Could any American posters please explain to this Brit' why so many of your countrymen are hostile to Obamacare? (page 7)

Simon

It's a strange thing that American's are so content with the notion that people's rights and life experiences can be so dependent on arbitrary lines drawn by politicians around geographical areas.

I agree that millions of people dont have proper healthCARE. I am not advocating for "throwing people in a pit" In my view society certainly needs to address the lack of health care for those less fortunate than myself.

That is what is happening right now. You have extremes on both sides of this issue that are fighting it out in our civilized society. FDR said that civilization has its ups and downs but as long as the overall trend is moving upward we are on the right track.

I do not look kindly on anything that limits personal freedoms or maybe I should say I look on anything suspiciously that takes away personal freedoms by any goverment agencies, federal or state.

pbrow

FedUpJW

Purchasing car insurance is more equivalent ... and yes, the government mandates that you purchase that.

True. Although there is no requirement that said insurance must cover pre-existing mechanical conditions on ones vehicle, like the un-affordable health insurance mandate does. If it did, I most certainly would go to the nearest auto salvage yard, haul away the most rusted, un-road worth piece of crap I could find, buy the insurance on it and by the time insurance was done paying for the repairs I would have a nice bright shiny new vehicle...thanks to those who only insured good vehicles needing no coverage to make repairs in the first place.

That may not be your analogy, but it works for me.

FedUpJW

The reason?
A black man thought it up.

Nice try, but a WHITE woman tried it in the nineties. And a WHITE man tried it in the earlier 2000's. Both failed.

It has nothing to do with race, so don't make it about race.

Simon

That may not be your analogy, but it works for me

It isn't that at all.

Your auto-insurance isn't a warranty and doesn't cover maintenance, it's for liability in case you kill or injure someone.

Of course if you drive carefully and maintain your vehicle you reduce your risks and the premiums come down which is the reward for doing that - it would be equivalent to not smoking or participating in high-risk sports.

Giordano

The anti mandate argument doesn't work. It is up to the government to mandate what and why we have certain rules.

Please explain to us why we have to purchase Auto insurance if we want to drive our verticals on public roads? Why we can be fined if we don't 'buckle up' ? Why young children must be in a car seat and secured with a seat belt....... in the Back seat?

You get pulled over by the police you are going to be fined.

Why we have Social Security and Medicare deducted directly from our paychecks or when we pay our taxes if we are self employed? That if we don't declare our income....... over time....... we will face heavy penalties and if we have criminally avoided paying our taxes we can go to jail.

All of this is mandated by law. I started paying taxes and SS and Medicare (which was combined with SS) when I first started working some 55 years ago. I didn't need any of that nor did I think I ever would.........guess what........ it was mandated.

How about the police, fire departments and public schools...... it is mandatory that home owners pay property taxes............. sometimes very heavy property taxes. At this time in my life part of my Property Taxes pay to educate other people's children if they are in the public system.

And by the way....... the USA fields and funds the largest military force in the world by 7 times. "It also has the largest military budget of $610 billion which is far larger than its closest rival China at 216 billion and is actually bigger then the next nine countries combined."

I don't get a choice in what my military does or doesn't do. I can vote but that's it.

http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/29-largest-armies-in-the-world.html

In the UK and Canada the cost of health services is paid by every working individual as far as I know.

'Mandatory' is the least of the issues. Just as when I was a young man and started to contribute to SS and Medicare. You don't get the benefits if you haven't paid in.

Why did Ray Franz have to work for years after he left Bethel? So he and his wife could qualify for SS and Medicare. He was 58 when he left Bethel and managed to live to 88.

And let's remember we have 20 million who have signed up for health care many who never had adequate health care before because believe it or not many States still don't provide Medicaid for it's poorest citizens.

Because Hospitals can no longer turn away people from their emergency rooms guess who foots the bill? American citizens do. So all and all its better for these folks to have access to affordable care. Now it becomes necessary to take the burden off of the Middle Class.

Along with Obama Care free or almost free ($10 or $20 per visit) health care centers have been financed and refitted to provide dental care, paid staff and doctors who are willing to volunteer. Obama care funded more health clinics to care for the poor.

The Republicans want to defund the protections that millions now count on. I am sure they will come up with a replacement plan really soon........... after all they have had 8 years to come up with a plan.

Finkelstein

It is not the governments job to mandate that every citizen must purchase INSURANCE

The reason why that was implemented was based in foreknowing that for the system to financially balance itself, it had to have as much people as possible contributing toward paying premiums, high volume lower cost per person in other words.

Even still since the private health industry is so greedy and expensive in the US, the Obamacare started to faulter, unfortunately heath care and Corporate greed are synopsis with one and another in the US .

nicolaou

For many of us it has nothing to do with how much my premium is/was/will be. It is a principal rooted in self reliance and personal accountability.

And how about looking after the less fortunate? How self-reliant could someone with a progressive neurological disorder ever be? I certainly don't have all the answers but this obsession with 'personal accountability' amongst some seems a little uncaring and, if you want, unChristian.

For all it's faults the UK system of a National Insurance contributions scheme and a National Health Service seems far more equitable and compassionate by comparison.

pbrow

GIORDINO...

I initially made the mistake of not clarifying state government and federal government. Many of your examples are state or local government decisions. I have no problem with state and local government making decisions even when they are decisions that I do not agree with.

One of the main tasks of the federal government is national defense. We now have 20 million more people signed up for health INSURANCE. That is different than health care.

I am well aware of who foots the bill because ERs cannot turn people away. That is a major reason why hospitals overcharge.. in order to recoupe those costs.

When you say "free" what exactly do you mean? I learned TINSTAAFL in high school. Someone is always paying for it.

I agree that health care coverage is a problem for a significant portion of my fellow citizens. All the bullshit about death panels, republicans want to kill 36,000 people a year and we dont want obama care because obama is black do not help advance the debate.

pbrow

Village Idiot

When all is said and done about each nation's healthcare, one should realize this:

Canada has an average lifespan of 81.9 years.

The United States 79.8 years.

They're two years ahead of the U.S..

https://www.cia.gov/library/PUBLICATIONS/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html

Could any American posters please explain to this Brit' why so many of your countrymen are hostile to Obamacare?

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