What about government enforced laws against rape and murder?
The statement is too black and white. What the government does should be deeply examined with inherent distrust, because humans are corrupt scumbags that deserve fiery ruin, but reflexively considering all government works to "suck" is way too general. We are the government, we make it work for us.
I hate the fact we seem to need a hierachical top-dog bullshit superstructure encompassing everything and I do what I can to subvert, I enjoy deviance yes! But be pragmatic, its a fact and we have to live with it. Force it to not suck through imposing your will on it, in the minor but additive way we all can.
Even the medicare is not great..family in it...i know what im talking about. You have not a lot of choices. Universal means no choice. Socialism makes things equal by making it shittier for everyone. No thanks.
The US must be different to Aus. Public healthcare here is pretty good really. There are almost intractable problems, with shortages of beds and staff and waiting times and these seem to be getting worse under our shitty right-wing conservative pussy government, but I've experienced it. Before I had money to pay for private health isurance, I sliced my hand open in a drunken rage (accidentally stabbing a table and my hand slipped down the blade, severing tendons/nerves/even skin). I went to a public hospital, got given inhalants and morphine (cheers), was examined and operated on (given more great drugs!) entailing microsurgery, tendon attachment, nerve realignment within 12 hours. I stayed in a room with one other guy, was fed oxycodone and left after being issued 12 free rehabilitation sessions with a great hand therapist. It was my right hand and it now works at 90% deathgrip. All I had to pay for was the ambulance ride of 5 minutes to the emergency department which cost $750 dollars

I now pay about $90 a year for ambulance cover, eliminating that ass-raping in the future.
All this is paid for by everyone in a pretty small levy paid yearly at tax time. Its affordable IMO. You just don't have a choice, and I can see how that would bug people but I consider it a decent and very small sacrifice for the greater good.
And I do have choices now. I choose to pay for private health insurance, though it is subsidised by my government funded workplace, and can seek varius medical treatments from multiple providers. And its not all that expensive and really not much better service in comparison to the public system.
I think you've experienced a really bad manifestation of universal health care. The socialist ideals that set it in motion in Australia have been executed well and largely succeeded
because of a governemtn that the people chose imposing it upon us and no party has really tried to repeal it with serious intent ever since. It can certainly work and not represent a huge personal burden.
Reform the costs and provide a good economy so people can buy insurance...if they wish.
Or change your culture. Or the world in other words.
Or come to Australia?
I hope you don't think I'm busting your balls even though I kind of am. I just don't get the often touted US opposition to healthcare, as if its the beginning of tyranny and forced morning aerobics. Its not, its something
good.