Happy Friday the 13th!
Last night Dan and I were collapsed on our couch back home in Belgium when we started talking about Michael Moore's Sicko and how we cant wait until it comes to Europe. Well, instead of waiting we downloaded it for FREE and I'm thrilled we did.
But it left me anxious as to how to actually change things in the US. What could I do? I'm still thinking of creative revolutionary ways to act using the film as a catalyst.
Thing is that I have universal health care in Belgium. Like the movie shows, I do not wait for my doctor's appointments, doctors do make house calls, hospitals are state of the art, and yes, doctors still make a great living as evidenced by Dan's cousin who's a GP.
The catch: high taxes. I'm actually in the highest tax bracket paying astronomical sums, but you know what -- it's worth it. Worth it to know that I have health care, a pension, I can get another degree at a fraction of US university costs, that single mothers have support, and homeless can get actual housing instead of shoved into vile shelters ... it's basic humanity. Even paying over 50% taxes--yup, 50%--I still live very well, traveling back to Brooklyn 3-4 times a year as well as tattoo conventions, we have our own home mortgage free, two cars and lots of shiny things. We are not "rich" by any means but we also dont need that much more than what we have.
That's what universal health care is. Now what should we do about getting it?
Last night Dan and I were collapsed on our couch back home in Belgium when we started talking about Michael Moore's Sicko and how we cant wait until it comes to Europe. Well, instead of waiting we downloaded it for FREE and I'm thrilled we did.
But it left me anxious as to how to actually change things in the US. What could I do? I'm still thinking of creative revolutionary ways to act using the film as a catalyst.
Thing is that I have universal health care in Belgium. Like the movie shows, I do not wait for my doctor's appointments, doctors do make house calls, hospitals are state of the art, and yes, doctors still make a great living as evidenced by Dan's cousin who's a GP.
The catch: high taxes. I'm actually in the highest tax bracket paying astronomical sums, but you know what -- it's worth it. Worth it to know that I have health care, a pension, I can get another degree at a fraction of US university costs, that single mothers have support, and homeless can get actual housing instead of shoved into vile shelters ... it's basic humanity. Even paying over 50% taxes--yup, 50%--I still live very well, traveling back to Brooklyn 3-4 times a year as well as tattoo conventions, we have our own home mortgage free, two cars and lots of shiny things. We are not "rich" by any means but we also dont need that much more than what we have.
That's what universal health care is. Now what should we do about getting it?
how r u?
But thats not why I dropped by. Just to send you this link to stuff you might well have seen before, but is worth seeing again :-)