Medicare and Social Security are social democratic programs. They work fine. I would argue that a lot of programs fail because they don’t go far enough. The Republicans do everything to sabotage publicly run program, so that when it fails, they can say “See government doesn’t work!” which validates what they already believe.
Social democracy works in most developed countries. Canada has single payer. So does the UK. Germany’s system is multipayer but about 80 percent is public and it has tuition-free college. Germany is one of the most vibrant economies in the world.
You know what doesn’t work, Peter? The system we have now. 70,000 people die each year because they are uninsured or underinsured. People are dying and losing limbs from rationing insulin. Some are flying all the way to Mexico to buy it.
In Seattle we have large numbers of mentally ill people wandering the street. You don’t see that in England or Canada.
One attacked me last week and I had to go to the ER. My bill was $3,000 which I have to pay in its entirety because my deductible is $5,000.
Not socialism doesn’t work, so maybe we should try socialism?
