Kate, what a great avatar! You're worthy of your Yorkshire-ness: all those males you're raising and living with haven't driven you around the bend!
As an American, I agree with what GrayFoxDown had to say. Unfortunately, after eight years of Bush and his Merry Men, this country is fear-based. Anything as big as an overhaul of the health system scares the road apples out of people.
Obama has been very unclear, as well as wishy-washy, about how an NHS will work. The health insurance companies, the BIG players in this whole debate, want absolutely no government interference; after all, they make billions of dollars in profits, and I believe they are partly responsible for disseminating disinformation about "total government control" of the system. This scares people, of course, who envision another gigantic and inefficient bureaucracy like social security and Medicare.
My feeling is, once the dust settles, no NHS plan will be enacted. The lobbyists are the real government—the insurance companies, the American Hospital Assoc., the American Medical Assoc.—and they won't allow a change to the status quo.
On a lighter note, St. Jude is back blogging as of today.
Charlie, formerly of Used Kitty Litter
Kate
· 4 months ago
Charlie!!! Where have you been? It's lovely to see you commenting here again :-) Just added you on Facebook - aren't you distinguished? And St Jude is back, that's wonderful news! I've missed you both so much. Where do I find her? Is she still in the same place?
It will be such a shame if you don't get some kind of universal care system! For some, literally a tragedy. But, I can see your point, the lobbyists do seem to have a lot of power - it's the same here, but with different interests.
Tricia
· 4 months ago
Oh well said Kate. You've addressed this so well. We may know our NHS but, as you say, whilst we hope not to need it we know that if we do, the treatment of our ailment will be the main priority, regardless of income! It's so reassuring to have it there - quietly doing it's job in the back ground! And, like a protective mother, how dare anyone "outside" criticize it!
Kate
· 4 months ago
That's it! It is imperfect, but we are the only ones who are allowed to comment on those imperfections. I was surprised by how much it bothered me to see it not only insulted, but being used to frighten people into rejecting something similar for themselves. Saying that, I don't think it got the naysayers very far, we fought our corner well :-)
Thanks for that, it's very funny :-) Love the dining room table bit, lmao
GrayFoxDown
· 4 months ago
We in the USA currently spend twice as much (over $7,000 per capita) than other industrialized nations on health care, yet over 50 million Americans have little or no coverage. Around 30% of every health care dollar is consumed in a maze of bureaucratic cracks and crevices while, at the other end, physicians/ hospitals inflate their charges and play shell games with health care providers for bigger profits. This has been getting progressively worse for at least 20 to 30 years; it's now reached a breaking point.
Vested interests certainly exist here, and for too long these profiteers have used catchphrases such as "free enterprise" and "free market" as smoke screens for their own free and selfish goals, stigmatizing anything that stands in their way as "socialistic" or "fascistic"(!). The intensity of the ongoing sound and fury from right-wing groups opposed to President Obama's health care reform is unprecedented. Not only are they criticizing Obama (who they despise to begin with) but are also criticizing countries with national health services (proven to be effective and invaluable) with propagandist smears; in turn, further tarnishing our image in the world and opening us to reciprocal criticism.
I believe that I'm a real American and not related to such Mammon-like inhabitants of this land referred to as "cousins" with no regard for human life. These do not reflect what the USA (that I know) is all about...if they do, I've been living in the wrong country for the past 55 years.
Kate
· 4 months ago
I believe you're a real American too! Fortunately, I've found people like you are a majority, it's just that the minority of selfish idiots are extremely loud! I suppose it doesn't really matter though, they condemn themselves every time they utter yet another ridiculous allegation.
Really, the whole campaign is an example of how easily uniformed people can be manipulated; anyone with an ounce of common sense would have been dubious about these claims, and checked the facts for themselves. The Stephen Hawking fiasco being a prime example, 30 seconds on Google could have told whoever wrote that article that the man is British.
Carolyn Cordon
· 4 months ago
Our american cousins are on the planet 'I want to make more money, you can go away and die'. Certainly not a planet that values every human life.
Kate
· 4 months ago
The naysayers definitely are! And as I said above, the irony is, the biggest opponents are people who claim to be devoutly religious, I don't see much evidence of that. In fact, if that's religion, I'm glad I'm a heathen.
chairmanbill
· 4 months ago
Well said!
Kate
· 4 months ago
Glad you agree! I had to write it, I've explained this to NHS detractors who describe themselves as Christian so many times over the last week, I decided it would be easier just to direct them to a post.
