RE: success of socialism?!?

[Jeremy Kidd <jeremy.kidd@mail.house.gov>]

   I would like to quickly respond to a few points made by Ms. Furia, in her
defense of socialized medicine and other universal social programs.  Those of us
who question the validity of such programs are not all from wealthy families, who
have never had to make the 'tough choices' that Ms. Furia refers to.  Many, such
as my family, had a stay-at-home Mother, even though my Father was supporting
a family of 8 on less than $25,000 a year.  Some of us simply refuse to accept
that some distant government knows better how to take care of me and my family 
than I do.  I have had to work for everything in this life, and while I realize
that fate deals different hands for different people, I believe that government
taking care of individuals should be the exception, rather than the rule.
   As for how I measure success in a health care system, I judge it by both
overall outcomes, as well as the results of a few.  In Brazil, which has a
universal health care system, universal health care has reduced quality to 
a level that would be comical, if it were not so tragic.  Supporters of 
universal health care have obviously never seen the multitude of health defects,
mutilated children, and other 'successes' of universal health care.  If they
had, I do not believe that they would champion the idea of socialized medicine.
I did not see the 'humanity' of Brazil's socialized medicine in the faces of
the hundreds of individuals waiting to see one doctor in a squallid 'hospital'
in Sao Paulo.  Universal programs do not enhance humanity, they steal it, from
those they proport to help.
   Again, though, I respect Ms. Furia's views, and thank her for a lively debate.