Health Care II

[antiquark]

You're right it's not health care, it's health control. And in short order, it will be called 'bankruptcy.'

I'll laugh when the health of Americans improves and the life expectancy gets longer, thanks to Obamacare. I wonder what the Republicans will say when that happens.

 

[jwc57]

I'll laugh when the health of Americans improves and the life expectancy gets longer, thanks to Obamacare. I wonder what the Republicans will say when that happens.

I've heard this many times, but I've often wondered how true it is. Do we know that nationalized health care contributes to a longer life for Europeans?

I contend that Europeans lead a healthier lifestyle. I'm a cycling advocate. Europeans are known to commute by bike and/or walk to grab a ride on public transportation. Americans will drive a half mile to buy a light bulb. My neighbor drives less than an 1/8 of a mile to drop her kids off at school...even though a bus comes by ten minutes before she leaves.

If we really want change, we need to ban or limit: alcohol, tobacco of all kinds, salt, fried foods, and fast food, to name a few things.

 

[antiquark]

Don't look to Europe, look north to Canada! Here's an article:

http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/06/29/why-we-live-longer/

The article makes various points:
- we have lots of immigrants.
- we have less poverty, which leads to less illness.
- we have one of the lowest smoking rates in the world. (The fascististic govt is trying to eradicate it by various means )

Plus:

Our publicly funded health system helps to keep that gap from widening, and it’s a major reason for our longevity, experts agree. Nations with universally accessible health care always have longer average life expectancies

 

[Olsen]

I've heard this many times, but I've often wondered how true it is. Do we know that nationalized health care contributes to a longer life for Europeans?

All relevant statistics show that Western Europeans, the part of Europe most comparable to USA, have a longer life and have a better health. The frequency of HIV/AIDS is 'less than half' in Western Europe, compared to USA. The frequency of this new type of uncureable tuberculosis is close to three times higher in USA than in Western Europe. As such, one could argue that Americans are an international health risk due to their poor health care system... [/quote]

I contend that Europeans lead a healthier lifestyle. I'm a cycling advocate. Europeans are known to commute by bike and/or walk to grab a ride on public transportation. Americans will drive a half mile to buy a light bulb. My neighbor drives less than an 1/8 of a mile to drop her kids off at school...even though a bus comes by ten minutes before she leaves.

I would regard that some 8 countries in Western Europe have a higher living standard than the average USA. In these countries obesity is just as much a problem as in USA, unfortunately.

If we really want change, we need to ban or limit: alcohol, tobacco of all kinds, salt, fried foods, and fast food, to name a few things.

I absolutely agree.

This vary here in Europe. Some countries have high taxes on alcohol and tobacco and restricted opening hours of pubs etc. Typically, these countries have a healthier population with less alcohol damage.

And: These countries have a better public financial situation too! The cheaper the beer is in a country here in Europe the more certain you can be that the 'federal debt' of the country in question is huge.

Cheap beer countries would be: Iceland, Greece and UK (plus plus)

Expensive beer countries would be: Norway, Sweden Finland and Denmark (plus, plus)

You are not selling your beer to cheaply over there, are you?

 

[Olsen]

The problem isn't a lack of funding. The problem is where the funding is spent. Health care is more important than wars in foreign countries, and bailing out crooked banks.

Hear, hear!

Of the tax bill of an ordinary American, 1/3 goes to defence, 1/3 to interest on public debt and 1/3 goes to all the social programs.

 

[Olsen]

Well we will have insurance, not health care.

Yesterday I was read a list of all the medicare cuts and the program is being gutted. Shame they forced us into it by law 40 years ago, and then they don`t want to fund it. Social Security is the same thing.

All nice programs. All broke. The US has multi trillion annual defficits as far as the eye can see. The congressional budget office has said we need to do something very soon.
It will be steep tax increases and a new VAT.

Guess the new VAT will start out small like income tax did, but then explode when nobody is watching just like income tax.

So much for taxing the rich for benefits to the poor. You all really did not believe this before O Bama was elected did you? I sure as hell did not.

But there is no way around increased taxes for USA. If you don't improve USA's financial position USA might go bankrupt. Long before that your state/federal budget will be dependant on 'how much money you can borrow'. A lot of nations are in this situation.

Here is my suggestions:

1)
A hefty tax on alcohol and tobacco to go directly into your health care budget. Over here we are thinking of implementing a tax on sugar too. What about you?

2)
A hefty tax on petrol. To finance a long term down payment plan on your foreign debt.

 

[jpa66]

Well, there is a way to get around a general tax increase: get out of the two wars that the US is currently mired in, cut the ridiculously bloated "Defense" budget and restore some semblance of sanity and fairness to the income tax structure ( ie., to what it was pre-Reagan ). The US would certainly have more than enough money for universal health care, which is most certainly what the recently passed bill does not do.

But there is no way around increased taxes for USA. If you don't improve USA's financial position USA might go bankrupt. Long before that your state/federal budget will be dependant on 'how much money you can borrow'. A lot of nations are in this situation.

Here is my suggestions:

1)
A hefty tax on alcohol and tobacco to go directly into your health care budget. Over here we are thinking of implementing a tax on sugar too. What about you?

2)
A hefty tax on petrol. To finance a long term down payment plan on your foreign debt.

 

[Olsen]

Well, there is a way to get around a general tax increase: get out of the two wars that the US is currently mired in, cut the ridiculously bloated "Defense" budget and restore some semblance of sanity and fairness to the income tax structure ( ie., to what it was pre-Reagan ). The US would certainly have more than enough money for universal health care, which is most certainly what the recently passed bill does not do.

Absolutely. You are right.

As I have said in another post; of all tax that US ta payers pay, goes to:

1/3 Defence
1/3 Interest on public debt.
1/3 All the social programs.

IF US halved it's defence spendings you will still be the strongest military power in the world. And no 2 will still be an allied (UK).