The Daily Dose/May 24, 2025
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
THIS WON’T HURT A BIT: Recently, we noted the American health care system is such a fiasco for most people, the only solutions are for the government to completely take the system over or remove all barriers doctors and health insurers currently have to the free market.
Leading Off: The first option is known as a single-payer system and would involve the government paying for every American’s health care, either by providing it themself or paying someone else to deliver it.
Running The Numbers: Right now, Medicare has over 69 million enrollees, and there are over 85 million people involved in state Medicaid programs, a figure that includes a program for children known as CHIP. Throw in 9 million or so veterans getting care from the VA, and that is roughly 163 million Americans – a bit less than half our population – whose medical care is either paid for or provided by the government. That is an awful lot for a free-market economy.
Gaylon For US Senate, Vote Early, Vote Often: We haven’t carried the Libertarian Party banner into races for the US Senate and House because we favor the government taking things over. Under a single-payer system, these two things will happen: 1) we will consume more health care because we don’t have to pay for it, and 2) because of this, the government will be obliged to decide what we do and do not need and medical will be rationed. It would cost, too, with a conservative estimate at $3.2 trillion a year. Taxes would have to be raised and we’re taxed enough.
The Bottom Line: What American health care needs right now is competition: doctors and health insurers competing for our business. This isn’t happening right now, as neither doctors nor insurers have a financial interest in pleasing their customers. Consumers will have a reason to control costs, and there will be multiple doctors competing for your business. When this happens, the free market dictates competitive pricing and innovation.
The Bottom Line II: It is time for doctors to be returned to the free market.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow starts out busy at the hospital. Today’s Diary.
…good gravy, the ER is hopping: there had been a head-on collision and a deputy was trying – without apparent success – to get some information, and two babies were crying who sounded like they were being poked with sticks.
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 1883 – The Brooklyn Bridge, connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn, opens, the first fixed crossing of the East River. It took 14 years to build, has a span of 1,595 feet, and is 276 feet high. Approximately 1,800 vehicles and 150,000 people crossed the bridge that first day and the bridge now has daily traffic of roughly 105,000 cars. The Brooklyn Bridge was the world’s first steel-wire suspension bridge and was capable of elevated train traffic until 1944 and streetcar traffic until 1950.
In 1994 – The St Louis Cardinals establish a new major league record for most runners left on base in a shutout loss in a 4-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cardinals left 16 runners on base, research into whose record they broke was inconclusive, and the record was tied in 1998 by the Seattle Mariners.. The Cardinals left the bases loaded in the fourth and the sixth innings, and left runners on base in every inning but the first.
In 1980 – Blondie is at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the sixth and final consecutive week with Call Me. The song also went to #1 in Canada and Great Britain, peaked at #2 in Billboard’s dance chart, was their #1 song of the year, and their 9th-biggest of the decade. The song was written by Debbie Harry and Giorgio Morodor.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
Dirt thrown on a Mud-wall may stick…but it will not long adhere to polish’d Marble.
Benjamin Franklin
Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.
The all-time major league record for stolen bases in a season by a team is 581 by the 1887 St Louis Browns – now the St Louis Cardinals – in the American Association. The modern major league record is 319 by the 1912 New York Giants.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
What was the original name of the Brooklyn Bridge? – Answer next time!
