Musings from Brian J. Noggle: A Brief Refresher On Human Rights

if I could sell you my heart opperation if I dont want to use it, then it would be a commodity. but, you cannot trade and resell healthcare. so, it is a bit different than a commodity like groceries.

your slice of bread is a good example of a commodity. walk into a grocery store in a poor area, and a loaf of bread will cost less than a loaf of bread in a higher cost of living area. This is because grocery stores want to hit all markets and blend their margins while gaining market share. The rich subsidize because they can pay the cost for convenience.

# posted by

Anonymous : Sunday, October 18, 2009 7:17:00 AM

It's a commodity in the same sense as any service. Akin to housekeeping, automobile repair, and computer programming.

Your slice of bread analogy is a little flawed because you're dealing with different brands and whatnot. Are you sure about the absolute prices, though? In my experience, it's more expensive to buy things in convenience stores in urban areas--where your full service groceries are not available--than in suburban areas.

# posted by

Brian J. : Monday, October 19, 2009 8:28:00 AM

back in my college days, we did a study comparing the same brand across the same grocery store chains and the study concluded that prices are cheaper in poorer areas. so the same loaf of bread, carton of milk, or dozen of eggs were more expensive in richer areas. so, we were testing "apples to apples" with the main difference was the cost of living of the area.

convenience stores are a bit different since they have smaller amount of stock and are just that "convient." so, you pay for that convience.

on services, I agree to a point, but healthcare is somewhat different in that most people use insurance for everything. With auto repair, you generally use insurance for severe cases (crashes, etc). but maintenance is paid out of pocket.

if we could get health insurance out of preventative maintenance and only use it for emergency reasons (opperations, etc.) and somehow magically get the cost of preventative maintenace to a point where it was affordable, maybe we wouldnt be in the mess.

Also, if we werent spending so much on wars, millitary bases, etc. maybe we could afford it as well.

# posted by

Anonymous : Monday, October 19, 2009 8:52:00 AM

Amen, Brian. If healthcare was a right, we'd have to force people into medical school, and then force them to treat other people, and we'd have to dictate how much money they make, and as President Reagan pointed out, we'd even tell them where they have to live so that everybody in the country would have access to doctors. This is freedom?? I agree that we can improve our healthcare system, but calling healthcare a human right is ignorant and selfish.

"My right to swing my arm ends at your face."

# posted by

Anonymous : Friday, October 30, 2009 10:53:00 AM