Things have changed since the publication of the most famous works of Hayek, L a road to serfdom . Even if today the government and its hordes of regulations have returned to the front of the stage (had they actually left) and are, it would appear from many intellectuals, our only way of salvation, liberalization remains a topic, a possible optical, prowling around for the station and the Post, and perhaps even those of EDF and GDF to his sister. This is more an idea as unthinkable in the 80s (even the Gaullists would have dared to touch them), she often returns to the table in short it is an idea in the air.
But now, one area remains the preserve of all species of planners and socialist bureaucrats known so far on earth to believe that knowing that other areas will eventually escape their they cling to it with all the energy of despair. It is their sacred stronghold, their inviolable temple, their sacred garden: it is the sacrosanct health!
is even the case of very liberal albion (apparently). " Cut the deficit, not the NHS " was one of the cries of war campaign Cameron can reshape the whole earth except health, which is also completely nationalized. The U.S. is now affected by the same virus.
And obviously it's the same in France. But what is incredible is that the evolution of health care and French follows step by step, almost identical, the steps outlined in The Road to Serfdom. It looks like to play again before our eyes the same room, except that the actors and roles have changed.
look at some of these disturbing similarities between the work of Hayek and the reality of today:
The terrain is the same
Indeed, surprisingly, in France, health, or rather the production of medical care is a very complex mixture of private and public services and liberal state services or public (social security is special is public but not entirely of State) all in an atmosphere prégnant corporatism. And this situation of diversity that is the cause of its instability, manifested by higher costs or revenues, or by defects in the production of the service. It is this instability that forces political actors to find a solution.
But the diagnosis is wrong
For the vast majority of those who have studied the case, the problem lies either in the hand or in a liberal regulatory inadequate, when in fact whatever its form is its state-owned or controlled by that is causing the problem (for example a monopoly on health insurance).
Freedom and hence free trade in the proposed solution, are absent
As in The Road to Serfdom freedom is completely obscured as a solution to problems, for freedom I am referring to the original definition of the term, be free aggression, which includes the freedom of trade or free trade. Thus it is improper to associate with the concept of health is taboo, profit and health care do not go together, that's unthinkable, the market has nothing to do with medical care and treat n ' is not trade. Freedom in this area is an old outdated concept of the 19th century. When we speak of freedom, that it will not get sick, with his immediate corollary: The Right to Health. They simply forgot that the engine of prosperity is freedom, I mean the real one.
is the plan premium
There is salvation in the plan, we must organize, regulate, administer health improvement; error analysis is epistemological in nature, market mechanisms are unknown. This love of the plan, we do not even hide it: it proclaims loudly in election campaigns, plans multiply and succeed, is the plan of struggle against depression, the control plan against Alzheimer's disease, the plan against cancer etc ... We also reached the climax with the creation of Regional Health (ARS) which will be introduced to the Five Year Plans health (yes, really). Stalinization not hide even more, she proudly displayed. Freedom of speech has definitely disappeared.
And everyone has their own plan
And as in The Road to Serfdom, each proposed plan covers the interests of a particular sector. There is the plan of health professionals, health insurance, state, patients' associations, laboratories, etc ... Each mutual defends his plan to name the general interest (sometimes with sincerity) when in fact it represents the interests of the group. And privileges of each is doing at the expense of others, there is an institutionalized war manifested in the form of strikes and rounds (this singular reference to boxing) social negotiations to reach an agreement. This is the famous chaotic interventionism as decried by Hayek when society is between the true communism and laissez-faire.
But nothing is solved
And as the benefits of each are at the expense of others, the problem is simply moved. He returns with more force and requires further action.
Bureaucratization intensifies
Since you can not imagine freedom as a solution, it falls back again on new plans and new regulations that pile up over time. There is an increasing bureaucratization of the system that all complex procedures, general practitioners are overwhelmed by the growing burden of paperwork and medical services must do more reporting on their activity (sometimes up to spawn record 50 pages on how to clean the toilet (true!). Eventually the system loses efficiency and still the problem is worsening.
lobbying and industrial action take precedence over the production service
time and means to win favors or to preserve Privileges are provided time and resources spent less to produce the service.
