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The darker side of being a doctor

282 points · 342 comments · Danhale93

  1. osmukka · · focus · HN ↗
    Healthcare is the last industry that should be privatized. It should be for the public good rather than for the profit of few.
    1. panick21_ · · focus · HN ↗
      By that logic all food production and distribution should not be privatized because is should be for the public good rather then the profit of the few.

      There are are arguments to be made about private or public but that logic makes no sense.

      Some system that have many private aspects outperform other public systems and the other way around. And even in a public system many people will profit as many of the companies that are your suppliers are still for profit.

      1. lkey · · focus · HN ↗
        The government already subsidizes private overproduction on US farmland. USAID was, at its heart, a farm subsidy.

        And it should be said that most 'small' farmers in the US are millionaire scions and shouldn't need subsidies to make a profit in most parts of the US (we have abundant natural resources).

        More than half of all calories produced in the US are not even for human consumption. And globally enough calories to feed every human on earth are lost to inefficiency each year.

        We can all benefit from a better system of distribution and production without getting lost in the magical thinking of a public/private false dichotomy.

        1. panick21_ · · focus · HN ↗
          Subsidies account for a very small % of either production or consumption of food.

          Not sure why you are making an argument about food subsidizes to me, I have not argued in favor of them.

          > More than half of all calories produced in the US are not even for human consumption.

          Most of those go threw animals and are then consumed by humans. There is a lost factor there but saying its not for human consumption misses the point I would say. For Chicken, Pork and fish the lost factor is pretty small.

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