Health Care: A Vent.
Disclaimer: This is a vent, not a well educated, well formulated argument or anything like that.
I was just watching that show on ABC, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and it just made me so mad at the current American healthcare system. The gist of the story was that there was a family of 5, living in a house that was run down falling apart beyond repair. The mother of the family, on top of this, was suffering from cancer, and had been for quite a while. Despite the fact that she had cancer and was undergoing all sorts of treatments, she had to keep working as a teacher so that she and her husband could try to stay on top of their huge medical bills and not lose their shit-hole of a house. That's absolutely ridiculous. This woman is suffering from a life threatening disease, she should not have to keep working just to keep her family off the street.
I think what captures what I feel about this the best is an episode of Oprah that was on a few weeks ago. Oprah decided to visit the x number of "Happiest places in the world". Number one on that list was Denmark. So they showed a clip of her visiting Denmark, and learning about the lifestyle from a couple of Danish women. Back in the studio, she was talking to them via skype, and she said something like "In Denmark, you have more of a socialist health care system, isn't that right?" The two women kind of looked at each other, then one said "Well, yes, but you see we don't really think of it as socialist, but civilized. Why wouldn't you want to care for your sick and your elderly?"
This is how I feel, exactly. The United States are I think the only western country that operates this way, or at least one of them. It makes me so mad that people are put in situations where its like, health care or homelessness. You're just a disease away from going bankrupt.
No healthcare system is perfect, probably not even close. But all I know is that my uncle fought cancer for 11 months, and it didn't cost our family anything. And that's convincing enough for me.
NB: this isnt "anti-american".
I love the states, I visit all the time. I just massively disagree with your health care system.
I was just watching that show on ABC, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and it just made me so mad at the current American healthcare system. The gist of the story was that there was a family of 5, living in a house that was run down falling apart beyond repair. The mother of the family, on top of this, was suffering from cancer, and had been for quite a while. Despite the fact that she had cancer and was undergoing all sorts of treatments, she had to keep working as a teacher so that she and her husband could try to stay on top of their huge medical bills and not lose their shit-hole of a house. That's absolutely ridiculous. This woman is suffering from a life threatening disease, she should not have to keep working just to keep her family off the street.
I think what captures what I feel about this the best is an episode of Oprah that was on a few weeks ago. Oprah decided to visit the x number of "Happiest places in the world". Number one on that list was Denmark. So they showed a clip of her visiting Denmark, and learning about the lifestyle from a couple of Danish women. Back in the studio, she was talking to them via skype, and she said something like "In Denmark, you have more of a socialist health care system, isn't that right?" The two women kind of looked at each other, then one said "Well, yes, but you see we don't really think of it as socialist, but civilized. Why wouldn't you want to care for your sick and your elderly?"
This is how I feel, exactly. The United States are I think the only western country that operates this way, or at least one of them. It makes me so mad that people are put in situations where its like, health care or homelessness. You're just a disease away from going bankrupt.
No healthcare system is perfect, probably not even close. But all I know is that my uncle fought cancer for 11 months, and it didn't cost our family anything. And that's convincing enough for me.
NB: this isnt "anti-american".
I love the states, I visit all the time. I just massively disagree with your health care system.
America sucks heath care wise, this is true, but so do many many many countries. For example, although in the UK we have the NHS, it cripples us financially as a country and does not provide complete health care. If you have certan illnesses that can be treated but the budget in your local hospital is not high enough, you have to sue and if your found to be able to pay, or your chances of survival are not that good you dont get any, yet if you want a boob job you go to 3 maybe 4 appointments then are refered and get NHS help, if they dont pay completely they pay over half. It's unfair, badly managed and costs way too much for what it is.
Which in my opinion is much worse than everyone having to fend for themselves.
Yay!, February 3rd, 2010 at 11:01:35am
shorty: no. barack obama is here to spend money, and print more when he runs out.
D:
[quote]even if the knocking down of the population involves you or one of your parents or siblings kicking it?
Desmond Hume, February 1st, 2010 at 11:30:09am [/quote]
and yes, even then. it would suck, and i would be unhappy, no doubt about it. but i would be far more beneficial in the long run to have a smaller population- all of whom are capable of thriving- than to have an even greater population to strain already limited resources.
banquo, February 2nd, 2010 at 01:41:36pm
That's why Barack Obama is here.
Shorty of Suburbia, February 1st, 2010 at 09:00:39pm
Yeah, I've heard a lot about that documentary, I haven't seen it yet but I've been meaning to for a while.
wanderlust, February 1st, 2010 at 08:32:16pm
good blog. i LIVE IN the states, and i know the health care system is sh*t. my mom's insurance covers me and i have it pretty good but it's still sh*tty system. i saw the movie 'Sicko' and it's about the US health care system. i recommend that you watch that movie.
CanYouFeelIt, February 1st, 2010 at 07:43:02pm
even if the knocking down of the population involves you or one of your parents or siblings kicking it?
wanderlust, February 1st, 2010 at 02:30:09pm
Hn. I haven't done the research to make an informed opinion~
but personally I don't think it would hurt for our population to get knocked down a bit.
Anyway- this is a very good blog, your point and reasoning were very clear. :]
banquo, February 1st, 2010 at 01:23:58pm
Quite right. Well done, good blog.
TO BE DELETED, February 1st, 2010 at 06:00:23am
Good blog.
Skippy., February 1st, 2010 at 01:46:17am