The absurdities of the system become legions
Since man is not omniscient, the profusion of legislation creates absurdities rather surprising. Example: we banned the production of Diantalvic (perhaps under pressure from rival pharmaceutical boxes) as dangerous (it seems) and ineffective (as many other substances for sale) but it still allows doctors to prescribe and pharmacists to sell their stock for a year (it is if not so dangerous)! Imagine that you have authorized to sell the stocks of tainted blood. Cons by aspirin over the counter, ie without a prescription, whereas if it so familiar drug had been developed today would not have been eligible for placing on the market (by today's standards ) for its side effects too many.
Entrepreneurship and responsibility are dwindling ...
According to recent statistics only 10% of young doctors open a practice, the rest preferring activity or substitute employee. What good to get into business creation, basically a medical practice is managed like a business, when the legislative barriers and price controls make it difficult to create and maintain. Any new legislation has the effect of making predictions uncertain contractors; Hayek said very clearly, by wanting to plan ahead, the central authority made it difficult or impossible, the schedule that each individual develops in his corner for his own projects. Oh and we know how important enterprise for producing, whatever its nature, a service.
... and you prefer to acquire a final privileged status.
Since the gains are far from certain in professional activity and numerous pressures, young people prefer to employees (and growing old doctors), with benefits that go with, the paid leave, RTT, the maternity and paternity leave, simplified administrative procedures, without worrying about things like accounting, professional fees, payments to URSSAF that go with the management of any firm.
Some even claim that the craft GP is State run, the image of National Education. Firms would be well to state (no need to personally check if there are still toilet paper in the toilet) with a fixed salary schedules, breakdowns in the territory etc. .. etc. .. And if there is odd, it is more his fault but that of the head of the existing regulations, lack of means.
efforts move either, as mentioned earlier, to improve the service but to acquire a favorable status at the expense of consumers as always (yes we consume health benefits).
positions and jobs become too planned
In the famous warning influenza H1N1 is present at a Soviet revival with impressive cooks endless before vaccination centers and a vibrant organization for its absurdities. Specialists such as dermatologists or surgeons, were requisitioned for the vaccine in place to ensure their core business. Classic mistake of a hyper-regulation which leads to inefficient resource allocation.
Coercion shows the tip of his nose
Since nobody seems to show good will to the general interest, each new plan has not improved the situation, but rather worsens, we hesitate less to use force.
It restricts freedom of installation, practice nurses and those doctors are regularly threatened. Requisitions for general campaign multiply to such an extent that they enslave the weeks of 90 hours and provides even they are forced to ask permission to go on holiday (although he has not paid leave and are a profession, it's a little like a restaurateur had to ask permission to leave on vacation). It's a real indoctrination.
It restricts the free choice of patients and using the tools of propaganda of the state for stunning blow to prevention messages deficient in the aim of saving the new enemies of our time, tobacco, alcohol, viruses, cholesterol and osteoporosis.
However as described so Hayek, the government did not time the violence necessary to achieve his ends. He wants benevolent and conciliatory ... until voices were raised to take measures necessary for the survival of the system. One who will be expected to discipline all these people as selfish who never take into account the interests of all, and there, sure, we'll jump in with both feet into dictatorship.
Planning a portion ultimately affect the whole system
Limit and regulate medical fees are not made without consequences, a Price is always relative to another prize and always varies depending on other prices. Regulate a price will revert to another term to regulate prices. If you regulate the fees that doctors will someday return to regulate the price of materials they use (eg scalpels), so to administer the companies that produce them (companies scalpel), which each purchase other factors of production (the machines that manufacture the knives) and therefore closer and closer to the whole society will suffer the same fate.
This list is obviously far from exhaustive.
Finally, today, health is proving to be the Trojan horse of totalitarianism. Without realizing it, insidiously, with the most laudable intentions, the health and care, an area which in essence can not be evil, we risk repeating the mistakes of the past.
Hayek has constantly reminded that saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
