Wouldn't there be more money for research and development if insurance companies weren't acting as middlemen?
Are we really THAT much like America?
- Thread starter Naffa
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Wouldn't there be more money for research and development if insurance companies weren't acting as middlemen?
I agree but this isn't a UK or US phenomena or even close to being unique to these countries. Truthiness is common throughout the world.
By Europe I assume you mean the EU in which case as someone is very pro-EU I can relate to many of the arguments you Brits have against EU. i.e. The EU is at times wasteful of tax payer money. It doesn't convey its justification of the increasingly political aspirations of the EU to the European public.
The Nazis were National Socialists, which is distinctly different from socialism. I think it boils down to the idea that they apply socialism in an extremely nationalistic way, ie they're very select about who qualifies to be in that group. I still don't really understand, as they were a blend of Nationalism and Socialism creating a right-wing Socialist stance, and I don't clearly see how such a thing could exist.
America is probably more like us than most others, but id say we are much in a league of our own.
Americans all seem to be very brainwashed, both with religion, and in a ''This is the United States Of American!'' way. Very very home proud.
The UK is pain and simply bogged down / ruled by religion.
Americans all seem to be very brainwashed, both with religion, and in a ''This is the United States Of American!'' way. Very very home proud.
The UK is pain and simply bogged down / ruled by religion.
Fixed.
Soldato
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I'm not a fan of socialism. When I talk to socialists, they just want to tax the rich and middle class for everything "because they can afford it" and ban stuff they don't like.
And the arguments are just as bad and based on emotion as anything a Daily Mail reading right-winger could think of.
I think we could do with being a bit more patriotic like them however; they are very proud of their country, their soldiers etc. where we are not at all.
Just to clarify, I'm not like that. I know that there are naive members of both the left and the right, that base their opinions on bias and prejudice rather than fact, but not all socialists are like it, just like not all capitalists are like it. As a socialist, my opinion basically boils down to economic and social equality and that yes, I believe people earning more should pay more tax and that should be spent on those less fortunate than themselves.
My point was that I believe there is a huge imbalance in America regarding the kind of people that base their opinions and beliefs on bias and their political standing. Take Bill O'Reilly for example, he's the most watched broadcaster on cable television and take a look at this:
I'm not saying that this kind of thing is exclusive to America, but I cannot imagine such a person being on UK television, let alone have the following the he does.
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Soldato
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I think americans are allot more religious then us british dont you think?
Soldato
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If america gets a free health system for the poor then I'll take my hat off to them for that, people it sickens me to see that country the way it is....You've all seen the documentry SICKO yes? Well honestly I thought it was disgracefull how the poor are treated and neglected in their country.
And we're not even talking about poor, we're talking about middle class families aswell if you watch that documentry.
My family is middle class and I live with my pearents and they earn over £100,000 which is really good I think and we have nice house and car etc but if we lived in america and one of us had a heart attack or something drastic we wouldnt be able to afford the medicle bills and would lose the house? wtf?
Well ok, that was also party due to those dodgy insurance companies aswell as you saw in the documentry "SICKO", but still messed up all the same.
Over the years I've heard bad talk about our NHS system, to me thats crazy, can you imagine a country without it, that would be awfull, sick people dying in the street like in america?
We're lucky to have a free medicle service and it's one of the best things this country did after the war, infact its one of the best things we've ever done ever!!!!!
And we're not even talking about poor, we're talking about middle class families aswell if you watch that documentry.
My family is middle class and I live with my pearents and they earn over £100,000 which is really good I think and we have nice house and car etc but if we lived in america and one of us had a heart attack or something drastic we wouldnt be able to afford the medicle bills and would lose the house? wtf?
Well ok, that was also party due to those dodgy insurance companies aswell as you saw in the documentry "SICKO", but still messed up all the same.
Over the years I've heard bad talk about our NHS system, to me thats crazy, can you imagine a country without it, that would be awfull, sick people dying in the street like in america?
We're lucky to have a free medicle service and it's one of the best things this country did after the war, infact its one of the best things we've ever done ever!!!!!
Although I do agree, do remember that Sicko was made by one of the most biased people ever to have existed. It's quite easy to agree with everything in Moore's films as they confirm to a lot of my ideology, but if one is honest with oneself, they are caked with biased and need to be viewed as such.
Soldato
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I should have worded my post better. I don't dislike socialism as such or all socialism but I do find some socialists to be just as reactionary on the whole. The NHS is a good idea but some socialists (or just the general population) seem to think its this amazing service that just can't be bettered when in fact its 18th on the W.H.O list and France's hybrid system is 1st. Also, socialists seem to treat the term 'free market' with just as much irrational hatred as American capitalists treat the word 'socialism'.
The real problem I have with some American commentators is that they, for example, say they are anti-big Government but are pro-war. They want Government to stay out of heath insurance but sending the military into other people's countries is A-Okay.
I've watched nearly all of Bill O' Reilly's videos on Youtube (that I can find) and loads of Sean Hannity, Bill Maher, Glenn Beck, some Limbaugh, Daily Show on C4, Ron Paul stuff, etc. and I see the argument about their TV News and panel shows being more polarized than our equivalents (Newsnight, Hard Talk, even comedy shows like Mock the Week).
But at the same time, its not just people on the right wing who contribute to this imbalance. People like Chris Hitchens and Richard Dawkins going on U.S. TV shows as militant atheists to do nothing more than promote their books doesn't help and just adds to the atheism vs. religion, right vs. left, etc. shouting match that's going on in America.
I concur, but exactly the same can be said for the opposite side regarding a contrary opinion.
I agree, but do you not think it's right that a shouting match of sorts is going on? I for one, think it's good that there are finally people over there challenging age old beliefs, that up until now, a lot of people have been able to hold with no justification as there was just no one to challenge it. I'm simply wondering if my opinion that the extremest right wing media is dominating American television, raido, newspapers, etc is correct.
Why are you bringing up the big lie that is religion into this?
It has nothing to do with the topic, we are trying to talk about fact not fiction here.
Dawkings does not preach social reform and socialism, he simply tells the truth about religion being a lie and there being no deity.
It has nothing to do with the topic, we are trying to talk about fact not fiction here.
Dawkings does not preach social reform and socialism, he simply tells the truth about religion being a lie and there being no deity.
The religious side perhaps, but you/he were discussing about the atheist side which, as far as I can tell, has never equated social values with their lack of religion.
The reason I posted the video of Dawkins being interviewed by O'Reilly was because of the last part (I did write it under the video). Bill O'Reilly actually cited Stalin and Pol Pot's motivation for committing the atrocities they did, was their atheism. That is an absolutely ludicrous belief to hold, and why it worries me so, is because men that hold beliefs such as this, hold a tremendous amount of influence in America, hence my bring it up.
I agree, that atheism isn't anything, it's simply a lack of belief in a higher being. No feeling or act can be born from simply not believing in something, O'Reilly's comments were disgraceful.