Comments on: Daniel Hannan still wrong about the NHS/Pope still Catholic http://thethirdestate.net/2009/08/daniel-hannan-still-wrong-about-the-nhspope-still-catholic/ What Is The Third Estate? Everything. What Has It Been Until Now In The Political Order? Nothing. What Does It Want To Be? Something. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:39:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Owain http://thethirdestate.net/2009/08/daniel-hannan-still-wrong-about-the-nhspope-still-catholic/comment-page-1/#comment-5906 Owain Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:15:59 +0000 http://thethirdestate.net/?p=1615#comment-5906 Fair point. Fair point.

]]> By: Owen http://thethirdestate.net/2009/08/daniel-hannan-still-wrong-about-the-nhspope-still-catholic/comment-page-1/#comment-5903 Owen Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:07:15 +0000 http://thethirdestate.net/?p=1615#comment-5903 Of course pointing out the NHS's flaws isn't *necessarily* a sign of malicious intent - no one's claiming it is. But to go on Fox News with a bunch of anecdotes and cherry-picked statistics to paint the NHS as a disaster (in contrast to the presumed utopia of the status quo in the US, as the context strongly implied) does rather suggest Hannan had something a bit less benign than constructive criticism in mind. Of course pointing out the NHS’s flaws isn’t *necessarily* a sign of malicious intent – no one’s claiming it is. But to go on Fox News with a bunch of anecdotes and cherry-picked statistics to paint the NHS as a disaster (in contrast to the presumed utopia of the status quo in the US, as the context strongly implied) does rather suggest Hannan had something a bit less benign than constructive criticism in mind.

]]> By: Owain http://thethirdestate.net/2009/08/daniel-hannan-still-wrong-about-the-nhspope-still-catholic/comment-page-1/#comment-5898 Owain Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:12:39 +0000 http://thethirdestate.net/?p=1615#comment-5898 The main effort of the NHS or equivalent is the delivery of healthcare to the population. The NHS is one way to do this. It has it's strengths and weaknesses, as do the other healthcare systems in other countries. The NHS has existed for 60 years and, from it's popularity, been broadly sucsessful. But that doesn't mean to point out it's weaknesses and suggest an alternative must be due to a malicous intent. However much of a tool he may be. For a far more thorough analysis, I'd suggest The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford (ISBN 0349119856), which explains the various arguments in a far clearer and more intelligent way than I ever could. The main effort of the NHS or equivalent is the delivery of healthcare to the population. The NHS is one way to do this. It has it’s strengths and weaknesses, as do the other healthcare systems in other countries. The NHS has existed for 60 years and, from it’s popularity, been broadly sucsessful. But that doesn’t mean to point out it’s weaknesses and suggest an alternative must be due to a malicous intent. However much of a tool he may be.

For a far more thorough analysis, I’d suggest The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford (ISBN 0349119856), which explains the various arguments in a far clearer and more intelligent way than I ever could.

]]> By: Salman Shaheen http://thethirdestate.net/2009/08/daniel-hannan-still-wrong-about-the-nhspope-still-catholic/comment-page-1/#comment-3836 Salman Shaheen Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:43:40 +0000 http://thethirdestate.net/?p=1615#comment-3836 I saw Sicko for the first time last night. Of course it's a Moore propaganda film, I suspect contrasting the worst of America with the best of Europe, but some of the examples were truly frightening. Patients being denied care and dying because the insurance companies, wanting to save money, are constantly looking for reasons not to pay out, for example. The entire ethic of health care in America seems turned on its head, where money is the first consideration and saving lives the second. I really can't undertstand, given the obvious flaws of the American system, how anyone who isn't in the pocket of the big insurance firms, can be against health reform. With the amount of criticisms I find myself levelling against British government and society, one might falsely assume I take no pride in this country at all. I am, however, very proud of the NHS and Sicko has only entrenched that feeling for me. If I should die think only this of me. At least it wasn't because I couldn't afford decent health care. I saw Sicko for the first time last night. Of course it’s a Moore propaganda film, I suspect contrasting the worst of America with the best of Europe, but some of the examples were truly frightening. Patients being denied care and dying because the insurance companies, wanting to save money, are constantly looking for reasons not to pay out, for example. The entire ethic of health care in America seems turned on its head, where money is the first consideration and saving lives the second. I really can’t undertstand, given the obvious flaws of the American system, how anyone who isn’t in the pocket of the big insurance firms, can be against health reform. With the amount of criticisms I find myself levelling against British government and society, one might falsely assume I take no pride in this country at all. I am, however, very proud of the NHS and Sicko has only entrenched that feeling for me. If I should die think only this of me. At least it wasn’t because I couldn’t afford decent health care.

]]> By: Pinky http://thethirdestate.net/2009/08/daniel-hannan-still-wrong-about-the-nhspope-still-catholic/comment-page-1/#comment-3578 Pinky Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:02:00 +0000 http://thethirdestate.net/?p=1615#comment-3578 Owen...it pains me to say it, but I think your spot on with this one. He's an idiot, even less well researched than me. -First time for everything Owen…it pains me to say it, but I think your spot on with this one. He’s an idiot, even less well researched than me.

-First time for everything

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