US Health Care Reform and Expats

[ReemsterCARP]

Dear Sara,
I didn't perceive your comment as negative at all. I'm Dutch and am generally very proud of my country. As you stated, when people cannot provide for their own income/healthcare (but only then), the state lends a helping hand. Standard of living is excellent and crime is pretty low. Taxes can be a bit punitive but it is a sacrifice that the vast majority of the people are willing to make to avoid what we call "the Americanization of society" (widening income gaps / private wealth vs public poverty etc.).

A country with a liberal-democratic form of government and a mixed model of free markets and government intervention in select areas is usually called a "Social Democracy" in Europe.

 

[sesamosinsal]

Can anyone believing this please give us your definition of a socialist? As a european who knows a lot of genuine socialists, you guys from the US must have a different definition of the word than the rest of us!

Socialism is bad, bad ideology!! It's evil! It will take away your freedoms!!

But then the U.S. has things like publicly funded primary and secondary schools, publicly funded universities, publicly funded student grants and loans, publicly funded law enforcement, publicly funded ambulances, publicly funded highways... The list could go on forever. These are all socialist operations; they are all paid for by the collective, for the collective.

The vast majority of Americans don't know what socialism is, and they often use "socialism" and "communism" interchangeably. It would be absolute hilarity to see someone with a camera and a microphone walk around small town America and casually ask people, "How do you define 'socialism'?" Heck, I would bet that the vast majority of college students don't know what it is.

 

[SaraSara]

The vast majority of Americans don't know what socialism is, and they often use "socialism" and "communism" interchangeably.

That's the plain truth, in a nutshell.

 

[esllou]

there was an article on the beeb last week where it was mentioned that there wasn't one single UK Conservative politician (for those who don't know...the main right wing party in the UK, the party of thatcher, Churchill (eventually!) and now led by David Cameron) that would touch a piece of legislation such as the new health reform being suggested by the Dems in the US - because it was over the horizon too right wing.

but then again, there are some in the States who think everyone in europe works on turnip farm collectives and gives their first born to the State.

 

[A&A]

Churchill was originally Conservative party..then switched over WW1 to Labor party then went back to the Conservatives (who never fully trusted him) after WWI.

I think the US mindset/confusion of "Socialism=Communism" is the most accurate statement. Certain conservative groups either knowingly or recklessly perpetuate this misconception to further their political agendas...as many Americans of a certain age still see Soviets as the Evil Empire so "if they had it, it must be bad"!!!

But you are seriously delusional if you think the U.S. does not have numerous "state sponsored" (now that sounds very Soviet) programs in place. What do you think Medicare, Medicaid, SSI, Social Security are? Pell Grants and Amtrak. The Wall Street bailouts (TARP)! The fact is, we don't admit to their true nature, so we wind up doing them pretty damn poorly. So we can maintain this facade of a "free enterprise" And as to the comments about "electrical sockets". Have you seen a Building Code book of any major U.S. City? I can assure you more than the location of the electrical socket is regulated down to the most ridiculous minutia.

I am "conservative" certainly fiscally and voting wise by nature. So all this stuff offends my sense of fairness and freedom, but if we are going to do it, I would rather see it run like Sweden or Norway then the *manure* show we have now.

 

[esllou]

good post. Just one point, Churchill was never anywhere near the Labo(u)r Party. He was a Liberal for most of the first 20 years of the 20th century.

 

[A&A]

Sorry I meant Liberal....labour is something else...

 

[steveinbsas]

Sorry I meant Liberal....labour is something else...

In the US, "liberal" means the non-producer's hand in the producer's pocket (pants/wallet).

It's really that simple.

 

[pikto99]

First of all, then we have to say the American public overwhelmingly voted for socialism when they elected President Obama," Sharpton said.

OK, fellow Citizens and alike! Let me tell you again about major difference in socialism as it supposed to be and a "socialism" that some quacko's from the "public" media is feeling up the air around you. In socialistic states their Government tax-ate its Citizens and out of taxation revenue pays to doctors, hospitals administrations, pharmaceuticals, etc. Socialist country will not allow any "low-ride side-kick" or "obligatory-mandatory" Medical Health Insurance to be imposed on their own Citizens. Bc thats WHY the "socialism" as a platform is intended to use. Government tax you but provide with equal access to medical services, education, law enforcement protection, and so on. Only corporate fascism provide such "mandatory" use of "helping hands". And this is how the US is different from real socialistic country. The US Feds are taxing you (don't forget, by forging 16th Amendment), collect money from your "exchange for labor" under cry and provision for these services and then shifted expenses of such services back on your shoulders AGAIN with mandatory Health Insurance. So there is nothing farther away from socialism that what Obaminators are doing right now.