"bankruptcy is not normally on the table for nations"
It's a funny-shaped table then - even the US has gone bankrupt a few times, e.g. when reneging on their gold-convertibility obligations.
That "infographic" proves the matter - disregard its absence of info.
... too bad that catastrophic-only coverage has been made apprx. illegal by obamacare.
yes yes
"they pay similar taxes as we do in the US in terms of taxes as a % of income"
"so not only is private healthcare not illegal [in canada]"
"their system is cheaper and more effective and of a higher quality"
"people don't go bankrupt from getting sick"
Look, bankruptcy is not even the worst thing that can happen to a person. Going untreated is worse. Paying taxes for health care, then finding out that one's condition isn't covered
Adjust your reality filter accordingly.
"OTOH if you don't have health insurance in the US, your access to health care in many states is nonexistent"
It is a clever trick to equivocate "insurance" and "access". It is possible to self-insure - a completely rational, actuarially-sound, choice for many young people.
Please read the wikipedia text before parroting the link. "This mostly goes towards services not covered or partially covered by Medicare
In other words, if you would like to set up a family practice, or walk-in clinic, or hospital, or specialist office, and work directly for your customers, the po-po will take you to the jail-jail.
You haven't quite supplied enough activation energy to fuel a point-by-point rebuttal, so this will have to do
Are you QUITE sure that the reason this seems (to you) to work so well (in terms of services provided) is because of economies of scale? Have you considered that, just perhaps, it might be because the weighted-distribution of the beneficiaries is different from taxpayers, so that your aggregation of "canadians" into a single uniform mass of happy taxpayers-beneficiaries is
"the system there is very popular"
That proves nothing. Private medicine is -outlawed-, nearly uniquely in western countries. People have no choice, so of course they'll be grateful for the snippets of rationed health care they might receive.
"while people getting government insurance"
Government "insurance" is no such thing.
"in Canada pay an average of about half as much in taxes (scaled to their income)"
I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but if you want a broad-based measure, consider the annual "tax freedom day": mid-june for Ontario, mid-april for New York. Doesn't look good for Canadian "half as much in taxes".
... because that is Very Important.
... a convenience, especially to a government that wishes to dip into people's savings and tax every transaction.
"If that "better way" doesn't make profit for the labels or the artists, then why exactly should they support it?"
Wait a minute, didn't you say "wealth is generated by society" and "money violates all natural laws" just an hour or two ago?
... it better be massively parallel if it is to have an advantage over a software emulation of same.
"Wealth is generated by society.
Haha ok, well at least you're out of the marxist type of closet.
Real Programmers don't eat quiche. They eat Twinkies and Szechwan food.
