When debating healthcare with progs, you have probably seen this chart before.
"EAT THAT!" Say the proud Progs, having soundly crushed you.
If you're like me, you've had to then slog through explaining that no, American healthcare as it presently is doesn't work. But then they say "But then you have no examples to fight back with! I win! (insert evil cackle of your choice here)!"
But then, after diligent searching, I found this:
http://www.clearpictureonline.com/1960-US%20State%20Health.html
which shows American healthcare costs in 1960 (after many of the enforced problems of 1910 and the 1940s, but before the big mandates and Medicare) to be estimated at $2,952 when adjusted for inflation. Since it's an estimation, let's round that up to $3,000.
If you add the 1960 American cost of healthcare to that chart, it actually turns out to be the third cheapest listed, behind only Japan, Spain, and Italy. When you factor in the fact that almost all of those countries on the chart are currently undergoing massive debt crisis (especially those three), have incredibly high costs of living, and have comparably small amounts of disposable income, it's pretty clear which is the more "civilized" system. Not to mention the fact that those countries also feature wait times, AND their healthcare is often paid for twice by first taxes to the government and then by private insurance to get decent quality.
If anyone is a good photoshopper, they could make an awesome image macro just by modifying the previous chart with the added information, ideally with a caption like "PROBLEM, PROGRESSIVES"
...or you could just point out that
"The US as a country spends more money on health care, ipso facto health care is more expensive in the US."
= non sequitur.
Well yeah, but they rarely concede anything from having their logical falacies pointed out, and that doesn't have the bonus of beating them at their own game
I suppose. If you want to make it more palatable just tell them how you were in the checkout line at the grocery store the other day...and would you believe it...your bill was more than the guy in front of you!!
They must be charging you higher prices!
Lmao.
I suppose. If you want to make it more palatable just tell them how you were in the checkout line at the grocery store the other day...and would you believe it...your bill was more than the guy in front of you!! They must be charging you higher prices!
After that you can tell them that Somalia is exactly on the bottom of the full country list for that stat just to make sure that at least one person dies from laughing so hard.
Thanks for this. Anyone know any good books on healthcare?
The one I saw with Somalia at the bottom was World Health Report 2000. I'm rooting for Aghanistan bumping to #1.