The American system is ****. But what i don't get is this weird obsession with using America as an example. Politically we are as far removed from them as we are Russia etc. We have long recognised that the state has a responsibility to intervene in people's lives and this goes back to the Poor Law's and Factory Acts of the mid-19th century: in America however the responsibilty always has and constitutionally remains with the individual. There are whole 'middle-class' neighbourhoods lying empty and going to ruin in Detroit. The home-owners lost their jobs with the decline of the auto industry there: they have no state protection, unemployment welfare for up to 3 months only and nothing else. Those who lost their homes are not afforded the privilege of housing benefits thereafter to help them out. Policing is different. The American police force is charged with 'enforcing the law' whereas ours are charged with 'protecting the peace'. So, so very different. I do see the purpose of your post though but scaring vulnerable people who rely on nhs services does not sit easy with me. When or if anything changes (no current manifesto from anyone advocating a universal system of private healthcare insurance) then i'll be a highly visible and vociferous opponent. So until this highly unlikely proposal rears its ugly head then i will not be scaring some of the most vulnerable people in our society. If people want to campaign about the chronic underfunding of the NHS under the Conservative Party (reality) however, then please feel free. #ourNHS
Jon Sopel wrote a very book entitled ' If only they didn't speak English'. It's points out the many differences in our cultures and politics at a local and national level. Shows how our morals and beliefs aren't aligned. We fought shoulder to shoulder and because of that we have the special relationship. The western markets revolve around London and New York. Up until the past 25 years that's where the financial powers resided. We were bound by being the world's influence makers. It's all change now, and we must treat the US no different to Russia or China. American foreign policy both overt and covert have lead to most of the worlds problems. Let's not forget the war on drugs is why so many South and Central American countries are unstable or poor. All so America could impose their will and ensure no left leaning government could flourish. Sanctions lead to extremist governments and distrust. All fuels illegal immigration, the military industrial complex ( guns all round and defend yourselves from non whites), and the far right agenda. Anyone calling for social reform is classed a communist. I do believe however that most of the progressive states New York and California are coming more aligned to our way of doing things. Obama care shows some Americans want something more NHS like. However big Pharma and the private health ponzi mafia won't have that.
Every person who uses the NHS should be presented with an invoice detailing what they would pay privately for the treatment it would focus minds.
We all have fantastical visions of what we want. I doubt it's even what Farage wants, rather his sugar daddy who pulls his weedy little strings. So when Farage is in one of the 3 parties in this country that could ever conceiveably win a general election and 'dictate' policy then i'll be concerned. Not going to happen though is it, even the tories wouldn't touch him with a bargepole.
As so we sleep walk into it. The Brexit party are ahead in the polls. They won the Euro elections. Who is to say that they won’t alongside the tories form the next govt with a hard brexit flog the NHS to trump manifesto?
61.9% of those who voted voted out in Peterborough. The bookies had the brexit candidate in the by-election as odds on favourite too. Farage was filmed waiting in the wings, fully expecting to publicly laud the winning brexit party candidate (he he). Yet Labour won! By-elections are historically synonymous with protest: this was supposed to be one heck of a protest vote. Well it certainly was but one which few envisaged. Don't think one should underestimate the significance of this result.
I enjoyed the video of him hiding in the toilets and then leaving when he realised his candidate hadn’t won.
his previous comments about the health service and health insurance have well and truly screwed his political ambitions