Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Ok UK, We Hear You

In a mere 2 days, 115,738 citizens of the UK have felt the need to clarify their feelings about their national healthcare system, so maligned by conservative worshipers of insurance companies.

I'm not sure how far this petition will go - I imagine it'll lose steam at some point. It's just another little piece of evidence that Republicans are using a number of tactics, including lying, to convince us that 37th in the world for health care is acceptable for the wealthiest and most powerful nation ever to exist.

Granted, there are a few out there who are offering actual solutions rather than screaming and guns, but they don't seem to be the majority in our popular culture right now. And I've established that I am not an Obama worshiper myself, and I can list some imperfections of Obamacare, but if my options are 1) screaming lunatics who bring AR-15s to town hall meetings supported by insurance-company funded Republicans and 2) the 37th health care system in the world for the highest price in the world or 3) Obamacare...well, that's an easy choice. I wish I had better options, but that's what's in front of me.

Oh, and denouncing Obama's "death panels" when they were first put forward by George W. Bush a few years ago and went basically unmentioned? Still incredibly hypocritical, even if you pretend that "death panel" has anything to do with the legislation being considered.

2 comments:

Aric Clark said...

I lived in the UK 3 years. My first child was born there. My father had his appendix out there. I have a lot of direct experience of the health care in Britain and I can unequivocally say that the NHS beats the hell out of our system every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Eddie Louise said...

We (Aric's parents) lived there 7 years. Our daughter might choose to live there permanently because as a dance and theater tutor she doesn't get health care, and she may not be able to afford it here.

Immigrants used to come to America for just that reason - things were better here than at home. Now we are seeing reverse immigration. But still it doesn't wake people up.

{sigh} Can I go back to Britain now?