Universal Healthcare Y/N?

[chriswinsor]

I live in Canada (insert any first world nation other than the U.S) where we have universal healthcare.

Why is it that American culture doesn't support something so basic as to protect its own people?

[Angry Citizen]

Because it does.

The better question is, why do Canadians and Europeans insist on looking at America through its government rather than its citizens? If I were looking at Canada's government, I would see a bunch of conservative jackasses tearing up the country - which is exactly what you see.

[Dan74]

Health insurance is a complete scam. Yes, I support single-payer.

[JimmyNic]

I am of the opinion that universal healthcare is the mark of a civilised country, and I'm glad I live in the UK which supports it.

[seyorni]

I also support universal fire and police protection, and even education.
Does that make me a total pinko?

As for cost: wholesale is always cheaper than retail. Cost plus profit is always more expensive than cost alone.

[chriswinsor]

40% would want it given waits for non-life threatening problems and limited doctors, which is pretty much what we have in Canada.

To me long waits for non life threatening problems is worth having the rest of my citizens recieve treatment and not be turned down for some undisclosed condition. Especially if it's going to save the average citizen a bunch of money too.

[brendand]

This is worth a read:

This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the U.S. Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility. After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC-regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I watched this while eating my breakfast of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

At the appropriate time as regulated by the U.S. Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration-approved automobile and set out to work on the roads built and maintained by the local, state, and federal departments of transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve System. On the way out the door, I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the U.S. Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school.

After work, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to a house that has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and fire marshal’s inspection, and which has not been plundered of all its valuable thanks to the local police department.

I then log on to the Internet, which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration and post on freerepublic.com and FOX News forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because government can’t do anything right.

[RjBig]

Now that kind of puts things into the proper prespective...thanks Brendand

And yes I support Universal Healthcare...I am obviously a Pinko I feel we should all recieve a Basic Income Guaranty that is enough to cover the basic necessities of life...Healthcare, shelter, food, energy, education, water....I believe we should recieve this payment as remittance for the infringement of our rights to Liberty and freedom caused by allowing property rights...This plan can be paid for by Government services like oil leases, mineral leases, etc, electricity, water, etc...like the payment system in Alaska...this idea is being persued by Brazil, Japan, Canada and others...this plan would Free Humanity from forced labor. This plan would make work a choice...Employers would have to make work worthwhile...a place people want to be involved with...Beautiful...I reject the idea that man must be forced to work and if his basic needs were met he would just lay around and do nothing...some would of course...but the Painter paints, the Builder Builds, the inventor invents...they do not do it for the money...the do it for the love, for the challenge, to go where no man has gone before!

[BlackSheep]

I support universal health care. People support policing, fire fighters etc and yet health care is something we will use and need for more often in our lives.

[BlackSheep]

Because it does.

The better question is, why do Canadians and Europeans insist on looking at America through its government rather than its citizens? If I were looking at Canada's government, I would see a bunch of conservative jackasses tearing up the country - which is exactly what you see.

Really, no need to get upset. While maybe he could have phrased it better, America seems to be a deviation in the sense of a first world nation with a significant opposition to universal health care.

[Dieval]

Really, no need to get upset. While maybe he could have phrased it better, America seems to be a deviation in the sense of a first world nation with a significant opposition to universal health care.

A significant portion of us like to work for what we have, rather than being handed something on a silver platter..

[BlackSheep]

A significant portion of us like to work for what we have, rather than being handed something on a silver platter..

As do I and so do people in those other nations.