A lot of the food in the US has chemicals that are banned in other countries that have universal healthcare. The food companies spend millions on research and development to make the food literally addicting. Also our portion sizes are insanely huge. When the other countries have to pay for the healthcare of their citizens, they’re going to make damn sure the food is healthier.
Who pretends america is the best? It leads in some metrics. Other countries lead on others. Quality of life is high for most but not all, comparitavely. However, there is more inequality and poorer healthcare. Even healthcare for the wealthy is expensive for little benefit compared to poorer countries.
I really don’t feel like the quality of life is high in the US. How is that measured? Affordable healthcare? Well paid jobs? Affordable healthy produce? Access to public transport? Good infrastructure? Little wealth disparity? Access to education? Can someone tell me which of these the US leads in?
Well yes, in the sense that sandcastles exist on the beach until the tide comes back in but worry not they are quickly trying to solve the problem of their own existence in as many ways possible as they can whether it be killing themselves with reckless and proud self exposure to Covid, lack of clean water in the places they spend all their money on a big house, mental health, lack of healthcare etc… you just have to give them time to kill themselves off (and make sure your loved ones don’t get mixed up in their collective self destruction if you can).
I once heard a european say we eat like we have free healthcare. No we don’t. We eat like we have a government with more accountability to monied interests than to our health, a food industry that profits from us being compelled to overeat cheaply produced foods, and a healthcare system that profits from chronic illness and sudden misfortune. Oh yeah, this onion’s got layers, and it’s rotting from the inside-out.
In fact, I think a genuine effort behind universal healthcare would involve the government suddenly caring a lot more about industry in general growing profits by running things as cheap and dirty as they have been and, in a way, passing their costs onto the general population.
That’s not going to happen, I don’t think. Have you ever checked the list of banned ingredients from the UK and EU and compared them to the U.S.? At this point, (conspiracy time) I believe we’re facing a slow kill. And especially since sickness and disease is profitable.
as I understand it the difference comes down to this:
The EU requires ingredients to be proven safe to be allowed
The US requires ingredients to be proven unsafe to not be allowed.
The end result is still what you expect, but even if something was actually safe it could be in our food but not yet allowed in their food, so it’s hard to get a good comparison.
What you meant to say is you can’t envision it happening.
Plenty of change has and will continue to happen in your life that you are utterly unable to fathom including ultimately like the rest of us, your own passing from this life.
We can have universal healthcare, if it feels impossible it is because we have been specifically trained to feel that it is impossible.
Tell you what, I will say that Universal Healthcare will become a reality when the U.S. is completely out of debt and back to surplus (lack of a better term).
But we have an upcoming problem. The petrodollar is officially dead (okay more like dying, realistically). The Saudi’s have refused to renew the petrodollar contract with the U.S. Now in the future this could be reversed and somehow we’re able to get Saudi Arabia back on board with that contract, or… we will face a slow death of the U.S. dollar. And as long as more and more countries unite with BRICS, the more and more the dollar will come to its impending doom.
As for the outcome… I can’t comprehend it. I have no idea what’s to come. I can only imagine that the U.S. will try to enforce imaginary money - CBDC which will have a lot of resistance (I sure as fk don’t want CBDC, I don’t need government tracking how/where/when I use my money).
Not trying to get off topic, btw… just saying that Universal Healthcare is more than likely not ever going to happen in the U.S. and why that may be the case.
As for the outcome… I can’t comprehend it. I have no idea what’s to come.
The only thing to know for sure is that, in the face of ever diminishing returns, those heavily invested in the status quo will fight like hell to keep what they have. Scary thing is: those same people have the money to do so. I suspect that means lots of law, policy, and other maneuvers to maintain this system even if it’s on the way out. Best case: we manage to shift the US economy to some other growth sector like renewable energy. Worst case: the US military gets mobilized to make that happen.
