Tuesday 7 January 2014

For Irene



That's not her real name. Irene represents that person you know who thinks socialized health care is socialism. Irene is not very smart. She doesn't even know what socialism means, and I don't have the year or so it would take to teach her. But I'm going to explain something for her in very small words.

Pretend there is a big bucket. You have some potatoes. In fact you have a few potatoes you can spare, so you put them in the bucket. Your neighbours all put potatoes in the bucket. Everyone in town puts potatoes in a bucket. There are lots of potatoes in the bucket.

One day you have no potatoes. So you take some potatoes out of the bucket. Now you have potatoes.

This is how insurance works. Lots of people pay in, and when one of them needs some, they get some out.

Now, pretend you and all your neighbours have a big bucket. You have some potatoes. In fact you have a few potatoes you can spare, so you put them in the bucket. Your neighbours all put potatoes in the bucket. Everyone in town puts potatoes in a bucket. There are lots of potatoes in the bucket.

One day you have no potatoes. So you take some potatoes out of the bucket. Now you have potatoes.

This is how socialized health care works. Lots of people pay in, and when one of them needs some, they get some out.

Obviously, it is VERY different to insurance.




5 comments:

  1. Insurance is when you have potatoes and you put all your potatoes in the bucket and when you need potatoes you have to fill out 100 different forms and make dozens of phone calls to beg for mercy that you can have some potatoes. Then they tell you that they will grant you 10% of a potato after you pay another bucket of potatoes. At least that is how our insurance works. Well in the case of my oldest son's botched surgery and the clean up they did give us potatoes but took over a year to do so after all the forms and phone calls.

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    Replies
    1. And that's the problem with the bucket not belonging to the people.

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  2. It looks like this one is getting legs. It got some shares on Facebook.

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  3. One should never lose one's home over the lack of potatoes...

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