X-Message-Number: 22857
From: "Aschwin de Wolf" <>
References: <>
Subject: Re: absolute cures and the free market
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 09:24:31 -0500

> Has anyone really 
> considered the free market implications on health care as absolute cures 
> for diseases are considered? Just on supply and demand and free market 
> basis what is the incentive for a company to cure themselves out of a 
> market? 



This is not how the free market operates in real life. You should not only look 
at established companies but also *potential* companies. Even if it were true 
that existing companies would be hesitant to develop and sell "absolute cures" 
(which I doubt)  another company would step in and reap these (enormous) 
profits. 


You should be more concerned about government. The medical authorities may have 
an incentive to stop or slow down these absolute cures because it may be one of 
the last things they can ever regulate. The biggest threat to extreme life 
extension is not the free market but people who want (or even like) to control 
the lives of other people like this person:


"Marthe Kent, OSHA director of safety standards and the top regulator on the 
ergonomics rule, was quoted in a trade publication as saying, "I was born to 
regulate. I don't know why, but that's very true. So long as I'm regulating, I'm
happy." Wahington Post, August 8, 2000


About the Netherlands. This is what Wouter Bos, leader of the nation's biggest 
(socialist) political party said during the last elections:


"We shouldn't try to conquer death, disease and aging" (NRC Handelsblad, January
18, 2003)


European universal health care is so good that even most European socialist 
governments are reforming it and moving in the direction of a more 
individualized market based system to avoid complete bankruptcy.


An interesting collection of articles critical of universal health care can be 
found here:
http://www.techcentralstation.be/healthcare.html






 



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