I can only imagine that the U.S. will try to enforce imaginary money - CBDC which will have a lot of resistance
I honestly see this as an evolution of what the Federal Reserve already does - a huge amount of what happens between banks, the stock market, and the reserve is all digital right now. This just gives those transactions the same standing as fiat. What I really don’t like is that this definition on Investopedia makes no reference to “privacy” in the stated properties of CBDC. Were this pushed down into the rest of the economy, your concerns about tracking are entirely valid.
just saying that Universal Healthcare is more than likely not ever going to happen in the U.S. and why that may be the case.
I see the argument, but outside substantial and powerful investment in the current system, I don’t agree. I don’t think federal debt or surplus has any bearing on the viability of universal healthcare. Instead, I honestly think it comes down to the existing insurance providers and the political power they hold. What we’re talking about here is relegating those companies to mere federal contractors, while nationalizing the role and responsibility of the top of those organizations. That means investors, boards, C-level people, upper management, everyone running that private sector will make less money. And that’s the case even if you stand up a national health service in parallel with the current system; the nationalized service will simply take business away. And the mere threat of this causes the would-be losers in that shift to fight like hell to keep what they have; that means political action, corruption, etc.
Short of electing people with the political will to make this shift, and weather the blowback from powerful insurance companies, I can see only one other way through: somehow nationalize the current healthcare system while keeping the current power structures intact. Effectively, handle it like an acquisition or merger. This gives people a sweetheart deal: federal job security and private sector pay, without the risks presented by competition. Then, follow up with a 50 year plan to consolidate and collapse said power structures - enough time for the fat cats to age out of the whole mess. Yeah, it’ll take a lot of nose-holding to get done, but engaging with everyone’s sense of greed has got to be easier than the alternatives right now.
The fact that the US is the only major industrialized nation without some from of a universal healthcare system is supremely fucked up…
I legit think it’s way too late to implement universal healthcare because the entire food industry would have to change also.
Interesting take. I’ve never heard anyone connect the two. How do you mean?
A lot of the food in the US has chemicals that are banned in other countries that have universal healthcare. The food companies spend millions on research and development to make the food literally addicting. Also our portion sizes are insanely huge. When the other countries have to pay for the healthcare of their citizens, they’re going to make damn sure the food is healthier.
Excellent point. I like it.
And hate it because it’s true. Bastards.
Honestly, everyone always pretends like America is the best, but were so painfully behind with so many things…
Who pretends america is the best? It leads in some metrics. Other countries lead on others. Quality of life is high for most but not all, comparitavely. However, there is more inequality and poorer healthcare. Even healthcare for the wealthy is expensive for little benefit compared to poorer countries.
I really don’t feel like the quality of life is high in the US. How is that measured? Affordable healthcare? Well paid jobs? Affordable healthy produce? Access to public transport? Good infrastructure? Little wealth disparity? Access to education? Can someone tell me which of these the US leads in?
Military!
/s
Other Americans mainly…
Oh, the irony.
Who does, Hollywood movies? Life isn’t a movie.
The Republicans exist y’know…
Well yes, in the sense that sandcastles exist on the beach until the tide comes back in but worry not they are quickly trying to solve the problem of their own existence in as many ways possible as they can whether it be killing themselves with reckless and proud self exposure to Covid, lack of clean water in the places they spend all their money on a big house, mental health, lack of healthcare etc… you just have to give them time to kill themselves off (and make sure your loved ones don’t get mixed up in their collective self destruction if you can).
Change takes time unfortunately :(
Hollywood is quickly dying
What does that even mean?
I once heard a european say we eat like we have free healthcare. No we don’t. We eat like we have a government with more accountability to monied interests than to our health, a food industry that profits from us being compelled to overeat cheaply produced foods, and a healthcare system that profits from chronic illness and sudden misfortune. Oh yeah, this onion’s got layers, and it’s rotting from the inside-out.
