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Well, I finished my trainings last night, but don't have a client assignment yet, and I don't start classes until August, so I had some free time while Nora was at daycare. After two loads of laundry and some poop scooping in the yard, I decided to take myself to the movies. I didn't have too many options of things to see that John did not also want to see, but I have been wanting to see "Sicko" and that is the one I chose.
Now I have seen most of Michael Moore's movies and I think he always makes some great points that I generally agree with, and his tactics are amusing to me. There's always an element of sadness to each of them as these are unfortunate things in people's lives that he's discussing. But this one made me more sad than his other movies have made me before. I don't know why entirely.
I suppose it's not so much the horror stories of what people have had to deal with in regards to their health insurance, but the comparisons of the care that people in other countries receive. Some of you already know what a socialist I am and what a big proponent I am for universal heatlh care (as long as it's done right, which I think would be extremely difficult to do in this country, unfortunately), but this really just clinched it for me.
People can complain about how high their taxes would be, but these countries provide health care, extensive paid vacation time, unlimited paid sick days, paid maternity leave, quality daycare, free college education, France even had government-paid nannies that came to the newborn's homes twice a week to help out new moms, and I could go on. These things that we pay for here on an individual basis cost way more than what our taxes would.
There's a reason why we in this country have a shorter lifespan than other developed countries or why our babies have a higher infant mortality rate than even some third world countries. Some of it is that while our doctors here get incentives for denying us health care that costs too much, doctors in those countries get incentives for having patients who quit smoking or lower their cholesterol. But I think a lot of it has to do with a greater quality of life overall.
Yeah, there's a lot of great things that I get by being a born and raised American and believe me, I know it could be much worse, but some days I think we should up and move to Sweden. And if we ever get denied coverage of some vital yet uber-expensive treatment of some sort, I think I'll save my money by just buying a plane ticket to England and getting cared for there.
Now I have seen most of Michael Moore's movies and I think he always makes some great points that I generally agree with, and his tactics are amusing to me. There's always an element of sadness to each of them as these are unfortunate things in people's lives that he's discussing. But this one made me more sad than his other movies have made me before. I don't know why entirely.
I suppose it's not so much the horror stories of what people have had to deal with in regards to their health insurance, but the comparisons of the care that people in other countries receive. Some of you already know what a socialist I am and what a big proponent I am for universal heatlh care (as long as it's done right, which I think would be extremely difficult to do in this country, unfortunately), but this really just clinched it for me.
People can complain about how high their taxes would be, but these countries provide health care, extensive paid vacation time, unlimited paid sick days, paid maternity leave, quality daycare, free college education, France even had government-paid nannies that came to the newborn's homes twice a week to help out new moms, and I could go on. These things that we pay for here on an individual basis cost way more than what our taxes would.
There's a reason why we in this country have a shorter lifespan than other developed countries or why our babies have a higher infant mortality rate than even some third world countries. Some of it is that while our doctors here get incentives for denying us health care that costs too much, doctors in those countries get incentives for having patients who quit smoking or lower their cholesterol. But I think a lot of it has to do with a greater quality of life overall.
Yeah, there's a lot of great things that I get by being a born and raised American and believe me, I know it could be much worse, but some days I think we should up and move to Sweden. And if we ever get denied coverage of some vital yet uber-expensive treatment of some sort, I think I'll save my money by just buying a plane ticket to England and getting cared for there.
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no subject
Date: 2007-07-19 07:56 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-07-19 09:59 pm (UTC)From:I got a very memorable parking ticket in Montreal. If I was going to be somewhere where my terrible high school French was necessary, I'd go to France. They give you extra paid days off to move, to take your honeymoon, etc. You have to see that movie just to hear all the perks of being in France. It'll blow your mind.
a socialist
Date: 2007-07-20 04:32 pm (UTC)From: (Anonymous)Re: a socialist
Date: 2007-07-20 05:14 pm (UTC)From:I think the problem with how people perceive socialism is that it got tied closely to communism, which of course is a frightening concept to most Americans.