"Giles" wrote in message
...
In point of fact, providing state of the art health care to
all citizens of any country is sort of a nonsensical
idea.......wouldn't you say?

yes, I would agree. However, talk to folks, and you start to get the idea
that is what everyone wishes for. Or, viewed another way, no one wishes to
give up a single possible surgical, diagnostic or pharmaceutical option, and
those same folks then puzzle at why heathcare costs go up.
Oh, and sure, we all change, evolve, whatever with time and age. But, you
seem to imply that I've had some sort of sea-change in terms of attitude,
self-respect or whatever other silly terms you throw in, at various times.
Sorry, no such radical change has happened. Too bad that you see it
otherwise, but like most folks making guesses about others outlooks,
intellects or intentions, you are far off reality.

Finally, where I am on the issue of healthcare is pretty clear(you mused as
to where I stood....): What the nation should have is a single-payer system,
similar to the setup of Medicare, that covers all citizens from birth to
death.
And, like Medicare, there should be reasonable limitations that can be
overcome with supplemental coverage to those who desire that sort of thing.
The second part of the equation is a reworking of how we educate and later
compensate physicians and other critical health personnel.
We cannot put doctors in a half-million dollar debt hole by age 30,and then
NOT expect them to seek compensation down the road.
Tom