In fact, I think a genuine effort behind universal healthcare would involve the government suddenly caring a lot more about industry in general growing profits by running things as cheap and dirty as they have been and, in a way, passing their costs onto the general population.
McDonald’s is shit in every country
That’s not going to happen, I don’t think. Have you ever checked the list of banned ingredients from the UK and EU and compared them to the U.S.? At this point, (conspiracy time) I believe we’re facing a slow kill. And especially since sickness and disease is profitable.
as I understand it the difference comes down to this: The EU requires ingredients to be proven safe to be allowed The US requires ingredients to be proven unsafe to not be allowed.
The end result is still what you expect, but even if something was actually safe it could be in our food but not yet allowed in their food, so it’s hard to get a good comparison.
What you meant to say is you can’t envision it happening.
Plenty of change has and will continue to happen in your life that you are utterly unable to fathom including ultimately like the rest of us, your own passing from this life.
We can have universal healthcare, if it feels impossible it is because we have been specifically trained to feel that it is impossible.
Tell you what, I will say that Universal Healthcare will become a reality when the U.S. is completely out of debt and back to surplus (lack of a better term).
But we have an upcoming problem. The petrodollar is officially dead (okay more like dying, realistically). The Saudi’s have refused to renew the petrodollar contract with the U.S. Now in the future this could be reversed and somehow we’re able to get Saudi Arabia back on board with that contract, or… we will face a slow death of the U.S. dollar. And as long as more and more countries unite with BRICS, the more and more the dollar will come to its impending doom.
As for the outcome… I can’t comprehend it. I have no idea what’s to come. I can only imagine that the U.S. will try to enforce imaginary money - CBDC which will have a lot of resistance (I sure as fk don’t want CBDC, I don’t need government tracking how/where/when I use my money).
Not trying to get off topic, btw… just saying that Universal Healthcare is more than likely not ever going to happen in the U.S. and why that may be the case.
The only thing to know for sure is that, in the face of ever diminishing returns, those heavily invested in the status quo will fight like hell to keep what they have. Scary thing is: those same people have the money to do so. I suspect that means lots of law, policy, and other maneuvers to maintain this system even if it’s on the way out. Best case: we manage to shift the US economy to some other growth sector like renewable energy. Worst case: the US military gets mobilized to make that happen.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/central-bank-digital-currency-cbdc.asp
I honestly see this as an evolution of what the Federal Reserve already does - a huge amount of what happens between banks, the stock market, and the reserve is all digital right now. This just gives those transactions the same standing as fiat. What I really don’t like is that this definition on Investopedia makes no reference to “privacy” in the stated properties of CBDC. Were this pushed down into the rest of the economy, your concerns about tracking are entirely valid.
I see the argument, but outside substantial and powerful investment in the current system, I don’t agree. I don’t think federal debt or surplus has any bearing on the viability of universal healthcare. Instead, I honestly think it comes down to the existing insurance providers and the political power they hold. What we’re talking about here is relegating those companies to mere federal contractors, while nationalizing the role and responsibility of the top of those organizations. That means investors, boards, C-level people, upper management, everyone running that private sector will make less money. And that’s the case even if you stand up a national health service in parallel with the current system; the nationalized service will simply take business away. And the mere threat of this causes the would-be losers in that shift to fight like hell to keep what they have; that means political action, corruption, etc.
Short of electing people with the political will to make this shift, and weather the blowback from powerful insurance companies, I can see only one other way through: somehow nationalize the current healthcare system while keeping the current power structures intact. Effectively, handle it like an acquisition or merger. This gives people a sweetheart deal: federal job security and private sector pay, without the risks presented by competition. Then, follow up with a 50 year plan to consolidate and collapse said power structures - enough time for the fat cats to age out of the whole mess. Yeah, it’ll take a lot of nose-holding to get done, but engaging with everyone’s sense of greed has got to be easier than the alternatives right now.
Population control. Kill off the citiz ns and replace them with immigrants who will work for less and live even shorter lives.