[myWindoonn]

I usually pick three specific markets -- food, housing, and healthcare -- and I want to double-check: You believe that we have scarcities of these things? We certainly have artificial scarcities, but those seem like they were created by humans in order to control humans.

[ben_w]

The UK has the NHS, the HNS is funded by the UK government (as is, if I understand right, healthcare tuition in the UK), and it seems to be one of the best value-for-money medical systems around (somewhat subjective: others are better while being more expensive, others are cheaper but don’t do as much), but despite all that, even the NHS gets criticised for not covering all medicines and surgeries.

So yes, there is a scarcity, even if it’s only in the opportunity cost of what else can be done with the same money, like roads and fire brigades.

[insickness]

There is a scarcity of the best medical care. The doctor who has pioneered breakthrough treatments is more scarce than the doctor who graduated last in his class.

[myWindoonn]

Is a scarcity of top-level research doctors the reason why insulin is expensive in the USA but not other rich democracies? Similarly, is a scarcity of luxury mansions the reasons why the USA has hundreds of thousands of homeless but not other rich democracies?

[myWindoonn]

No. The reason why insulin is expensive is because the USA has a free market for pharmaceuticals and allows manufacturers to set high prices. The reason why there are hundreds of thousands of homeless is because the USA has a free market for housing and allows homeowners to set high prices.