Good Ridance to 45 welcome to Biden

[Cheshire Cat]

Britain has a higher mortality rate than than the USA.

I never mentioned mortality but bankruptcy please keep up.

 

[Hanglow]

It's a pointless statement as the US has a younger population, so not a like to like comparison anyway.

 

[GhostShip]

I find it quite incredible that a country the size of America can’t find better Presidents than Trump or Biden, but I guess, sadly, it’s all about money rather than policy or vision. I don’t expect Biden to be around for too long - I’m not sure the guy knows what day it is, but what I do find incredible is that Democrats seem to be able to leave aside his ‘touchy, feely’ tendencies around young kids, in pursuit of power. Personally, I think he’s a ‘wrong un’ and I’d defy anyone who’s seen the many videos online to argue anything else.

 

[foxy]

I find it quite incredible that a country the size of America can’t find better Presidents than Trump or Biden, but I guess, sadly, it’s all about money rather than policy or vision. I don’t expect Biden to be around for too long - I’m not sure the guy knows what day it is, but what I do find incredible is that Democrats seem to be able to leave aside his ‘touchy, feely’ tendencies around young kids, in pursuit of power. Personally, I think he’s a ‘wrong un’ and I’d defy anyone who’s seen the many videos online to argue anything else.

I have thought the same thing about American presidents, I have just put it down to the skeletons in the closet which can be unearthed and not covered up. How many men in office hasn't got something to hide?
The less Biden is put in front of a camera the better, he just can't think fast enough to awkward questions, neither could Trump in some cases but he had the knack of brushing over the questions he didn't like.

 

[Rodcx500z]

They are all wrongs un's, but until you stiffle the money supply they have nowt will change

 

[DavidDetroit]

For someone not well informed about American politics. What is so bad about Harris

Nothing so bad about her. She's not perfect. She was a District Attorney and an AG in her state. Smear campaigns don't stop. She's sane enough for me and smart.

 

[DavidDetroit]

Take your pick. The **** that your average American has to go through to access basic healthcare is unbelievable.

We have millions who are uninsured/under-insured. The numbers grew each year under 45*. While there are fine templates to follow from other countries for universal healthcare (whatever you want to call it), there is a greed (what else?) that prevents us from employing a very doable health care initiative.
I don't know about "average" since around 28M are under or not insured out of 330M population. Quite unacceptable.

 

[DavidDetroit]

I find that totally crazy

It's not "average" but 28M is far too many.

 

[DavidDetroit]

Americans see it as some sort of affront on their freedom.

No, that is a minority of Americans. That minority has a, "If I'm okay, screw everyone else," attitude or, "As long as I'm not inconvenienced," take on things.

 

[DavidDetroit]

I find it quite incredible that a country the size of America can’t find better Presidents than Trump or Biden, but I guess, sadly, it’s all about money rather than policy or vision. I don’t expect Biden to be around for too long - I’m not sure the guy knows what day it is, but what I do find incredible is that Democrats seem to be able to leave aside his ‘touchy, feely’ tendencies around young kids, in pursuit of power. Personally, I think he’s a ‘wrong un’ and I’d defy anyone who’s seen the many videos online to argue anything else.

Most of that is just recycled Russian propaganda. You can Google it. I posted a source earlier in this thread.

 

[Brew_DD2]

No, that is a minority of Americans. That minority has a, "If I'm okay, screw everyone else," attitude or, "As long as I'm not inconvenienced," take on things.

Agreed. Apologies, that was an over generalisation. Unfortunately it's a very vocal.and influential minority.

 

[DavidDetroit]

Agreed. Apologies, that was an over generalisation.

That's quite alright.

 

[samale]

No, that is a minority of Americans. That minority has a, "If I'm okay, screw everyone else," attitude or, "As long as I'm not inconvenienced," take on things.