Carolyn Cordon
· 4 months ago
I'm with you. I'm Australian, and our Medicare system isn't perfect, but I know if I am ever really sick, I can get treated. No worries.
I don't know what these yanks are going on about - obviously there are lots of them with vested interests.
Kate
· 4 months ago
It's absolutely crazy! I can't understand how they hoped to get away with it, do they not realise it's so easy to check that kind of thing nowadays?! Anyhoo, they've had a go at us, and the Canadians, you'll probably be next on the list - they'll be saying your doctors leave old people in the outback or something lol
pete
· 4 months ago
death panels? what planet are our american cousins on
Kate
· 4 months ago
I know, it defies logic! How uninformed about the world do you have to be to actually fall for that?!
lordmatt
· 4 months ago
Amen.
Kate
· 4 months ago
Thank you Matt :-)
lilystrange
· 4 months ago
Nothing I can say that hasn't already been said--only that I'm fully in agreement. The U.S. health care system is certainly not doing the lower and middle classes any good. Maybe some fat cats in the insurance system are profiting but everyone else is struggling.
Kate
· 4 months ago
You know my thoughts, we've discussed this elsewhere. You're right, a small number of people are getting very rich, while the vast majority struggle or go without. It's not how it should be and you all deserve much better.
facebook-1067939551
· 4 months ago
I'm honored to have you as a friend, Kate. Facebook is brand-new to me, so please have patience until I get it all sorted out.
I'm still blogging, and the URL is on my profile. St. Jude is in the same place, and if you've lost her she is on my blog sidebar.
Kate
· 4 months ago
Lol Facebook changes so often it's new to us all, even those who've been there a while. But if you get stuck, give me a yell!
Found St Jude, and you - added you to the sidebar. I use it as a reading list so I'll be able to keep up with you both.
geraldmango
· 4 months ago
Kate, the biggest problem in the US is the damn greed. Our government is out of control, our corporations are out of control, there is no balance. Our medical people are some of the most wealthy! They pave their road to success over the graves of their patients. The insurance companies are for profit at any cost. A honest public health care program is so dearly needed! I have lost sight in my right eye, my cost to get it fixed is over 5 grand. Things need to be fixed soon!
Kate
· 4 months ago
Oh Gerald, I'm really sorry to hear that :-( Things do need to be fixed soon. You should be able to get your treatment; you've paid tax, brought up a family, contributed to society. It's so very wrong that you have to pay for something so fundamental. I think that's why we are so protective of our system; we know there are vested interests who work to make it like yours - the Tory who appeared on tv in the US to criticise the NHS is a typical example.
Kate
· 4 months ago
PS: The hat in your avatar - very cool :-)
ladybanana
· 4 months ago
I love this post - Just had a very heated discussion with an American Tweeter (who now has blocked me hehehe) about this.
She is totally convinced by what she reads that our wonderful NHS is somehow useless and evil. Very sad she would not listen to one who has an awful lot of experience in the system both as a user and and as an employee...
Kate
· 3 months ago
lol I've noticed that type are very quick to block when they're losing an argument - well done you!
The ironic thing is, these people accuse us of being brainwashed, yet they're willing to unquestioningly believe the most implausible scenarios simply because someone like Palin tells them it's the truth. Hmm ... what's that called again?
DrowseyMonkdy
· 3 months ago
Love it.
Being in Canada we are bombarded with American news and it's quite shocking to be honest. It's like everyone's gone a little mad. The scenerios theyr'e coming up with are way over the top and it's hard to beleive rational people beleive them. And they were attacking our system before they moved on to yours - which is all very frustrating as you say.
Our systems are all all about everyone being equal and everyone being entitled to the same treatment regardless of their annual earnings. It's universal - as it should be. We all pay for it with our taxes, as you say in your last paragraph - which I completely agree with. And while no system is perfect and will always need to be improved, leaving people to fend for themselves while insurance companies get rich seems cruel to me.
Kate
· 3 months ago
I know what you mean when you say it's like everyone's gone a little mad. It's almost as though they're they're competing to see who can come up with the most implausible idea. I've been genuinely surprised to see supposedly intelligent people falling for these stories; I really would have thought common sense would prevail.
I agree, it does seem cruel. The idea that profit should come before a person's health, or even their life, is horrendous. Just as bad are those who say they have insurance and don't see why they should care about people who don't, that's reprehensible.
them_apples
· 3 months ago
Very, very well said. Christ would certainly approve of the NHS, there should be no doubt about that. It works it's own little miracles every single day.
