Posted by alexandra_k on November 5, 2005, at 23:36:41
In reply to Re: ??, posted by AuntieMel on November 4, 2005, at 12:08:25
> Now, I don't mean that folks should be made to go hungry
okay. but if (for whatever reason) you don't have a job... then aren't you either relying on handouts from other people or... having to resort to other ways of getting food and other necessities?
i mean... 6 months unemployment benefit entitlement.... what are you supposed to do once that is up if you cannot get a job and have no savings?
or what if you a female.
what if you get raped.
you aren't allowed an abortion in the US...
so you have to have the kid.
how do you look after that kid?
what if your family won't / can't fund that?
what are you supposed to do?
or what if you are sick but don't have health insurance for whatever reason?
what are you supposed to do?and even if some people just are lazy (which i don't believe) even if people could work but they don't because they would prefer to go hungry. even if we should just let them starve... then what about their kids? should we just leave them be too? and when their kids grow up doing the same thing leave them too? and then their kids? so you see it is a cycle.
and if you interveane with the children in mind then the real effects... will come through when those children grow up and have children of their own. with each generation.... they have a better chance. they have more opportunities. more hope. but intervention is required... otherwise... it just continues...
>Is healthcare equal? No - but it's available.
is it available to all (regardless of $)
is it free for children to go to a doctor?
is it free for children to have prescriptions filled?
why not?
does this mean that some children do not get access to doctor and medicine because their parents can't afford it? doesn't matter WHY their parents can't afford it from the perspective of the sick child...> Is it equal elsewhere? Not that I've seen. In the UK for instance, there is national health, but those with money or good insurance get better care.
Sure. Here... Healthcare isn't too bad. The issue is more around waiting lists (might be a couple years for a hip replacement) than about receiving treatment. Free doctors for children. Under... 16 I think. But the age may be a little lower than that... And there are emergency grants that you can apply to. For social welfare. If I needed to go to the doctor and I couldn't afford to go then I'd go along and fill in a form and I'd be given the money to go and do that. And I wouldn't have to pay it back in most instances. Though... I personally don't need to do this because I can see a doctor for free in virtue of being a student. My prescriptions cost me $3.00 each (unless I go with a non-subsidised version). Thats because I have a community services card. If you earn under... Something like $30,000 then you get one of those. Typically... $15 doctors visits and $3 prescriptions. Specialist treatment is available from the hospital. Waiting lists come into play there.
But private... Well there are private hospitals too. With their flashy atmospheres etc. Nice if you can afford it I suppose.
But basic care... I guess the issue is in defining 'basic'. I've recently been told I don't quality for mental health treatment. Not severe enough for treatment in the public system. SO... No, the system isn't perfect. But thats what the higher taxes funds. Social services like those.
> Is education equal? No - but it's available.
yeah.
> Even the poorest school districts have good enough schools for those who really want to study and get ahead.
yeah. but if you are persistently told you are stupid (by your parents lets say) and you go to school hungry are you likely to really want to study? are you likely to believe it will make a difference? are you likely to believe you are capable of getting ahead? some people manage to come to this. but they tend to be the exceptions. in general... the best predictor of how well you are going to do in the educational system is how well your parents did.
and some kids can read before they go to school.
other kids... don't have any books at home and have never seen their parents or their friends open a book.
don't you think that has a significant impact?
dont' you think the latter... need a little more help?>Yes, there are better schools for those with money - but I'd bet that is true worldwide, too.
yes. though... it depends what you mean by 'better'. oh yes it does indeed. you are much more likely to do better in school if you are reasonably happy in your homelife, recieving adequate nutrition, are encouraged in your schooling by your family and peers etc. the more expensive schools have more of that going on because the parents pay more and are typically more involved and more supportive. the public schools... well... there is more of a variety.
> Food and shelter? available.
after using up your 6 month dole entitlement?
after having a kid?> Appropriations of the money had nothing to do with Iraq.
yeah. sorry 'bout that.
> The number of engineers in Iraq are a minuscule part of the total number of engineers.
i'll take your word for that.
>> "I'm wary of potential scapegoating...
Blaming New Orleans for the tragedy is one way for the government to say they are justified in leaving them to deal with the situation with less government support. Blame someone on the local level and try and use that to absolve the government from responsibility to its citizens..."> Don't be too wary of scapegoating.
?
thanks for the stuff on new orleans.
>>"There was a comment... Something about america being stronger after this... I have heard comments... About how very much that sounded like the country is better off after some elimination of the 'unsuccessful' went on..."
>>"And for those who were in poverty to start with... What are they going to do?"
>At the risk of sounding like Barbara Bush the truth is that the less you had to start with the less you lost. The truly poor will probably continue on as before.
ouch. the more you have the more you can afford to lose. if you have one can of spagetti then you cannot afford to lose it. if you have a trillion cans then a loss of a million or two is hardly going to touch the sides.
> It's those in the middle, as usual, who have the toughest time of it.
middle and low i'll grant you that.
>I predict New Orleans will rebuild. The rest of the country wouldn't have it otherwise - the locals aren't the only ones who love the city, it's wonderful history and architecture, the parties, the people, the food......
i hope so.
poster:alexandra_k
thread:574039
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20050924/msgs/575848.html