Man Sends Self to Jail to Get Medical Care

Exchange principles for pandering.

Also, the USSR did not collapse due to providing healthcare to its masses, and there ARE lines at every US hospital I've ever been inside.

I'd much rather use Denmark as an example rather than Sweden.

Swedes might have lots of political freedoms, but privacy rights are pretty much non-existent. As an example, the government awards itself the power to drug-test anybody they feel like and fine or even jail them if they test positive.

Not to mention that they used to have a lot of Internet privacy, but now they've got none.

edited 22nd Jun '11 8:52:12 AM by SavageHeathen

To be fair, we also have the "optional" breathalyzer tests, sure, you can say no, they just revoke your drivers license.

But it's not exactly dragging Joe off the street into a cupboard at telling him to pee on the stick. I see what you mean.

Don't Police need reasonable suspicion to do the breathalyzer test?

teeecchhnically.

Officially, yes. In practice, no.

Also, UHC is way fairer. Tell me, if you want a drug, who do you lobby? You can't get ALL of the insurance companies to cover you.

Whereas here, if a sizeable amount of people want a drug or treatment, we lobby the government. And usually, they give in.

Bamf.

Also, NO-ONE gets turned away.

Did I mention NO PAPERWORK? AND ITS FREE AT POINT OF SERVICE?

AND ITS THE 15th BEST IN WORLD COSTING NINE PER CENT OF GDP?

Healthcare in the US just seems to be getting worse and worse. For whatever reason the first minute of this comes to mind as BGM for US healthcare discussions.

If big pharma got caught in some scandal proving them guilty of even... some of the influence over medical science they are accused of, the shit would hit the fan.

What's Big Pharma? Is that a company?

Big Pharma

edited 22nd Jun '11 3:49:06 PM by Alichains

More like several companies. It refers to the pharmaceutical industry in general, but especially the bigger pharma companies with more political clout. The idea is that even medical science has been distorted by their influence, to the point where we cannot even trust our doctors anymore.

Personally, I don't know who to believe, but I hope the truth comes out one way or another.

edited 22nd Jun '11 3:49:17 PM by neoYTPism

What, like Glaxo Smith Kline and Pfizer? They're good companies here! What about in America? (Did you know: General Electric employees in Europe [that includes Britain, see location and sig] get more and better benefits than their American counterparts?)

I don't really know how it is in England, but in the U.S., Corporations have far too much clout. The problem is that for the most part, they only care about the bottom dollar and nothing else, which results in expensive medicine and care.

edited 22nd Jun '11 4:23:12 PM by Alichains

We don't have that in medicine, but everywhere else... OH BOY!

Where the hell do I start? For example, we let transnationals get away from paying ANY taxes at all. Put this way; if they did pay these taxes, we wouldn't be in a deficit any more.

We have companies ripping Britons off, left, right, centre. News Corp controls politics here. As I've said, before every General Election, each candidate has to suck Murdoch's wang or they're doomed to loss.

We may be separated for 200 years and by a great ocean, but behind our differing social security nets and language, we're the same. And not in a good way.

edited 22nd Jun '11 4:02:48 PM by Inhopelessguy

yeah, we have that tax thing too. Aside from purchases on the economy, US Gov'T Workers and Contractors do no need to pay the Countries taxes they're in, and if they're outside the US long enough they don't need to pay US taxes either.

I blame Reagan personally.

So, if a postal worker in America works here, they don't pay local taxes?

I doubt you'll find postal workers overseas, usually that's handled through agreements between countries.

How can they be IN america, AND over there at the same time?

Okay. Bad example. But what it mean anyway?

My dad's not spent whatever the arbitrarily short amount of time in the states is for a few years, he doesn't pay income tax.

Oh. That sounds stupid. If you are in this country, working, you have to pay local taxes. Even if you are an EU citizen.

Wow, it made it to the News here (well, on a news channel, but still a French one). Didn't expect that.

If someone feels the need to do this sort of thing, it is an indicator that the system as it is is deeply flawed and cannot handle this problem of getting people healthcare. Nobody can legitimately blame this old guy even slightly. Do people honestly believe he wouldn't have chosen something other than fucking prison if he had any other choice!?

But he's not working on the economy, He's working for the US Government.

But yes, I agree Gault, the fact that he chose, as you say "FUCKING PRISON" is very telling.