1956 US UTI

There's always lots of talk about the cost of government. I don't entirely know where I stand on it. I'm one of those people that looks wryly at both sides of the debate. There certainly are interesting facts floating around that make you wonder about both government and private enterprise. And get you a little P-O-ed.
Like the recent federal survey. It sought to determine the cost for various common medical conditions and found out they vary enormously, depending on the hospital and the insurance coverage. As an example, they found that the treatment for urinary tract infections ranges in price from $50 to more than $73,000.
Wow. UTIs are the most common undiagnosed debilitator. Low-grade infections that rob you of energy. Especially in the elderly. But a $73,000 range in treatment options? At the expensive end, do they pluck the bacteria out one by one with gold tweezers?
Or maybe they use Pentagon forceps. Remember the scandal a while back with the $400 defense contractor hammers?
A lot of folks don't consider defense spending federal spending that's contributing to the dread deficit. For some reason if you're a clerk typist in a government office you're a taxpayer bloodsucker but if you're the CEO of Lockheed it's okay to slurp from the government trough.
My very right-wing Uncle spent his whole life working for the federally subsidized aircraft industry for higher than union wages and retired with a huge pension package, also subsidized by federal dollars. He's always screaming about all the money the feds overspend.
As an example, Lockheed gets 47 billion in government dollars. The US was responsible for 82% of their sales last year. You know. Private industry.
I wonder how expensive UTIs are that come from being P-O-ed all the time?
America, ya gotta love it.