[mypastself]

People tend to perform risk-benefit analyses of their actions, even if unconsciously. They also engage in all sorts of risky behavior.

If they determine the benefit of eating something outweighs the risks, they might do it. Reducing the financial part of the equation reduces potential risk. It’s as simple as that.

[danparsonson]

I think that's quite a naive and simplistic view of human nature but let's assume it's all true - what's the benefit of food poisoning? Because one either thinks the food is safe to eat or not; why would someone knowingly poison themselves (assuming they expected to survive)? Do you see what I'm saying? Removing the financial risk still leaves the huge health risk - food poisoning can be deadly, and even if not, enormously unpleasant.

[mypastself]

I’ve actually had food of questionable provenance myself, including oysters bought from a sketchy street vendor in an Asian country - and I’m not even a particularly risk-taking type.

I accepted some degree of health hazard for a pleasant meal. Let’s say someone managed to convinced me I was also at risk of losing a great deal of money in the process. I might have declined the vendor’s offer then…

[danparsonson]

OK well that's a fair point; in any case I don't find it a compelling counterargument to socialised healthcare. Having lived in two different countries with such a system, to my knowledge hospitals do not fill up with people recklessly endangering themselves just because they don't have to pay for treatment. Far more common are accidents, and we all have those from time to time - a paid system such as that in the US punishes people for being poor and/or unlucky.

[veidr]

I'm just commenting so I can find this again, as it pithily exemplifies a certain type of argument (prevalent here, but also elsewhere) that is also performed unconsciously: the meaningless application of some kind of principle in favor of actual reality.

There are now more than 8 billion people on this planet. And many (though not as many as you might think) billions before that.

Not a single one of them has ever decided, "Fuck it, this might give me 2 days of violent vomiting and involuntarily shitting liquid, but our HEALTH CARE system will cover so WHOO HOO YOLO BABY!!!"