HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH: A New Look at the ""Health Care Crisis"" in America

This quasi-literate diatribe is Edwards' first book and his assertion that universal medical care is ""not a proper function of government"" and his concern that the U.S. is verging toward adoption of a system of socialized medicine similar to that found in England deserve a hearing, but the quality and tone of his argumentation are so garbled and hysterical that Edwards does his cause a very real disservice. In point of fact, he begins by proclaiming that ""This book is the result of a long series of assaults on reason. . . ."" Believe him on this point alone. In the ensuing tirade, Edwards, who is editor of a propagandistic fringe sheet called Private Practice, accuses Ted Kennedy, the liberal press, ""socialistic egalitarianism,"" ""Hegelian statism,"" and ""baronial elitism"" of responsibility for a ""campaign"" to wipe out our beloved Dr. Welbys and bring about a form of national health insurance; he repudiates the existence of the ""health care crisis"" with the remark that ""Much of the world's past greatness has been snuffed out by early death."" For example, Robert Burns died at 37; Kafka at 41; Van Dyck at 42; Mozart at 35; and he distorts and impugns the British medical system with such poppycock as the Englishman ""not only pays for sex changes for his fellow citizens, he also pays large amounts each year for free wigs."" Indeed there are so many unfortunate and miscreant statements in this cheapjack claptrap that it can only be recommended to cardcarrying AMA fanatics.