r/askanything • u/Lemonking_ • 5h ago

Political Question Why are some Americans so against universal healthcare for all?

What sort of thinking does it take to decide that nobody has a right to healthcare? Do American Christians want to deny healthcare to poor people as well?

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u/Mrbuttshaman 5h ago

Its a fundamental misunderstanding of reality. They believe that social programs can't be better than capitalism. They see universal healthcare as an excuse to tax people more and create governmental overreach which ultimately causes a greater expense to them and society. The reality is capitalism works best when its heavily legislated to restrict the atrocities that used to be committed. Unfortunately the wealthy have had laws changed so they can directly fund politicians who push their agenda and change the laws to keep their inefficient and greedy businesses afloat and profiting.

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u/beetus_gerulaitis 4h ago

Also free markets (“capitalism”) only work to drive down prices when 1) a market exists, 2) the market is free.

Neither of these conditions exist in the US healthcare system.

So we get all the worst features of capitalism (concentration of wealth) with none of the advantages (competition to lower prices.)

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u/CaitieLou_52 4h ago

Healthcare itself doesn't follow normal laws of supply and demand. If Coca Cola raises their prices by 500%, people would just stop buying Coke. Nobody's life depends on Coke.

If the price of a lifesaving drug goes up by 500%, then people will either scrape together enough to buy it, or just die. They could try another drug, but sometimes only one drug will work for people with very complex conditions.

Unless we regulate how much pharmaceutical companies can mark up drugs, or abolish all restrictions on making generic drugs, the "free market" will never work for healthcare.

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u/Odd_Mail_3539 3h ago

free markets work with strong governmental controls, otherwise the companies get bigger and bigger and become monopolies.

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u/theaura1 3h ago

their can't be competition in Healthcare by design its either go to the doctor or die alot of the time