2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Breaking: Krugman endorses Single Payer and Medicare for All!!! [View all]Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Last edited Sun Jan 24, 2016, 09:41 PM - Edit history (1)
for over 20 years now, and has been popping up for 80 years. Why do you think we don't have single payer? Go read what's been written on this, Cui. We WILL have single payer before you catch up to 01/24/2016.
Okay! I came back to suggest starting with learning about "belief in a just world" and conservative, morality, personality. You can't understand why we don't have single payer until you understand conservative morality and personality.
BIJW arises from inborn conservative personality traits that are also institutionalized in conservative Christian doctrine and can't just be reasoned away.
Basically, those who believe in a just world believe that people tend to get what they deserve and deserve what they get. It's a natural sorting out process, where people's own behaviors lead them to be among the deserving or among the undeserving. This feedback on behavior is seen as critical to the formation of a healthy and moral society.
(One notable personality characteristic of conservatives is their comparatively dark view of human nature - as in, people will behave badly if not required by outside forces to behave well.)
Since it negates the factor of personal deservedness, single payer (and Obamacare for that matter) is seen as a giant, government hand-out that will discourage people from helping themselves and eventually degrade and ruin the nation. By definition, the "deserving" don't need government programs like this and would only be corrupted by them (allowed to strive less) if available.
Enjoy.