In which our narrator kicks an ant mound

Health care thought for the day: The U.S., Canada, France, and Germany on average and in general terms have equal successes in health care. That is, in some indicators, the U.S. surpasses Canada, in others, Canada surpasses the U.S. In some, Canada surpasses France, in others, the reverse is true, and so on. But overall, the citizens of each of those four countries live healthy for about as long, live unhealthy for about as long, and then die at roughly the same age.

The problem? The U.S. spends significantly more than do the other three, but for the same end results. Those who advocate universal health care wisely point to this stark economic fact.

The problem with this problem? Imagine a scenario in which the U.S. health sector does not exist and never did. Imagine the impact on both the price structures and end results in the other three countries: Canada, France, and Germany. For example, imagine Canada's market in cheap drugs without U.S. drugs to import. Anyone with a shred of intellectual honesty will agree that this hypothetical scenario is much different.

Now, imagine the reverse, the health care system in one of those countries simply vanishes. Canada's current health care system does not exist and never did. What impact on the U.S. health sector, if any, could you imagine?