Stop Me Before I Vote Again

In local news... the famed three-headed dog, formerly set to guard the entrance to Hades and now in the private equity business, just got the OK to buy the Boston archdiosece hospital "chain" Caritas.

And it's not just the pope that's cashing in chips here; lots of public hospitals are on the auction block too. In the words of our reliable chronicle the WSJ: "Many governments are selling or forging partnerships with for-profit entities to offload their public hospitals". Counting all sales, public, sacred, profane but private: "53 hospitals, totaling $3.1 billion".

Should honest altruistic hearts fibrillate over this revoltin' development? I say no. As far as I'm concerned, bring on the for-profit wrecking crews.

And why? Because there's real investing to do here in new technology? No: because Soviet enterprise methods have led to absurd cost sumping. Hospitals need to be destroyed to save our childrens' childrens' childrens' health and welfare.

I know, I know, we SMBIVA types are supposed to figure the gouger profiteering corporate maxi/min boys will reduce quality, reduce wages, and raise prices anyway. Maybe so.

But they sure as hell will knock the Holy Joe act out of the operating room and the convalescent ward once and for all. Hospitals like colleges need to shed their fraudulent sheep's clothing. Non-profit? My ass! Doing well by doing good has turned health care into rampant petty all-against-all sharking worthy of Volpone, and openly going Wolf, Incorporated opens the door to socialization and a national health system.

Okay, okay, so that's only the first of N doors we gotta open to get to a comprehensive national publically owned and operated health system. But you gotta trust in Clio here. The gal knows how to use these corporate octopi to do Her dirty work for her.

Cool off, it isn't the SS taking over here. Maybe you don't need a Himmler after all, for every single world-historical purpose? Maybe just Hacksaw Duggan in a Savile Row suit, two-by-four in hand, a taste of Old Testament house cleaning... an updated Hebrew judge.