Posted by alexandra_k on January 2, 2015, at 16:02:51
In reply to Re: psychiatry is an ougrowth of society, posted by alexandra_k on January 2, 2015, at 15:33:19
It is a bit hard, though. The conflict between persons and populations.
Seems to me that my being immunised is something bad that happens to me and I'd really rather not have it happen. I mean, the site is a bit owie and it might get infected and so on... It isn't in my interests for me to be immunised... But seems to me that y'll being immunised is something good that happens for me insofar as it makes it significantly less likely that I'll catch a nasty disease from y'all.
So... Uh...
Poor people should be immunised in the interests of public health...
Whereas rich people should be allowed to free-ride / take advantage of the benefits of public health policies while bearing none of the costs of immunisation by being allowed to opt out?
That doesn't seem fair...
I guess... The socialist idea was... This idea of there being some minimum standard of living / quality of healthcare that all people are entitled to solely in virtue of being people. Or citizens... And / or visitors from Australia. Or something...
It didn't say anything about rich people not being allowed to have better care (for them, anyway).
____
I keep coming back to Plato... The tripartite theory of the human soul... The tripartite theory of government.
The way we did it in law... There was the government, the judiciary, the puplic / populace (who democratically elects the government).
This idea of balance of power...
Of each part pursuing it's own (narrowly conceived) self(defining)-interest... Of the checks and balances coming from one part critiquing other parts...
Doctors are supposed to work for patients interests.
Public health people / managers are supposed to work for populations.
Without the public health / manager balance the cost of health care would be exhorbatent, the health system inefficient, the public interest would be worse off...
Politicians... Are about placating the masses?For someone who says so much... I don't know what to say...
poster:alexandra_k
thread:1074584
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20141123/msgs/1074734.html