Quote:
Originally Posted by Mel Asher
What do other Brits think ? This thread is a really interesting one ! Keep posting ! !  |
Personally, I think that the American right wing barracking of Obama (excuse the pun) so early into his Presidency, and in light of the enormous challenges he faces (thanks in part to his inept Republican predecessor), borders on the shameful.
The right wing and general public's response to Obama's proposed healthcare reforms has been an outright disgrace, even dragging the name of America's closest ally through the mire, just to try and further discredit Obama... I find it astonishing that dumb and not-so-dumb Americans alike are jumping on the bandwagon to criticise a healthcare system that they have absolutely no experience of, and know very little about... as far as I'm concerned, the NHS is one of the crowning achievements of Western society. It may not be perfect, but at least it is based on the principle of EQUALITY (not Socialism), something that the Amercian right wing seems desperate to avoid in their country. For that reason alone, I say thank God I'm not American. I find myself thinking: "can't Americans see the overwhelming need for this sort of reform in their country, to improve the lot of the tens of millions of poor and disadvantaged when it comes to healthcare?"
I'm not saying that Obama is and will always be right, but given the unique set of circumstances he currently faces, he can't be judged for another year or two at least, and I think the majority of Americans should be applauding his intentions, especially after the Bush years. And this whole business about Americans slagging off the NHS really has annoyed me, especially given the fact that us Brits actually have a slightly higher life expectancy across the board compared to our US counterparts. There, that's my two cents lol.