No Runny Eggs

I missed where Jeff Wagner (who needs to go through the 12-step lawyer-recovery program again) got this story, but I knew Allahpundit would come through as he always does. Sky News relays the story of one John Brandrick from Newquay, Cornwall, England. Two years ago, Royal Cornwall Hospital in Treliske diagnosed him with terminal pancreatic cancer with a 6- to 12-month life expectancy. So, he did what any self-worshiping moron would do in that situation; he quit his job, stopped paying his rent, and spent all his money.

Needless to say, they screwed up the diagnosis, and eventually determined (after he survived past a year) non-fatal pancreatitis. Now, like any good lieberal, he wants his many Pounds of flesh (side note; God bless the Brits for not signing onto the Euro). The money quote – “But if you haven’t got any money – it was my fault, I spent it all – they should pay something back.”

Unlike Jeff (and like Charlie’s producer, Joe Scialfa), I have absolutely, positively no sympathy for this idiot. Take a look at the money quote. Mr. Brandrick admitted that his current financial condition is all his fault. If I were a judge, I would read that part of the quote back to him as I dismissed the suit. It definitely is true that a fool and his money are soon parted.

That having been said, this illustrates a pair of big problems with socialized medicine. First, where would Mr. Brandrick have gone for a second (or third, or fourth) opinion, like any self-respecting American would? Another gubmint-run hospital, staffed with gubmint-employed doctors that would have made the same 3rd-rate “diagnosis”. Second, just how did they make that diagnosis? Geez, you would think they would have been bright enough to perform a biopsy after finding the tumor, but I’ll bet that step was taken out in the interests of gubmint-ordered “cost control”.