Once upon a time there were people in the land who had a two-headed leader called "Billary". Billary decided to destroy the medical care system of the nation they controled. But alas. There were too many wise people and their ideas went down in flaming defeat.
So they regrouped and did what they could. They looked at a small portion that they could destroy by fiat.
For many years, ordinary people went to their doctor or clinic and paid for a Flu shot. If they wanted a flu shot.
Billary said, "Look. If we can't destroy the entire system, what about just destroying the 'Flu Shot' portion?". It was good. The "Matthews" wrote nice speeches. Billary reasoned to the nation.... "Looky here, nation. You are being gouged! These evil drug corporations are ripping you off. Big time. They are selling you flu shots for fifteen, twenty... even fifty dollars. That just ain't right. Hell, they make the stuff for dollars per shot. They are just evil. How about we have the government buy all the stuff for the entire nation? We can then pass it on to you for "fixed cost" rates that are really, really cheap."
"It's Free! It's Free!" always works with lazy people.
The nation bought this idea.
Billary sent off letters to the seven major providers saying, "Ok, you crooks! We will only pay this amount per dose. If you want to participate, fill out the enclosed twenty two thousand page application, complete all of the sixty thousand requirements. Then you are in like flint."
The big bad CEO's met with their best and brightest.
"What do we do, boss?", asked the chief lawyer for company number one.
"I don't know, but I'll bet you a dollar we are out of the Flu shot business." the big boss said. And he was right. Within a year that company was happily and profitably making childrens safety devices and eco-friendly toys.
The second company offered itself to the German company Bayer and began to make fertilizer. Very good, high quality fertilizer.
The third company hired a grad student at San Jose State to write several news releases, got a doctor to sign off on a "study" saying that by joining several serum's for childhood immunity innoculations we are killing kids. They then went from selling the single dose that innoculated against five diseases for 6 bucks a pop -- to selling the same thing in five doses at twelve bucks a pop. There was no reason to take a beating, selling to the government at less than cost. So they no longer made Flu shot stuff.
The forth company moved to Canada. The requirements were easier to meet there.
The fifth company moved to Great Britain. Same thing.
The sixth company continued to make and sell at below cost. For a few years. They went bust and lost a billion dollars for their investors. Oh well. What would one expect of a CEO with degrees from Harvard?
The last company had the following meeting:
CEO -- "Ok. We are out of the Flu shot business. Yardly! How is that new stuff you are making ... what is it? doing?"
Yardley -- "It's for treating kidney disfunction, boss. And it ain't lookin' good. We got problems."
CEO -- "What kind of problems?"
Yardley -- "Well BIG problems. Pun intended. This stuff gives men a great big swollen erection every time we dose him up. And the women become too randy to even talk cleanly. -- Total disaster boss. It works ok. Increased the function of the kidnew no end. But the damned erections are a killer. No way to stop them. Sorry."
CEO -- "Hmmmm. Ok. Yardley. Here is what I want you do do. Order up a thousand gallons of blue food coloring. make a big batch of pills. I'll get marketing started on drawing guys with horns..." etc.
The rest is history.
So here we are a decade into "Socialized Flu Shots".
Billary, the two headed leader, gets it's shots in France.
Everyone else stands in lines for a "ticket" that will allow them to get in on a drawing for a flu shot.
The lines look amazingly like the bread lines in Moscow in 1988.
Nobody in the US makes Flu serum. Why should they? No profit in it.
Economy. I hope this has been a helpful review of why we should let government "reduce costs" in all aspects of our existence. They do it soooo well.
Snark.
Aw! Some say. "But Billary failed to provide a good state owned facility to produce the serum! That would have been the way to do it. They put their trust in CAPITALIST F*&^$%#ING PIGS!~*)#
Right. They should have formed "The Peoples Bureau Of Flu". They could have had seven thousand 'flu police', making sure there was not any 'black market' competition. The Head of the PeepBuFlu could have appointed his nephew "earnie" -- or "Dead Earnest" as he is better known -- as the head of the criminal investigation team.
The big boss himself could have used the police to kill the idealists who want to actually do good. Then he could set up a 'niece' or two in a couple of nice Dachas. Seattle is beautiful. Or Frisco? Sure. Friendly natives too. Very little questioning and no prying eyes. Convenient to airports. To fly in the mob for making deals to sell serum and err.... you know. The other stuff.