Sunday, March 4, 2007

Walter Reed Hospital

I hate to keep talking about it...check that...I love to keep talking about it, but does anyone really think that the Uncle Sam knows how to run a successful hospital? Does anyone really think that the US Government would do as good a job providing health care as a private hospital would? I doubt it.

In case you don't know what is happening...Walter Reed Hospital has been under heavy criticism for unsavory conditions. Conditions like rats and mold and other lovely things like that. Walter Reed is a hospital for injured soldiers and it is federally run.

As you know, I am of the opinion that anything the government can do, private enterprise can do better. (on a side note...I don't actually believe that. For example, I don't think private enterprise should raise an army...but the basic premise is true I suppose) Doing activities like running a non-filthy hospital probably isn't that hard actually...it just depends on your incentives. My guess is that the incentives that are available for the Walter Reed staff aren't very good...this the decrepit conditions.

Luckily our Congress is up in arms about this demanding that something be done. I'm sure people will be replace and then replaced by other government employees who have the same incentives. Not much will change in the long run.

I'm jaded though...maybe I'm not the person to listen to on governmental issues. I just generally assume that any central government will mess it up, whatever it happens to be.

The furor over the hospital will die down and Congress will move on to some other non-important topic to fight over. Like their involvement in Major League Baseball's steroid "controversy". That is a great example of Congress doing the right thing. Heck, even France doesn't get involved in the Tour de France's doping scandals...AND THAT'S FRANCE!!!

eh...I just get cranky when I read about stuff like this. Our brave soldiers suffer because some politician wants to keep his job instead of finding out the best possible way to provide care for the solders.

This is why I am jaded.

Labels: Economics, Government, Privatization, Walter Reed

Posted by Adam Wilson :: 11:27 PM :: 0 comments

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