May 14, 2008 4:03PM 

# How Many Impossible Things Can You Believe before Breakfast? 

By [Michael F. Cannon](https://www.cato.org/people/michael-f-cannon) 

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Yesterday, an [announcement](http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=685128) from the Commonwealth Fund landed in my inbox. The subject line read:

> How to Achieve Universal Coverage While Lowering Health Spending

A colleague received the same release, and forwarded it along with this note:

> Coming next, [anti-gravity](http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/jlv/lowres/jlvn996l.jpg) and [perpetual motion machines](http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/museum/kamis.htm).

To which I replied:

> …[eternal youth](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_of_Youth), [gold from base metals](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosopher's_stone), [a lasting peace in the Middle East](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Jimmy_Carter.jpg/405px-Jimmy_Carter.jpg)…

To which he replied:

> [The dead shall rise](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus), [the lame shall walk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD7_7SXsHU8), [the blind shall see](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/04/21/scieye121.xml).

I’m tempted to throw in something about the [Cubs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1908_World_Series) winning the World Series. But even that wouldn’t convey the level of impossibility we’re talking about here. You see, there’s an [outside chance](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3244658) that the Cubs actually *could* take the Series.

I’d say we’re as likely to see the dead, the lame, and the blind win the World Series as we are to achieve [universal coverage](https://www.cato.org/2007/07/06/the-anti-universal-coverage-club-manifesto/) while lowering health spending.

Or does even that overstate the odds?

##### Related Tags 

[General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Health Care](https://www.cato.org/health-care) 

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