h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That's what I'd call it.

Perhaps. But then that's what I'd call trident.

Touche.

Politically I never heard a mention on any notion of affordibility or otherwise of so* many things the government thinks are nice to fund, say, I dunno, wars, yet it is always the mantra when it comes to the NHS and provision of healthy care...

I'd argue that it is unaffordible to not afford to have a free at the point of delivery healthy care system. The alternative would likely as not end up more prohibitively expensive, and inflation-causing for the rest of the economy; Think wages having to increase massively, in order to fund individuals need for higher income to support private health care, for a start.. Mind, I doubt it'd be even remotely possible to try and look into the sort of actual figures involved in any of this It gets so marvelously disjointed and fragmented whenever its time to try find anything remotely solid in terms of actual cash flow in and out etc

I would, as I think I mentioned very briefly, tend to agree that a world without free at the point of delivery health care would have a greater impact financially. My real point is not so much what the NHS can afford to be, as what it ought to be. I think the best way is to start with ideals and work towards them.