Rationing

There's a lot of debate going on right now concerning government provided health-care in the United States. I haven't been paying much attention because health care, apparently, is now the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States and is a complete, unmitigated disaster - at least, according to the proponents of government provided doctoring.

This subject is one of the hot topics amongst my friends on the golf course and those of you who know me can probably guess the position I take. The other day, though, I had an interesting conversation with one of my golf competitors around rationing. He thought I was a bit insane to even entertain the idea that the government would ever resort to rationing of health care resources. Never mind the simpleton argument I gave him that increasing demand (patients) without increasing supply (doctors) would necessitate some form of rationing. He furiously demanded an example of something the government already rations.

"The roads", I said.
"The roads?"
"Yep, the roads."
"Now you've completely lost it you right-wing fanatic", he responded. "I can drive anywhere I want whenever I want."

I then told him about ramp metering. I told him that he had experienced ramp metering and never even considered that it was a form of rationing imposed on him by the government. I had driven with him many a time when he encountered those ramp meter lights and I repeated back to him what I had heard him say almost everytime he saw a ramp meter light:

"Why do I have to wait for these f*(&ing lights to turn f*(&ing green so I can get on the f*(&ing freeway that I already f*(&ing paid for?"

Apparently he no longer wanted to discuss universal health care because he changed the subject to how hot it was that day. I told him he was probably feverish and should go see a doctor.