. Won't they want to do the job well so that they get good "business"?

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Around the turn of the last century we had for-profit fire departments. They did in fact do a half-assed job and compromised safety. That's why they were socialized.

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link?

[kyleb]

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Explain how for-profit fire departments would be half-assed and compromise safety. Won't they want to do the job well so that they get good "business"?

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Around the turn of the last century we had for-profit fire departments. They did in fact do a half-assed job and compromised safety. That's why they were socialized.

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They were still managed by the municipal governments, and as such, ridiculously corrupt and inefficient. People seem to forget this about the 1900s.

[Vagos]

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Explain how for-profit fire departments would be half-assed and compromise safety. Won't they want to do the job well so that they get good "business"?

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I don't know why I have to explain it, Moore was the one who made the statement and I completely disagree with him.