America calls England's NHS service "evil" after Obama's latest proposal to change healthcare system

[Sparrow]

So, after waking up today, sipping some coffee and knocking out some TV, I had a look at Sky News. One story caught my eye.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/11/nhs-united-states-republican-health

American higher-ups critized England's NHS service after Obama put foward a proposal to change America's healthcare system, giving free healthcare to uninsured people in the US. The story above reads "Top-ranking Republicans have joined bloggers and well-funded free market organisations in scorning the NHS".

Seriously? Do they think they're big men, picking on the NHS because they can't fight back?

Well, apparently, England had fought back. Twitter users flocked to webpages on the site, calling out American diplomats, defending the NHS, Sky reports.

What are your views on this? For one, I think the American diplomats were well out of line attacking the NHS. Their accusations are ludicrous and outright offensive, and also undeserved. I don't see what the NHS did to provoke this.

 

[Radeonx]

I think the attack was unwarranted, and incredibly useless. I still want the bill to pass.

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

viva la england.

if it is good,let it pass

if it is bad,let it fail

if it is conspiracy,let it be used as excuse to assasinate some people who we believe are behind it

 

[Lord George]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.130495

Sorry I'm not one of these "use the search bar" guys but its still on the first page.

 

[Zani]

What's with the irrational fear of just a tiny bit of socialism in America?

I get the impression that socialism is worse in America than neo-nazism is in Germany.
It's probably because America spent a good 50 years fighting socialism, and since America is always right, then socialism must be bad.

 

[Krakyn]

There's a lot of misinformation that the Republicans/Conservatives are pushing about the success of the NHS, things like "everybody has to wait at least 3 months to get an x-ray," among other things.

As one of my history professors told my class countless times, the masses are asses. They'll believe almost anything the authority figure they trust tells them. The problem is that conservatives trust the officials whose greediness is aligned with their own, and the stupid people trust the officials whose religion is aligned with their own.

 

[Sparrow]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.130495

Sorry I'm not one of these "use the search bar" guys but its still on the first page.

Ah, well, the title caught me off guard. Should have picked up on that one.

 

[electric discordian]

There is of course nothing wrong with or indeed "Orwellian" about allowing the poor to die! I know nothing about the American system about as much in fact as the Senate knows about the NHS! One of the reasons the NHS is beleagured is because of the way American style blame culture has taken root! We are the victims of our own greed and the fact that we are still dying to be the 51st state!

 

[Ripshot]

Republicans |= Diplomats

 

[Kilaknux]

Ah. Well, Republicans can just sod off further, then. We offer healthcare that doesn't require you shill out vast amounts of cash, which many never could afford. It may not be the best, but it still does great work for everyone, as opposed to everyone who can afford it.

 

[Nmil-ek]

I dont even need to go into this our healthcare system is ranked 18th in the world, I know if I need a treatment for anything major I am going to get it, I know my gran before she passed away was fully treated and looked after well TWICE. If there are so many bloody problems with socialised healthcare why are republicans pulling bs statments out of they're arse.

And its BRITISH HEALTHCARE more than one godamned country is in the NHS >_>

 

[DrunkWithPower]

Change the title to "American Republicans calls England's blah blah blah". I'm American and I don't thinks it's evil.

 

[SilentHunter7]

Welcome to GOP politics; It's much easier to make the other guy look like Hitler, than it is to make yourself look like Jesus.

-edit-

Spoiler: I'm just going to quote my points on the issue from the other thread.

Fair criticism is all very well and good, I welcome it. No one here would deny that the NHS has a long way to go, but this isn't what is going on. Insulting another countries system to grab a few political points is one thing, making up outright lies to do so is another entirely.

You're just figuring that out, are you? Welcome to the right wing of the United States. They've been using scare tactics and underhanded techniques to get what they want for the last 9 years. You should come and visit. I can take you to a town-hall meeting with members of congress, and you can see lobbyists for the insurance industry shout over other people, and derail the whole meeting. I can show you the commercials where they bring in "real life Canadians" to talk about how they had to wait 10 years for cancer treatment, and how they couldn't get treatment for spinal injuries.

