Posted by Doug Bandow on 03/08/10 11:28 AM   [Newer: Who are the Ron Paul People?] [Older: Unknown Heroes for Liberty]

Great Britain continues to remind us what happens when the government rations care to save money.  Reports the Times of London:

DAMNING reports on the state of the National Health Service, suppressed by the government, reveal how patients' needs have been neglected.

They diagnose a blind pursuit of political and managerial targets as the root cause of a string of hospital scandals that have cost thousands of lives.

The harsh verdict on the state of the NHS, after a spending splurge under Labour between 2000 and 2008, raises worrying questions about the future quality of the health service as budgets are squeezed.

One report, based on the advice of almost 200 top managers and doctors, says hospitals ignored basic hygiene to cram in patients to meet waiting-time targets.

It says "several interviewees" cited the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells [NHS Trust in Kent where 269 deaths during 2005-6 were caused by infection with Clostridium difficile bacteria].

"Managers crowded in patients in order to meet waiting-time targets and, in the process, lost sight of the fundamental hygiene requirements for infection prevention," the report stated.

Is that really what Americans want?  If not, they had better make their views known in Congress before ObamaCare is crammed down their throats.

Doug Bandow, American Conservative Defense Alliance

Posted 03/08/10 1:31 PM zonraalder East Lansing, MI

"Do you Really Want Government-Run Health Care?" No, but I sure as hell want cheaper healthcare, and so far neither the Republicans or the Democrats are trying to do that. I'll be honest with you if we had a public option I would really not care that much, right now I am unemployed(I applied to all the McDonalds in my area - not a single one called back) and I have no health insurance and so far all the republicans are doing is being the party of anti-Obama, if Obama supported the free market, the republicans would be against it.

Posted 03/08/10 6:28 PM BigJohn Oak Park, CA

Yeah, there's no need to bring Republicans into this. They're pretty much as socialist as it gets. Only they have this agenda of being anti-democrats. The whole thing is ridiculous really, and if anything just further highlights the fact that government doesn't work. The sooner we get rid of it, the better.

Posted 03/08/10 7:11 PM flaunt Duluth, GA

@zonraalder If you want cheaper healthcare then you don't want government run healthcare either. Government interference is what has caused it to be so expensive in the first place. They play all sorts of games with the tax code and socialist programs that redirect an artifically high amount of dollars into the medical system. It's sad to say but there are countries that are kicking our butt in this department. I saw a price sheet recently for surgical procedures that you could have done at a hospital in Singapore, and they were actually quite reasonable relative to the ridiculous sums that get charged to insurance companies here in the U.S. Have you EVER seen a price sheet at a doctor's office or hospital? Doesn't that scream how badly our healthcare system is disconnected from the real market system which is the only form of legitimate price control? The whole notion of what we call insurance is crazy. It's really treated like a prepaid card for health services but it's even worse than that because rarely do you even know if it's going to be entirely paid for or if you're going to be on the hook for some seemingly-arbitary unpaid balance. We have a system where you walk into an office, receive services having absolutely no idea what the cost is, then some behind the scenes negotiations occur between the insurance company and the doctor's office, and then you either receive a bill or never hear from anyone. If you took any other kind of transaction and put it into that context it would sound rightly absurd. I don't think Republicans en masse would be against Obama if he had real free market solutions, but that's a moot point because he believes the heavy hand of government should direct the flow of goods and services in this country rather than individuals acting in free will. There is no debating with politicians like Obama. He will be in violation of his oath of office if he signs legislation like what he wants. So will all of the politicians in congress who vote for it. If they go through with it then they should all be removed from office by impeachment, recall, or other political processes.

Posted 03/09/10 07:41 AM Rob Vollat Randleman, NC

Make the insurance companies non-profit and end their greed. Keep the government far away from my health.

Posted 03/26/10 12:47 AM rouldph Oak Lawn, IL

Well it looks as we have no say so in the mater due to Our Daddy is Mommy is doing it for us! So what happen to the will of the people, well to got it its the will of the government and I see they don't work for us any longer because they are working for each other now and now We The People are just We The Sheeple.HA' Ha" I cant set around and do nothing But if every one in all the freedom movements would pull together we can move out the Ass form offices!..

Posted 03/26/10 12:53 AM rouldph Oak Lawn, IL

I want to add a joke here! When I get sick I don't go to the doctor to get treatment. I go to the vet! Why would I do that, if you can answer try it. But before I complete the joke I want someone to try to complete for me if you can? And if no one completes it I'll come back and do it! as we suffer with the Nuts in DC let us have fun in it.