Silvaire wrote:
The good news for us now living the US is that we watch most of this stuff with bemused detachment. Hopefully it will remain that way forever. It is certainly true in my experience that Europeans seem to take an odd and emotional interest in the US, while we just get on with enjoying life and mainly have little reason to be interested in European gyrations
From what I know, US politics is nowadays so terribly partisan that it cannot possibly be any better than in Europe. Your country is basically split in half between urban/leftist/democratic voters and rural/conservative/republican voters. This is a result of the weird electoral system where having the most votes does not actually give one the power of government, while all votes that do not go to one of the two “big tent” parties are practically worthless anyways.
Same in the UK, where FPTP leads to the same effect. To have less partisan politics where everyone isn’t always at each other’s throat, politically speaking, one needs some form of Proportional Representation. Not saying that this doesn’t come with its own problems, but politics is a lot less black and white with it. Most people are not as extreme as the protesters shown in the video linked by Off_Field.
@peter
„Legal“ by UN resolution. I’m not an international law specialist.
Having been partly socialized in the us in the 90‘s as a kid, well, let’s just say I am a bit biased towards the west ;)
@beechbaby
No apologies necessary at all, no worries.
MedEwok wrote:
Only in countries with a real messed up health-care systems is “going private” any better for the patient
If it’s messed up, it is messed up no matter if it’s private or public.
The only benefit of private health insurance in Germany is that you get an appointment with a specialist faster, for non-critical things, mind you.
Same here in the UK, more or less. You pay and you get done much faster. Same in Germany – I have relatives there. No normal country can afford instant and complete attention for everybody. Saudi Arabia probably can. If you have a broken leg, that gets sorted under normal procedures, quickly, and there is no point in going private.
“Going private” is however a lot less socially acceptable in some countries. One might do it but one is not going to talk about it.
But also the “health care worker” in that video would not get a job in a private hospital (or probably anywhere else where there is something resembling “management” … maybe MacDonalds?) 
Actually, when a video like that goes viral, the subject won’t be getting a job anywhere at all… that’s the flip side of using social media
Peter wrote:
No normal country can afford instant and complete attention for everybody.
Cuba can. They got one of the best health care systems in the world. Cuba is definitely not “normal” in the western world sense of the word, but it’s still an example that a good health care system IS possible for everyone, and that It’s far from only a money thing. Cuba is not rich by western standards.
Also, “going private” means different things in different countries. People do travel to get things fixed, cheaper or faster than in the home country. In Norway, dental care is not part of the public health care system. No problem for ordinary check ups, but larger procedures get very expensive, very fast. Today, it is normal to go to Poland, Lithuania etc for larger procedures, reducing the cost to at least the half.
Going to the US for specialist surgery (general, not dental) is also not unheard of, but it requires some serious money that the average person cannot afford.
IMO excellent health care for everyone is not an impossible task. The problems of doing it are created by ourselves, because everything is reduced to a question about money.
MedEwok wrote:
Your country is basically split in half between urban/leftist/democratic voters and rural/conservative/republican voters. This is a result of the weird electoral system where having the most votes does not actually give one the power of government, while all votes that do not go to one of the two “big tent” parties are practically worthless anyways.
It is always tempting to blame such things on the electoral system, but I think it is not doing the problem there justice. Fact is that for quite a while now there has not been an administration in the US who succeeded (or even tried) to unify the nation but who put their agendas through no matter what. The non-acceptance of the elected president is not something new with the Trump administration, it has been there for a while. I think it really started with the Clinton impeachment, it got worse under Obama for various reasons, even though there nobody of importance thought of removing him forcibly from office, whereas in the case of Trump the democratic party has gone on an all out warpath. IMHO it will not bring them the goal they aim for and may well result in a totally uncontested election in 2020.
