I'll be away for a couple of weeks, having a bit of a holiday, and a rest. I was just going to leave the last blog up. But, actually, I'm feeling quite incandescent at some of the abuse and downright lies, rightwing, fuckhead Republicans are spouting about Britain's National Health Service.
Now, I'm not interested in getting involved in other country's domestic policies. If a nation is happy with having healthcare provisioning that is frankly a joke, and disenfranchises 47 million people from proper treatment, then that's up to them. But when some gobshite starts calling our public health system "evil and Orwellian", saying that we leave older people to die, and deny the sick essential treatment, then I get really fucking angry.
Of course, no health system is perfect. Things go wrong sometimes, things could be done better at others. If you want a nice room all to yourself away from other sick and dying people, you'll still have to go private (yes, we do have private healthcare too). But the NHS is a highly efficient and well respected healthcare system, and is regarded by the British population as one of our greatest achievements.
Universal healthcare free to all at the point of need. Not such a hard concept to grasp, is it? We pay 10% of our salaries into a national insurance scheme which then funds our healthcare and other services.
And now we have US journalists saying that Stephen Hawking would have been left to die by the NHS if he'd been British. He is fucking British!!! And the NHS has provided the treatment and care that has maximised his quality of life. So many lies!
I suggest anyone in any doubt read this article...
Comment on Republican remarks about NHS
...it makes the points I'd like to make, without descending into the vitriolic rage I'm likely to reach if this keeps up.
Let me say one thing. The likes of Chuck Grassley are liars. Out and out liars. To suggest that Ted Kennedy would not get his brain tumour treated if he was British because of his age is a scandalous lie, and I'd like to meet the bastard face to face so I can spit in his eye (I don't do consensus politics).
Oh, and our healthcare is cheaper than the US's (9% UK GDP; 16% US GDP). And our life expectancy is higher. The World Health Organisation ranks Britain's healthcare as 18th in the world, while the US is in 37th place.
And, yes, it is a socialist system. As are so many good things in this world. Halle-fuckin-lujah.
I know most of my friends on this site are liberals, so I know you're smart enough not to take this as a criticism of the USA as a nation - I can well differentiate betwen nation and state, people and politicians. But you can bet that Republicans' popularity in the UK is right now at an all-time low....and that takes some doing, believe me. If you think I'm being immoderate, you should see some of the comments in our online papers. We'll be lucky if we're not at war by Monday at this rate!
God, it almost makes me want to kiss Hugo Chavez.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a picture of a peacock butterfly on our buddleia to calm the nerves...
...while I go and nurse my visceral hatred of the political right.
Now, I'm not interested in getting involved in other country's domestic policies. If a nation is happy with having healthcare provisioning that is frankly a joke, and disenfranchises 47 million people from proper treatment, then that's up to them. But when some gobshite starts calling our public health system "evil and Orwellian", saying that we leave older people to die, and deny the sick essential treatment, then I get really fucking angry.
Of course, no health system is perfect. Things go wrong sometimes, things could be done better at others. If you want a nice room all to yourself away from other sick and dying people, you'll still have to go private (yes, we do have private healthcare too). But the NHS is a highly efficient and well respected healthcare system, and is regarded by the British population as one of our greatest achievements.
Universal healthcare free to all at the point of need. Not such a hard concept to grasp, is it? We pay 10% of our salaries into a national insurance scheme which then funds our healthcare and other services.
And now we have US journalists saying that Stephen Hawking would have been left to die by the NHS if he'd been British. He is fucking British!!! And the NHS has provided the treatment and care that has maximised his quality of life. So many lies!
I suggest anyone in any doubt read this article...
Comment on Republican remarks about NHS
...it makes the points I'd like to make, without descending into the vitriolic rage I'm likely to reach if this keeps up.
Let me say one thing. The likes of Chuck Grassley are liars. Out and out liars. To suggest that Ted Kennedy would not get his brain tumour treated if he was British because of his age is a scandalous lie, and I'd like to meet the bastard face to face so I can spit in his eye (I don't do consensus politics).
Oh, and our healthcare is cheaper than the US's (9% UK GDP; 16% US GDP). And our life expectancy is higher. The World Health Organisation ranks Britain's healthcare as 18th in the world, while the US is in 37th place.
And, yes, it is a socialist system. As are so many good things in this world. Halle-fuckin-lujah.
I know most of my friends on this site are liberals, so I know you're smart enough not to take this as a criticism of the USA as a nation - I can well differentiate betwen nation and state, people and politicians. But you can bet that Republicans' popularity in the UK is right now at an all-time low....and that takes some doing, believe me. If you think I'm being immoderate, you should see some of the comments in our online papers. We'll be lucky if we're not at war by Monday at this rate!
God, it almost makes me want to kiss Hugo Chavez.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a picture of a peacock butterfly on our buddleia to calm the nerves...
...while I go and nurse my visceral hatred of the political right.
VIEW 10 of 10 COMMENTS
What an amazing butterfly. Thanks so much for sharing that wonderful photo of it!
We need ot catch up.... I need some advise. Maybe this weekend I will finally get to write ya a letter. Its not a big deal or anything I am just sad.
ok I hope you ar eresting and taking pics!!