"First, a civilized society compensates for the human propensity to screw up. That’s why we have single-payer firefighters and police officers. That’s why we require seat belts. When someone who has been speeding gets in a car accident, the 911 operator doesn’t sneer: 'You were irresponsible, so figure out your own way to the hospital' — and hang up."
Read the full story at "Scott's Story and the Elections", Nicholas Kristof, New York Times, 2012-10-17.
Showing posts with label personal responsibility. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal responsibility. Show all posts
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Personal responsibility is a two-edged sword
"Personal responsibility" is a mantra coming from the Republican and Independence parties.
Personal responsibility is something most of you reading this generally live by. You pay your bills on time, you keep your yard tidy, you eat healthy foods, you avoid doing things that annoy other people, etc., etc.
But political calls for personal responsibility often have another message than just being a good citizen.
One is that we should take personal responsibility for our own health care and not rely on some government program. Never mind that many who have good health insurance have it through an employer program; doesn't sound very personal to me. Never mind that for those who don't have access to employer insurance generally don't have enough money to buy equivalent health insurance and generally don't have enough money to even pay for one night's stay in a hospital. How many people earning $20,000 per year or less have $2,000 in savings? (It could be even more than $2,000 given how various hospital charges add up.)
A second is that we should take personal responsibility for our own education, especially advanced education. I doubt if all but a few have done that. If we don't have rich parents, we often cobble together part-time work, scholarships, grants, and loans.
Depending on personal responsibility for health care, education, and much else reduces the common good. If we have people getting and keeping "old economy" jobs just for health insurance, we won't have as many people working on creating a "new economy". See "Forget jobs, create opportunities". If we limit advanced education to only those with great economic resources or willing to go deep into debt, we will have fewer people getting an advanced education. One of the justifications for high doctor's fees is that they need the money to pay off their medical school debts.
Hm! Higher medical costs make it harder for many people to pay for health care. Sick and poor people can't get advanced educations. Fewer people getting advanced educations means few doctors. Fewer doctors mean higher health care costs. Higher health care costs mean...
"No man is an island, entire of itself." John Donne, http://www.poetry-online.org/donne_for_whom_the_bell_tolls.htm
Personal responsibility is something most of you reading this generally live by. You pay your bills on time, you keep your yard tidy, you eat healthy foods, you avoid doing things that annoy other people, etc., etc.
But political calls for personal responsibility often have another message than just being a good citizen.
One is that we should take personal responsibility for our own health care and not rely on some government program. Never mind that many who have good health insurance have it through an employer program; doesn't sound very personal to me. Never mind that for those who don't have access to employer insurance generally don't have enough money to buy equivalent health insurance and generally don't have enough money to even pay for one night's stay in a hospital. How many people earning $20,000 per year or less have $2,000 in savings? (It could be even more than $2,000 given how various hospital charges add up.)
A second is that we should take personal responsibility for our own education, especially advanced education. I doubt if all but a few have done that. If we don't have rich parents, we often cobble together part-time work, scholarships, grants, and loans.
Depending on personal responsibility for health care, education, and much else reduces the common good. If we have people getting and keeping "old economy" jobs just for health insurance, we won't have as many people working on creating a "new economy". See "Forget jobs, create opportunities". If we limit advanced education to only those with great economic resources or willing to go deep into debt, we will have fewer people getting an advanced education. One of the justifications for high doctor's fees is that they need the money to pay off their medical school debts.
Hm! Higher medical costs make it harder for many people to pay for health care. Sick and poor people can't get advanced educations. Fewer people getting advanced educations means few doctors. Fewer doctors mean higher health care costs. Higher health care costs mean...
"No man is an island, entire of itself." John Donne, http://www.poetry-online.org/donne_for_whom_the_bell_tolls.htm
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