Why can't we get our shit together?

I think we were actually on track for it until Reagan happened...so if any of you happen to have a time machine...

My headcanon is now that Hinckley is a kbin or lemmy user with a time machine.
- Hey we all know the saying from that Orange website a lot of us came from. We should have one for here too. How's?
  We tried and made it worse Lemmy!
  This could be our icon!

Most healthcare in the US is privatised. It’s completely based on capitalism, and once you give the dragon your gold, good luck getting it back.

Just like in Germany. But capitalism works in Germany.
- German and US capitalism aren’t remotely the same thing. Like ‘it doesn’t even seem fair to use the same word’ different.
- Bullshit.

Because the powers that be profit from the system as it is.

Remember Rick Scott? Former governor of Florida?

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rick-Scott

Actually the Netherlands has a system that is quite similar to the US healthcare system, with private insurance and insurance subsidies for low incomes and basically privately run hospitals. The difference is that the government sorta acts like a single-payer. They set price lists for how much hospitals can charge for health care if they want to get paid by the insurance companies. And they negotiate with big pharma to purchase expensive medicines at a lower price.

Yeah, and it's not going great. Prices are rising fast and many things aren't covered anymore, or only in expensive extra packages. Healthcare insurance works better the more people you spread it over. We should reinstate the central Ziekenfonds. It's cheaper for everyone.
- What do you mean, NOT going great? The owners of the private hospitals are raking in sooo much cash on the backs of the ~~victims~~ patients they get to fleece, it's awesome! Well, for them, anyway, but that's what counts, right?

All that extra money moving around makes our GDP look huge. Don't you want a big GDP?

I was convinced by the end of 2020 that the COVID pandemic would put popular opinion strong enough in favor that we might finally make some significant movement in the right direction. But instead I learned that at least 30% of the population would protest for their right to be eaten by zombies in the apocalypse and we should retire the phrase "avoid it like the plague."

Is that Guy Fieri, the guy from Smashmouth, or both?

Have we ever seen them in the same place at the same time?
- I sure haven't!
- The guy from smash mouth died. So….. you never will.

Lobbyists.

Because Republicans don't give a shit if we live or die. Democrats arnt much better but they are still better.

Cause at least democrats tell you that you're valid while rejecting your claims and rights, it's just those darn rascals the republicans in the way, and if they aren't... we have to appeal to the moderates for next cycle ofc
- I mean Democrats aren't telling 10 year old rape victims that they have to give birth and they aren't arresting women who have miscarriages nor are they trying to erase the lgbtq community. They also arnt letting women die while pregnant with a fetus that is just going to die a very painful death when it is born. So ya I think the dems arnt the best but they sure as fuck are 1000 times better than the other hateful turds.

Because

Two party system
Government still based on the bible
lefties are worshippers of Satan you know

Année that ain't all

Even tho in most eu countries healthcare isnt as universal as most americans think its still leaps ahead of most other places in the world.

Military industrial complex. You have so much excess in Ammo, equipment, and vehicles that you just gives away.

Remember how much you left in Iraq and Afghanistan? Sure bringing them back is more expensive but still....

We have universal healthcare in the UK and can't access it either, so don't romanticise it too much.

- Brekt
Same in Canada because everyone in power would rather spend all their time energy and expertise dismantling the health care system and privatize it than in actually making it work the way it should.
The only incentive to privatization is that a small group of people can make a lot of money.
Keeping things public doesn't make many people wealthy and it only provides equal benefits to everyone, which everyone takes for granted and never appreciate until those benefits are gone.

Because you don't want to pay the taxes for it. That about it for a reason.

Freedom to spend 100-800 a month instead of a barely noticeable tax increase.

Because conservatives think that they can take it all with them when they die. So…. It’s all about money.

Oh, haha, first time toiling under capitalism, huh?

Europe is also a capitalism. This is because Europe leans way more left than America. We have more social policies at work.
- That's the difference from social capitalism and liberalism i think?
  Although in Europe we do tend to go towards the American trend and ruin everything social.

Because guns.

You just have to be extremely poor and old to get it.
That isn't what universal means.
Might want to look up what "universal" means.
Medicare is hugely broken and barely works even for those who are eligible. You still need to get private insurance (called gap insurance) for many, many things.
When I had to switch from BCN to Medicare after I became fully disabled, one of my prescriptions went from $200 a month to $3500, and I started getting denied for routine tests. I was denied a heart cath my cardiologist ordered. I’ve had to stop 4 of my prescriptions because of cost, which of course has made me even more sick.
Even in some utopian daydream, that’s nowhere near ‘universal healthcare’, and expanding that broken system is not a solution.
eta: The US needs actual universal healthcare that’s not inexorably tied to privatisation.
or be elected to Congress, senate or President of the US.
(I wonder if Depends^tm are covered?)

No thanks