...things are getting really nasty on the universal health care front. Now, I'm often asked by non-Americans what in the hell we're doing over in the US, denying people basic health care and sending people bills that were obviously typed on defective typewriters because there is no way that's a real number, and honestly, I can't explain it to you. Because it doesn't really make a lot of sense to me either.
Tragically, after reading some of the tripe that is put out about the death squads sent out to kill your mother and her dog by forcing her (your mother, but maybe also your mother's dog) to stand in line for her (again, not only your mother but your mother's DOG too) botox shots for, like, an hour or something, but *IN THE SUN* and possibly near an ugly faux palm tree, and the evil socialist fascist commie bastards who want to force *YOU* to have an *ABORTION* even if you aren't pregnant, or are a guy and probably don't have a uterus, unless you are one of those gay people, because we all know you have uteruses in your well decorated apartments, and in which case we the True Believers in Christ's Mercy aka Fox News Followers will kill you with our own death squads, but *WE* are not going to make *YOU* wait in line, (quick go back to the start of this sentence to pick up the original thread of this thought) you realize why American's are becoming increasingly stupid.
I went to the Fox News website to get you a link, but then the world went black and my computer started to flicker and I realized that my soul was being sucked into a vortex of evil and filth and so I Force Quit the internet.
Partially recovered, but needing a stiff drink, I returned to the intertubes and reloaded the page that had started my quest. I'm sure she didn't want me to go to... That Place... to look for a good link. I'm sure if she was in the neighborhood she'd even bring me a gin and... more gin. That would be Aaryn Belfer who writes from time to time for The Woman's Colony and wrote this FABULOUS piece (it's a link!!) that kept me smiling in a time of partisan woe. I stole that picture from her too! I'm a commie bastard at heart. I BLEED RED. Um. Yeah.
Whenever I want to remind myself why Denmark is really not that bad of a place to be downtrodden and marginalized, I can just check out Fox Noise and remember that I could be where the *liberal majority* is downtrodden and marginalized by a few fat white male pundits.
Fox News is the media outlet for all that is evil back home - bet the DFP is jealous they don't have a channel like that all their own . . .
ReplyDeleteOne thing that cracks me up about some of the protests against national health care - these old people on Medicare who are being very vocal against the government getting involved in health care . . . what do they think Medicare is? lol
Oh, did you see that Daily Show episode with the clip from Craig T. Nelson where he said "when I was on food stamps and welfare, did anyone help me out? No!" Oh, ROFLMAO!
ReplyDeleteI saw that clip! After wading through politifact.com and nyt.com and Faux News and all the other outlets, I need Jon Steward to make me laugh else...else...I dunno, I think I'd re-lose it. At least the righty pundits are making this an international debate--they've wound the Brits up to Totally Pissed Off.
ReplyDeleteEh, Stewart. Odd typo as he is the steward of political funniness.
ReplyDeleteHow these people can think that partially socialized health care automacially equals the US turning into the USSR we all feared in the 80's is beyond me - oh wait, that had to come froma Alaska's beauty queen, Ms. Palin, who continues to insist there will be death squads. She has set woman-kind in the US back DECADES!!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that they got the UK pissed off is funny enough - their system isn't perfect, but at least it works.
I hate the way politics has realised people are not listening properly and just needs to jam the signal with noise about DEATH PANELS and everyone will stop saying "can't I have the right to be sick without worrying about bankruptcy?"
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, I'm upset that I'm not in the US to actually take part in the debate. On the other hand, I'm TOTALLY thankful that I don't have to hear the constant media saturation and misrepresentation, etc., that goes with anything of this magnitude. And, yeah, I'm also thankful that my recent diagnosis happened here, not there, or I'd be spending all my free time reviewing bills, arguing with insurance companies, and flat broke.
ReplyDeleteHeh, I can't tell you the number of times I've resorted to reading one of my favorite snarkier blogs just to cheer myself up for being in the most boring capital city in Europe!
ReplyDeleteIt was bizarre trying to explain to my dad's girlfriend during my trip to Indiana how one country's "socialized medicine" could be better than another's "socialized medicine," i.e. France vs. Denmark. I think she just wasn't buying the concept. At all.
It floors me, seriously. And it breaks my heart seeing these poor saps carrying water for these greed-driven motherfuckers who'd probably cross the street rather than have to talk to any one of these mouthbreathers. Grrrrrrr.
I don't know whose politics I agree with since I am now without a party.
ReplyDeleteCame here a staunch lefty type and now see all the major flaws in the 'socialist' healthcare we have in Denmark. So not left wing any more, definitely not liberal and not going to admit to right wing.
I wish there could be more competition here.There are so many failings in the Danish healthcare system: how crap they are at diagnosis, how much money they waste in their procedures, how you better be healthy before you get treated otherwise you won't make it.
Sort of thing.
The best treatment I have every received here is at the hands of an American doc, because she told me about the choices I had, then went off the record and told me 'they won't tell you that, but I will' rolling her eyes all the way about the way the Danish do it. Sure it all comes out of our taxes, but we get the absolute basic standard of the developed world.
The problem with the Danish health care system is that we don't have a hell of a lot of choice about the treatment we get, and if you ever ask for a second opinion you get treated really badly.
And their diagnostics can be way off, and oh..did I mention the lack of choice?