ABSTRACT
Marx is right, and his sentim ent applies not least to the world of health polity. On the one hand, there is hardly any other area of public policy w here scientific experts have w ritten more evidence based, often even visionary, papers, explain ing how and why things w ent wrong, and how the whole system m ight be put on the right track. On the other hand, I know of no other area of life, w here politics and politicians have done so little to transform these visions into reality. It seems that they prefer to agree with the statem ent of another German, Helmut Schmidt, a former Chancellor. He is credited with saying, Tf you have visions go and see your doctor/ Possibly this explains why, compared w ith o ther German chancel lors such as Adenauer, Brandt or Kohl, leaders associated w ith such great value laden achievem ents as European integration or German unification, Schmidt's nam e will go down in history simply as a pragmatist, a m an driven not by vision and values, only by the 'realities' of economics.
