My wish for all Americans; IAmsterdam life

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. There is no Utopia and nothing is free.

In countries like the Netherlands and Scandinavia, many of the things we Americans pay for out of pocket or through private insurance are covered, at least in part, by a government program, but that doesn't mean those things are free. Doctors and teachers and child care providers need to be paid; hospitals and schools need buildings and equipment. In these other countries many of those expenses are covered by the government, that is to say, taxpayers. While this eliminates the profit motive of private providers, making the whole program arguably less expensive overall, the citizens do pay indirectly for these benefits. While the result is a more humane system that covers pretty much everybody, the reality is that we will have to accept higher tax rates in exchange for better benefits. We would hope that the tax system would be changed to ensure that the wealthy pay their fair share, but all but the poorest will probably pay more. And, as in the other countries with more robust social welfare systems, not everything will be covered, just as with our current Medicare system.
We can certainly do better, but there is no "socialist" Utopia anywhere.