Posted by Meri-Tuuli on September 13, 2005, at 7:10:01
In reply to Re: Katrina - one American's perspective » Miss Honeychurch, posted by Dinah on September 12, 2005, at 22:34:03
Thanks for your all your posts, very insightful.
I have to agree with Alexandra.
I guess people outside of America are little shocked by the how the system works over there.
When I visited the US, I was vey shocked to see ALOT of people begging in the street - and this was near Harvard, Cambridge MA - a place I thought must be pretty nice. I was most shocked to see people begging for money for operations (and then they would have a messed up eye) - I guess I had taken for granted that I am totally used to having free healthcare for all.
And to be honest, I don't pay much tax. About £100 a month is deducted from my salary.
Considering that this has enabled me to attend an Ivy league university for free, free orthodontic (train tracks) when I was a kid, benefits when I was out of work, great holiday entitlements blah blah. I don't consider it really a large price, do you?
In America, from my understanding, you would have to pay alone £100 upwards for health insurance. Plus things weren't really any cheaper (except for gas/petrol and Gap clothes!!).
To me, I think that society should take care of the sick, elderly, poor, 'disadvantaged' and that there should be a level playing field at birth. I like Alexandra's analogy of being in a race, one with shackles and the other without. I can't comprehend living in a society like America.
Perhaps we should look at it in terms of 'quality of life'.
Have a look at
http://www.mercerhr.com/pressrelease/details.jhtml?idContent=1173105
Very interesting.
poster:Meri-Tuuli
thread:553914
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20050728/msgs/554546.html