On: Bank robber demands $1 from teller in order to get free healthcare in prison

[baxter]

Have a look at the diagram under the heading "History of National Debt".

http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/uk-economy/uk-national-deb...

The British welfare state, including the National Health Service, was created around 1948 at the height of Britain's debt.

Arguments along the lines of "we're in debt" don't really seem to make sense.