There are people in THIS country, who honestly believe that Barack Obama is using healthcare reform to purge the weak and inferior. No. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Mc6fLe6Kw] I'm not [http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/240815/august-10-2009/death-panels] kidding. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRBYqazDDr4]

The sad thing is, this is nothing. George Bush lied to us about WMD's. Dick Cheney ordered the withholding of vital information from Congress. Dick Cheney also wanted to deploy troops to Chicago to root out "suspected terrorists." (Even Bush thought that idea was insane) Compared to that, lying about how other countries do heathcare seems tame.

On that end though, my question to republicans is, the armed forces has been getting "socialized" health care for ages now, and while it isn't perfect, it does the job it's supposed to do...

Not only does it do what it's supposed to do, VA healthcare has been rated by multiple standards, surveys, and studies, THE BEST healthcare available in the United States of America.

EDIT: I also find it intensely hilarious that none of these people who believe the republicans have seen the irony in complaining about an extra piece of tax, when they already PAY for medical insurance anyway.

Ok well lets look at how it is in America: You get less taxes, but no healthcare. So you have to pay extra for healthcare, which costs a metric ton of cash.

The ironic thing is, the public option in the Democrat's plan won't even be paid for by tax dollars. The government will charge a premium to anyone on the plan (who can reasonably afford it). Everyone will have the option of paying for government insurance, or private insurance. Except the government will play it as a zero-sum game, balancing rates with claims, and making no profit, as opposed to the private sector, who increases rates, and minimizes claims to maximize profit.

 

[FightThePower]

Why am I not surprised the Republicans said that.

Our NHS is a great thing. Yeah ok it doesn't work as well as it should be, but it's far better than no state healthcare.

 

[yaik7a]

Well guess how also hated socialised medicine ? Fascists and Nazis so when you start
looking at it the republicans have alot of same views ...

 

[GamerPhate]

I am seeing all kinds of upheavel because of this in my inbox from both sides of the aisle! One side wanting healthcare, the other side saying that it gives the government too much control over who gets it and basically lets them decide who lives and dies in a way. I think it is remarkable as glamourous as America makes its self out to be, we are still like 48th in the world as far as health car goes.

But this all comes down to the big fight both sides have always had. It is the little guys asking hey government, can you help us out? And the big guys that own everything saying, naw we need more luxury condos. Why does this happen? Capitalism my friend! The very act of letting a company make money off your well being yet being protected behind the legal lines of a government makes this issue a very difficult one for anyone to swallow!

I don't even know what to think anymore, because all laws get stuck with other bills and things in there so the buddy buddy system of scatch my back for your back political trade offs will balance themselves out. I would like to see a healthy America, and that just isn't going to happen without uncle sam picking up the bill. And what gets me, is the people tha have alot of money would be against helping the people that need help. And ironicaly, it is these said people that are in need of help that are the workers of their company. You would think you would want them to be happy and healthy so they can do their job better. But instead, the owners can make more profits if they have to pay less expenses for their employees.

The flip side of this is that even though the citizens want a health care system, they are afraid of letting the government control it. In a way, it kind of would create a Logans Run type system in the future. Once you are 30 you are not fit for work and must be terminated, or at least shall not receive any medical attention. I will just sit back and keep soaking up both sides of the arguement and see what happens.

 

[Sparrow]

Change the title to "American Republicans calls England's blah blah blah". I'm American and I don't thinks it's evil.

I would but it doesn't fit into the title.

You can see by the link that it's republicans anyway. I don't want ot seem like I'm pointing the finger.

 

[Crimsane]

Meh. The Republicans behind all this are in the pocket of private insurance companies.

 

[coldshadow]

cant wait for it to pass, im in canada so you might not think it has an effect on us, but the U.S. has been stealing the best doctors for ages, this will help us get some back