Certain Republicans should be very ashamed of themselves, but then again, they are utterly stupid, so you can't expect much, can you?
As a lifelong Christian and occasional user of the mighty NHS, I'd never realised why so many hospitals are St. this or that.. Will tuck that one away for the pub quiz...
Kate
· 3 months ago
Thanks for the comment :-) Yes, certain Republicans do seem to be monopolising more than their fair share of the world's supply of stupid. I find it bewildering that they can call themselves Christians when they believe something as essential as healthcare should be provided on the basis of ability to pay. I was going to say, do they not see the irony, but the concept of irony is probably wasted on them lol
All Comments
As an American, I agree with what GrayFoxDown had to say. Unfortunately, after eight years of Bush and his Merry Men, this country is fear-based. Anything as big as an overhaul of the health system scares the road apples out of people.
Obama has been very unclear, as well as wishy-washy, about how an NHS will work. The health insurance companies, the BIG players in this whole debate, want absolutely no government interference; after all, they make billions of dollars in profits, and I believe they are partly responsible for disseminating disinformation about "total government control" of the system. This scares people, of course, who envision another gigantic and inefficient bureaucracy like social security and Medicare.
My feeling is, once the dust settles, no NHS plan will be enacted. The lobbyists are the real government—the insurance companies, the American Hospital Assoc., the American Medical Assoc.—and they won't allow a change to the status quo.
On a lighter note, St. Jude is back blogging as of today.
Charlie, formerly of Used Kitty Litter
It will be such a shame if you don't get some kind of universal care system! For some, literally a tragedy. But, I can see your point, the lobbyists do seem to have a lot of power - it's the same here, but with different interests.
http://folksopinions.blogspot.com/2009/08/healt...
Vested interests certainly exist here, and for too long these profiteers have used catchphrases such as "free enterprise" and "free market" as smoke screens for their own free and selfish goals, stigmatizing anything that stands in their way as "socialistic" or "fascistic"(!). The intensity of the ongoing sound and fury from right-wing groups opposed to President Obama's health care reform is unprecedented. Not only are they criticizing Obama (who they despise to begin with) but are also criticizing countries with national health services (proven to be effective and invaluable) with propagandist smears; in turn, further tarnishing our image in the world and opening us to reciprocal criticism.
I believe that I'm a real American and not related to such Mammon-like inhabitants of this land referred to as "cousins" with no regard for human life. These do not reflect what the USA (that I know) is all about...if they do, I've been living in the wrong country for the past 55 years.
Really, the whole campaign is an example of how easily uniformed people can be manipulated; anyone with an ounce of common sense would have been dubious about these claims, and checked the facts for themselves. The Stephen Hawking fiasco being a prime example, 30 seconds on Google could have told whoever wrote that article that the man is British.
I don't know what these yanks are going on about - obviously there are lots of them with vested interests.
I'm still blogging, and the URL is on my profile. St. Jude is in the same place, and if you've lost her she is on my blog sidebar.
Found St Jude, and you - added you to the sidebar. I use it as a reading list so I'll be able to keep up with you both.
She is totally convinced by what she reads that our wonderful NHS is somehow useless and evil. Very sad she would not listen to one who has an awful lot of experience in the system both as a user and and as an employee...
The ironic thing is, these people accuse us of being brainwashed, yet they're willing to unquestioningly believe the most implausible scenarios simply because someone like Palin tells them it's the truth. Hmm ... what's that called again?
Being in Canada we are bombarded with American news and it's quite shocking to be honest. It's like everyone's gone a little mad. The scenerios theyr'e coming up with are way over the top and it's hard to beleive rational people beleive them. And they were attacking our system before they moved on to yours - which is all very frustrating as you say.
Our systems are all all about everyone being equal and everyone being entitled to the same treatment regardless of their annual earnings. It's universal - as it should be. We all pay for it with our taxes, as you say in your last paragraph - which I completely agree with. And while no system is perfect and will always need to be improved, leaving people to fend for themselves while insurance companies get rich seems cruel to me.
I agree, it does seem cruel. The idea that profit should come before a person's health, or even their life, is horrendous. Just as bad are those who say they have insurance and don't see why they should care about people who don't, that's reprehensible.
Certain Republicans should be very ashamed of themselves, but then again, they are utterly stupid, so you can't expect much, can you?
As a lifelong Christian and occasional user of the mighty NHS, I'd never realised why so many hospitals are St. this or that.. Will tuck that one away for the pub quiz...