Thursday, January 23, 2014

Walking Back Socialism in Scandinavia

Europeans are discovering that socialized medicine is bad medicine. Naturally, American politicians and pundits want to bring it all to America. If it doesn’t work there, they don’t care.

Reason reports:

Tired of long waits and inadequate care, Swedes increasingly purchase private health insurance policies to gain access to the care the state can't provide.

And, of course, Swedes are turning to private medicine to escape the long lines and poor service of the government health system that has been unable to deliver what it once promised.

As Americans are learning, the hard way, grandiose promises of affordable health care translate into substandard care. You might want to take solace in the fact that you have health insurance, but you should pray that you do not get very sick.

Isn't it ironic. At a time when Obamacare is wrecking the private insurance market more and more Swedes are opting for private health insurance.

The Agence France-Presse reports that the Scandinavian disillusion with the welfare state is not limited to the failing health care system.

AFP reports:

The Nordic model, known for high taxes and its cradle-to-grave welfare system, is getting a radical makeover as nations find themselves cash-strapped.

During the post-war period, the Scandinavian economies became famous for a "softer" version of capitalism that placed more importance on social equality than other western nations, such as Britain and the United States, did.

But globalisation, economic necessity and an ideological shift to the right has led to a scaling back of the public sector.

In Sweden, visitors are sometimes surprised to learn about year-long waiting times for cancer patients, rioting in low-income suburbs and train derailments amid lagging infrastructure investment.

The moral of the story is that the American administration, with the collusion of a majority of the American electorate has chosen to adopt policies that have failed elsewhere.

Someone explain why these people consider themselves the best and the brightest.

[My thanks for Dennis for bringing this story to my attention.]

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is spin, dumb spin at that. As long as we don't allow hospitals to turn patients away, we have a minimal level of universal health care. The idea that 10% of Swedes want better than the cheapest managed care can provide doesn't mean they should eliminate UHC. How many Swedes declare bankruptcy for their health care, not suggest their personal debt levels are less irresponsible than ours!

n.n said...

Proximity engenders accountability. The intelligent design theory of left-wing ideologues assumes possession of knowledge and skill which mortal beings lack. Their regimes are notorious for causing misaligned development. Even their population control protocol (e.g. abortion) has failed to sufficiently reduce the problem set.

That said, the system in Scandinavia could work in a homogenous society with geographically uniform development. The sudden and progressive failure is largely due to the policies of left-wing politicians who have exploited diversity for democratic leverage at the expense of the native population.

I wonder how many Europeans appreciate that their human sacrifices have only succeeded to purchase membership in a Dodo Dynasty.

Anonymous said...

Have you used the swedish health care system or are you just guessing? Have you missed what the long waiting for some treatment happened under a conservative government?