WHY SINGLE PAYER WON’T WORK….PART 2….You are right, on occasion we can get things like Social Security and Medicare. But remember how unique the circumstances were that got us those things ? not unique enough to get us universal single payer in over 80 years of trying.
We got Social Security because of the depression. And remember, Roosevelt did not run on implementing Social Security ? he ran on balanced budgets three years into the worst depression ever! And Medicare we got with the most politically powerful president in recent years, after the murder of another president and the largest landslide victory in American history.
These tremendous social changes are possible. We can have single payer if we have 1) depression, 2) major war or 3) major social unrest. You want to wait and gamble?
And don’t be so pleased with Medicare. It has worked for 40 years but is now going to break the bank. In 2006 it will consume 1 of every 30 dollars in America ? just for the health care of 14% of the population. By 2020 the hospital money will run out. By 2075 it will consume every federal tax dollar. It has runaway inflation with no brakes. It is robbing every other worthy government program ? education, arts, environment, etc. At this point, Medicare is not something to emulate but something to fear.
