Our paternalistic collectivist media is so boring - health care example

Greg Scandlen

"On Sunday the Swiss people voted overwhelmingly to reject a Single Payer system. But there has been not a word about it in the American press, other than a single paragraph in (a) trade publication...

"The vote was on whether to replace Switzerland's current system of mandatory health insurance coverage provided by 87 private health plans with a single payer system based on income-related premiums. It was rejected by 71% of the voters.

"If the vote had gone the other way - if the Swiss had embraced Single Payer - it would have been front page news in every newspaper in the United States, it would have been a lead story in every broadcast. Reporters would have booked flights to Geneva to interview citizens and political leaders.

"This provides a sobering example of why public policy goes so wrong in the United States. The public is informed of only one side of the story. Reporters and editors are biased in favor of government intervention and against free markets. They are part of a privileged elite who think consumers are incapable of making sound decisions and intelligent choices.

"But the people of Switzerland made the same choice as the American people make every time they have had an opportunity. Voters in Oregon rejected Single Payer by a vote of 79% to 21% in 2002. People do not want to be herded into a government-run cattle car. We want and demand freedom of choice in health care as in every other aspect of our lives."

see http://www.chcchoices.org

TOLLROADSnews 2007-03-15