The problem in the US, but also elsewhere, has become that there have been too many leaders and administrations who left a large part of the population hugely dissatisfied and made them feel left behind and fear for their future. Agendas were pushed through no matter what, bridge building did not happen, the opposition is put up as enemies of the country and so on. IMHO this is a very dangerous thing to happen as it undermines the basic pre-condition of any government. Any government with a democratic legitimation derives it power from the consent of the people. Not necessarily all of them but a sizable majority. That is not the case in lots of places these days. Scared people tend to make extreme decisions. We have seen quite a few of those recently.
I don’t think the impeachment will make things better, rather it will most probably hand the President the 2020 election uncontended. But what it will do is to convince both parties that the other one can not be lived or dealt with, the belief that the other party is an actual enemy within becomes more and more pronounced. The hatred shown by the democrat party now is not anywhere less than that displayed by those who detested Obama but now you have a whole party going this way. The whole concept of “not my president” shows the failure of both parties to look out for candidates who can build bridges and unite the nation, both in 2016 and worse in 2020. With the possible exception of Joe Biden, all the runners in the Democrat field are more extremist than the other and therefore will be utterly inacceptable to Republican voters, as Trump is to Democrats today. So even if Trump is elected out of office, the chances of which I regard as very tiny, it won’t unify the nation, on the contrary.
As for the younger generation hating America, I don’t see that at all. Many still look at going to America as a unreachable dream. Many who had the chance and missed out on it, regret it for life. America still is a country which has a unique concept of freedom and prosperity which is totally unknown in Europe for instance. I know many people who have gone from even rich European countries there and would NEVER consider coming back to Europe. Yes, the grass is always greener and yes many who dream of it have no idea of the problems they would face there, but America still has this appeal to a much larger public than Greta’s climate youngsters would suggest.
As for Europe, the splits in societies exist as well: Looking at the UK where the Brexit problematic has driven a huge rift between people, even families and friends who are no longer on talking terms because of this. As in the US, the choice in the last elections was between two very controversial figures who can not be accepted by the opposite party on any grounds: So a striking parallel to the US. Germany has a massive danger of going far right again, France is under massive protests and many people there have lost their trust in their government totally. Even here in Switzerland trust in government is at an all time low, people are scared for their future at the hands of the green/socialist majority in parliament and they have all reasons to think that way.
This is dangerous. These splits weaken both the US and Europe massively, which, with regard to the other players in the field is as dangerous as it ever could get.
Peter wrote:
The only benefit of private health insurance in Germany is that you get an appointment with a specialist faster, for non-critical things, mind you.Same here in the UK, more or less. You pay and you get done much faster.
Disagree. For some things they don’t provide the procedures on HNS, free of charge. PERIOD. And not just for minor inconvenience things, no, severe disability. And the difference after the regular treatment is that the person can move around the house unassisted. And no, it does not costs thousands of pounds a month, more around £200-£250, so it is not a massive bill and it is not some snake oil, no – recommended by a professor, national institute.
In general, after moving to this country in 2006, I can summarise from personal experience is that the UK NHS is mosty useless and ignorant in terms of diagnostics for non-trauma issues. Yes, if you’ve been in the accident they’ll save you, otherwise – pi$$ off. Sometimes they pick up a critical illness and you just hope they do it in time.
And the General Practioners are the worst.
My french colleagues are in shock, really…
@Mooney_Driver, please don’t bring France into your equation. The French have been protesting on the streets formone reason or another since 1789. The right to assemble is part of a citizen’s rights under the French constitution and we make the most of it. What is a shame is the anarchists.
In reference to the various comments above on the US, the difference in the US is that government does not play as large a role in life so unless you’re in the military or something similar, it’s proportionately less interesting. Of course the media tries to whip up frenzied interest and some fall for it. But more generally (contrary to what I find amusing in the portrayal of the US in Europe) politics is a side show to most people. European politics isn’t even on the radar, few know or care.
What matters in the US is money and at the moment the economy is doing remarkably well and accelerating. With that in mind I think most people are busy pursuing their real lives and see politics as relatively inconsequential.
Would I or anybody from Europe I know ever come back? Maybe, after they can live on investment income and no longer have to rely on the European economy. For pilots specifically, generally they would not.
For pilots specifically, generally they would not.
Amen !
