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Idiots in America
Mar. 30th, 2006 08:56 amI got called a socialist the other day.
In class we were talking about health insurance and the like, the fact that the long-term care facility we're training at offers good insurance to full time employees but it's somewhat pricey, that sort of thing. I mentioned "wouldn't it be nice if we were like other industrialized rich nations and had a national health care system?" I received blank looks, so explained further. "National health care... it's where you get sick, you go to the doctor, you get medication, and it's free. Sure it's got some problems, but at least every single person in the nation can get health care when they need it and not have to worry about not being able to pay for it." Looks of understanding and "yeah, that'd be nice!" and then "But don't communists do that? Communists are bad."
My reply? "Actually, the US is one of the few industrialized nations in the world that DOESN'T have a national health care system. Canada, the UK, [not mentioning others as I'm sure some of these people don't even know what or where the UK is...] etc... they all have national systems." The teacher then piped in.
"Yes, but taxes are really high in Canada."
I said "I would GLADLY pay more taxes if it meant every single person in this country could see a doctor when they needed to. Besides, we could all afford the taxes if we didn't have to worry about paying for health insurance or a few hundred dollars every doctor's visit. I say bring on the taxes and give us ALL health care." She looked at me like I'd grown a second head.
That's when she called me a socialist. "Well that's socialism. Do you know what that means?" duh. Yes. "You do know that socialism is a bad thing, right?" um..... k, whatever.
She's a freakin NURSE! This woman has been a nurse for 20 YEARS! She's seen hospitals turn people away for cancer treatment because they couldn't pay. She's worked in an ER stabalizing people and then SENDING THEM HOME knowing they'll get worse just because they didn't have health insurance. She's watched kids, KIDS, die because their parents couldn't cover the cost of their much needed transplant, even with insurance, when there was an organ match right there for the taking.
And she thinks I'M nuts for wanting a national health care system??!?!?!?!
Yeah, okay, whatever.
I don't understand people. I really really don't.
In class we were talking about health insurance and the like, the fact that the long-term care facility we're training at offers good insurance to full time employees but it's somewhat pricey, that sort of thing. I mentioned "wouldn't it be nice if we were like other industrialized rich nations and had a national health care system?" I received blank looks, so explained further. "National health care... it's where you get sick, you go to the doctor, you get medication, and it's free. Sure it's got some problems, but at least every single person in the nation can get health care when they need it and not have to worry about not being able to pay for it." Looks of understanding and "yeah, that'd be nice!" and then "But don't communists do that? Communists are bad."
My reply? "Actually, the US is one of the few industrialized nations in the world that DOESN'T have a national health care system. Canada, the UK, [not mentioning others as I'm sure some of these people don't even know what or where the UK is...] etc... they all have national systems." The teacher then piped in.
"Yes, but taxes are really high in Canada."
I said "I would GLADLY pay more taxes if it meant every single person in this country could see a doctor when they needed to. Besides, we could all afford the taxes if we didn't have to worry about paying for health insurance or a few hundred dollars every doctor's visit. I say bring on the taxes and give us ALL health care." She looked at me like I'd grown a second head.
That's when she called me a socialist. "Well that's socialism. Do you know what that means?" duh. Yes. "You do know that socialism is a bad thing, right?" um..... k, whatever.
She's a freakin NURSE! This woman has been a nurse for 20 YEARS! She's seen hospitals turn people away for cancer treatment because they couldn't pay. She's worked in an ER stabalizing people and then SENDING THEM HOME knowing they'll get worse just because they didn't have health insurance. She's watched kids, KIDS, die because their parents couldn't cover the cost of their much needed transplant, even with insurance, when there was an organ match right there for the taking.
And she thinks I'M nuts for wanting a national health care system??!?!?!?!
Yeah, okay, whatever.
I don't understand people. I really really don't.