You're not afraid of making some pretty big claims yourself. Wikipedia[1] supports my claim that while the situation might not be perfect it works quite well an

You're not afraid of making some pretty big claims yourself. Wikipedia[1] supports my claim that while the situation might not be perfect it works quite well and that's the most important thing. Compared to other countries, the US in particular, the NZ healthcare system delivers good results. Which in my view makes it excellent. Then what about the negative aspects you mention. Well, in the Netherlands we have a similar system and to be honest I don't care about all the whining you mention. Sure, people complain and things probably can be better. There is always room for improvement. Unfortunately people will complain about healthcare if they stub their toe. Fuck 'em, you can't stop these people from complaining and policy should not accommodate their every whim. Can you support your claim that bad things happen and go unpunished > when a society decides to sever the act of consumption from the actual purchase of a service. I'm not feeling them, my family is not feeling them and my MD friends are happy with their jobs. And don't forget: the private sector is still an option so there is a choice. [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_New_Zealand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_New_Zealand