Friday, August 14, 2009

We love the huge government bureacracy

'The welovetheNHS tag has received tens of thousands of messages of support during the past few days from NHS staff and former patients after it was branded "Orwellian" and "evil" by Republican critics of Mr Obama's health reforms.
The prime minister took the unusual step of adding his voice to the campaign in a message posted from Downing Street's Twitter feed, in which he said "thanks for always being there". His wife Sarah, also sent a message of support to the campaign.'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8200817.stm

Do you get the impression this frothing may not have to do with the actual provision of health care? Would someone ever start a welovetheR&C (revenue and customs department)? Why would you be in love with a government bureaucracy? Or indeed a commercial organisation? People you can love, pets you can love but a government department?

But of course, its not really about giving people the best health care. If it were, the NHS would have long ago been privatised. You only have to compare the NHS to British Telecom to know why. British Telecom used to be a byword for inefficiency, grotesque over-manning, union idiocy and a complete incapacity to innovate. Then Margaret Thatcher privatised it. Now its a world-beating company in a very dynamic telecoms market. Of course, Labour and the commies don't want the NHS to follow this pattern.

Its very difficult to stop people from making invidious comparisons like this. So Gordon Brown doesn't bother to try. Instead, change the subject. Pretend that the NHS is a much-loved British institution, part of the wonderful fabric of our lives, there for us during all our important life events. John Major famously opined that England to him was cricket, warm beer and nuns cycling to evensong in the gloaming. Add to that 'going to A&E to have my stomach pumped', and Gordon Brown would be happy.

Britain, unlike the rest of Europe, is heading further and further left. The populace at large may well suck up this bilge with pleasure. How incredibly sad.

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