In his article "Greedy or Ignorant", Walter Williams warns against looking to other health-care systems, specifically that of Canada, to reform American health-care. He uses Aesop's fable "The Dog and His Bone" to illustrate that the health-care system in Canada may only appear to be better because it is being judged from an American perspective. Williams bases his argument on "myths" about the United States system and on assumptions of what a single-payer health-care system has done for Canadians. He concludes that repealing government restrictions and moving towards a more capitalistic model of health-care is a better solution than looking to Canada. Williams' argument is weak and presents many faulty conclusions in terms of social and economic repercussions.
Williams begins his stance by looking at our current system and attempting to quell the argument that uninsured Americans do not receive health care. This is a major component of the health-care reform movement and an issue that is solved by the Canadian system where all citizens have access to care. Williams states that even uninsured Americans can receive care, and often receive that care for free. Similarly, he turns to the "myth" that prescription drugs increase dollars spent on health-care. He notes that a small percentage of an individual's income is spent on drugs and that preventative drugs reduce long-term care expenses.
Williams also addresses the "myth" that the problems the U.S. health-care system faces come from that system being a free-market. He expresses his disdain for government involvement in regulating health-care and the cost that it has added to the system, longing to be more of a free-market system.
Finally, Williams gives ...