Everywhere else in the world: Hugo, Ivan, and Lucas can’t afford to build a hospital, hire doctors and buy ambulances individually. Therefore, they come together to find a solution. They decide that if they pool their resources and elect an expert committee to govern and operate their hospital and doctors, they can afford to build the best universal healthcare system in the world. So they go ahead, and now Hugo, Ivan, and Lucas have an excellent healthcare system they can rely on – healthcare they could never provide individually.

In the United States of America, Tom, Dick, and Harry want the best healthcare in the world – just like their best country. So, Tom proposes they pool their resources together and build the best healthcare system in the world. But Dick has a problem with that. Dick wants to know why he should contribute to something he might never use. Dick wants to be one and won’t contribute as he thinks everyone needs to pay their way.

Harry is a wealthy fellow, so he proposes that he build a hospital, hire doctors and buy ambulances and then he will charge Tom and Dick a fee when they need to use his services. Tom and Dick are pleased about this as they now don’t need to make any small, regular contributions to healthcare that others might use. Instead, they buy things like tanks and guns.

Then one day, when Dick is riding on top of his tank and shooting his gun, he accidentally shoots himself in the foot. Dick is now in need of immediate medical attention. Dick is unconcerned as he calls Harry’s ambulance to take him to Harry’s hospital to be treated by Harry’s doctors. When Dick arrives, Harry quickly asks Dick for his credit card, as Harry wants to make sure Dick can afford to pay him before Harry gives Dick any treatment.

Harry has a monopoly on healthcare. He can charge Dick whatever he likes. So, Harry bills Dick an exorbitant fee as no one will keep him accountable anyway.

Because the hospital cost was so high, Dick had to sell his tanks and guns to pay Harry. Now Dick has no more tanks or guns left to sell for the next time he needs healthcare. Dick is OK with that because he thinks he lives in the best country in the world, and that is all that matters.

June 5, 2017