That attitude is everywhere in life unfortunately

 

[DavidDetroit]

Ideally, I think someone like Elizabeth Warren would have been great. Senator Sanders has great ideas but I don't know that he could have gotten enough traction.
It may be that President Biden won the Democratic ticket because we had a country on the line and needed to choose "a sure thing." He's pretty conservative and religious, relatively speaking.
Believe me, I'm not thrilled that he's 78 but I hope he'll be fine. We got a great backup in Harris and the team being assembled looks good.

 

[DavidDetroit]

hat attitude is everywhere in life unfortunately

My wife and I discuss that often enough. It's pretty frustrating in that if that selfishness (or whatever you want to call it) was no longer, things would go so, so smoothly.

 

[Bernie]

For someone not well informed about American politics. What is so bad about Harris

She is Nancy Pelosi's protege ever since her election to District attorney in 2003. Spent over $ 600000 when the limit was $211000 for this campaign.
See:
Harris violated S.F. campaign finance law / D.A. candidate to pay up to $34,000 for 'unintentional' mistake
Rachel Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown addressed his past relationship with Sen. Kamala Harris in a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday and acknowledged giving her appointments that furthered her career.
see: WILLIAM CUMMINGS | USA TODAY
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/...is-san-francisco-chronicle-letter/2695143002/

 

[Cheshire Cat]

 

[ButterBrewer]

If you read the mainstream U.S. press you'll think there are people dying in the streets by the thousands because they can't get medical treatment.

Right now I'm unemployed. I've been to the doctor twice since I've been out of work. I have health insurance through the insurance exchanges. Cost of both visits for me, total, was ~$250 USD which isn't bad.

First was a trip to an urgent care center. These handle minor health issues and are more cost effective than the emergency room. Checked in. Was seen in about five minutes. Ten minutes with the doctor, done. Went to the pharmacy. Picked up my prescriptions ~$15 USD. Not a single problem.

Second was to a dermatologist. This cost me ~$120 USD. Made an appointmnet the day ahead. In and out in thirty minutes. Six weeks of the prescribed steroid cream cost me ~$45 USD.

Couple problems with American healthcare.

1. the prices we pay for drugs here subsidizes the DEALS a lot of foreign countries have negotiated with pharmaceutical companies for the same drugs. In a lot of cases Americans are paying two and three times if not more than what other nations pay.

2. Many Americans have gotten a serious sense of entitlement and feel everything should be free. The idea of having to actually work for something, improving yourself, and saving so you can provide for yourself in emergencies is no longer part of the American psyche. I want it now, I want it free and.....................................oooooh! Shiny!. They're off to the next thing. Sadly, this creates a lot of government dependency, which democrats seem to love, but strips a person of their freedom and self-sufficiency. The people don't see this though because they want it FREE!

American healthcare isn't nearly as bad as some people seem to think it is.

Forgive me if my understanding of American healthcare is limited but if you bought your healthcare through an insurance exchange under the ACA your healthcare has just been subsidised by the government. Also say what you like about your experience of healthcare but the US Government still spends more on healthcare per capita than any country in Europe and on the whole the experience of healthcare across Europe is very good our outcomes are very similar and better in some regards (infant mortality being a oft quoted one).

I understand the arguments that get made about freedom and the right to choose, the right to self determination but those people are rarely willing to go completely wild and abandon all governmental control farming for themselves, living off grid, refusing the use of government maintained roads etc. clearly in this case the benefits for each outweigh the costs of the loss of freedom, so absolute freedom is worth abandoning at some cost. All I ask is that those same people consider what is so horrific about having socialised healthcare when countless countries for decades have found it to be an incredibly effective and workable system at drastically lower cost than a mainly private healthcare system.

In many ways I would argue that living in a system of socialised healthcare increases freedom. My money is mine to do with as I wish I'm not beholden to the uncertainty of the future be that unemployment, critical illness, lifelong illness in my children etc. getting unwell is rarely a choice that people make why should they be punished for a dice roll.

 

[DavidDetroit]

You're not wrong. The only reason the US clings to the the current system is greed/money.

 

[Saisonator]

This guy is on the left of politics, before someone says otherwise!