Health System Financing and the Great MPF Robbery

It seems that York Chow has finally found the words to explain how the Hong Kong health system might be financed. A proposal of 1-3% of every person’s income, with a special burden on the young to subsidize the elderly.

This is not the only example of the productive being looted to support the unproductive. More calls are being made to “unlock” the MPF, where contributors have part of their contributions diverted into a central fund. The original plan for this system was that people would have money for their own retirement (ha ha) with the only real benefactors being the large insurance companies that could force people to buy their products. At least under the original scheme, a person would keep their contributions (minus commission). Now at least half seems to be under threat from reallocation to a central fund.

Of course the obvious solution is to make the MPF fund voluntary and then phase out social welfare altogether. That at least ensures that each person who works hard can properly keep what they have worked so hard to earn and also choose how they wish to fund their own retirement.

Finally, semi-capitalist David Webb also notes that the MPF should be abolished, with some interesting facts and figures. However the point to note is that no matter how bad the MPF gets, it will not be abolished unless the immorality of this scheme is addressed. I.e. that it takes away personal choice and the right of a person to decide for themself.

Green Ideas Lead to Higher Population Density

On today’s RTHK Backchat, greens were complaining we need even more green space in Hong Kong because of population density.

There is no logic (and no morality) in this green argument. If we have more green space, then population density will get even higher.

Concrete is good and helps build more places to live and work. With so much green space already (around 70% of Hong Kong is parkland not living and working space), we need to concrete Lantau and Lamma so as to lower population density. This way families can have bigger places to live and we can have offices larger than shoeboxes. Harbour reclamation will also help.

Of course the owners are free to add any green spaces to their concrete constructions. However we need to reject green ideas because they are harmful to human comfort. Instead Hong Kong needs to develop more not less space so people have more places to live.

Here come the Nihilists – WTO Protesters Coming to Hong Kong

The nihilists (WTO Protesters) who stand for nothing are soon coming to Hong Kong. They have a history of trashing and slashing their way to trouble as a motley crew of protestors, including the South Korean farmers.

Some protesters have asked for free or cheap accomodation for their time in Hong Kong. That request should be soundly rejected.

At the same time, those who do support free markets should be asking whether the WTO is really serving this purpose or still protecting inefficient producers such as the South Korean and French farmers. In Hong Kong we have virtually no trade barriers — maybe that is what Hong Kong can showcase here, not a motley rabble intent on trouble, just for the sake of trouble

Protecting Doctors from Nationalization

Whilst York Chow is trying to promote his health “we’ll provide the financing details later” policy, I notice in the South China Morning Post that Anthony Cheung of Synergynet advocating the nationalization of Hong Kong private doctors at a time when doctors are leaving the public system in record numbers. Who can remember the disasters of nationalizing previous industries in the U.K? This kind of talk is a gross violation of the rights of doctors and an attack on their ability to make their own decisions. Like everyone else doctors own their own lives and it is dictatorial indeed for someone to advocate state control over what a doctor can and cannot do to treat his patients. Long waiting lists and poor morale in the British National Health Service also show why it is impractical.

If we start to control the lives of doctors, who is next?

By the way, doctors too have to realize that the market works both ways. While they should have their freedoms, they should also end the ban on advertising and foreign doctors from practicing in Hong Kong. Doctors provide a wonderful service, but that does not give them special priviledge to shut out others from the market

Getting going

If you are reading this blog, why not go to our main website www.capitalist-solutions.com I have added stories about Disney’s shameful capitulation to green activists, a commentary on CLP failing to stand up to Greenpeace and new links to articles on the motivations and ways to deal with the terrorists that are motivated by fundamentalist Islamic ideas.

I have also published letters that I have sent to the SCMP about DDT and will add another letter shortly.

First posting

This is the first posting for the new Capitalist Solutions blog site. We will use this site to post commentary on local issues in Hong Kong as well as international issues of interest, particularly when they have a philosophical or free market impact on our culture. I will also post some personal observations too.

Obviously there will be some teething problems with this blog as we get started, but that is probably normal.