33 Comments

Michelle, I agree that America can well afford to provide everyone with healthcare provided we had the will to raise taxes. Healthcare should be a right not a privilege. I didn't always believe this. But I do now.

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Thank you for being willing to change your mind — something we all have to do sometimes. Would you care to share what changed your opinion?

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Fairness and ethics. As well learning more about the different ways European and other developed countries provide healthcare. There are many models to choose from.

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Yes. My Dutch relatives say the German method is actually better than theirs, but I couldn’t explain the nitty gritty of how one differs from the other.

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My sister married an American 35 yrs ago and lives in the US. I love to visit her, like to be there, but no way move there. Too many people incarcerated, too many gun related crime, capital punishment...

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Thank you for writing! I think racism plays into it a ton - if we have universal healthcare in the US, then so will the proverbial “them”.

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Yes. Certain people are perfectly ok with a poor white mom getting a benefit but not a poor Black mom!

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Great article! I have to admit I chuckled a little when you said we don't expect people to swim across the river. I live in Portland, Oregon. We've needed a new interstate bridge for decades and are getting closer to an agreement with Washington, but one of the sticking points is that Republicans don't think people need to be able to walk or bike over the bridge. So we may not expect people to swim, but we definitely expect them to have a car.

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Oh dear God, the Republicans have gotten worse than I thought!!

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It always amazes me the emphasis and publicity surrounding fundraising during your elections. It’s the main thing mentioned. It’s not like that in other countries

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Oh, yes, that’s another whole thing I’ve been meaning to write about!

The way we do it here shocks my husband.

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Michelle, you have such a concise way of getting the point across.

When reading this I was reminded of the Gospel story of Jesus feeding the 5000 with loaves and fishes. I'm sure there were folks who weren't buying the message but still ate the food. If that happened today in the US, half the people would have complained that the other half didn't earn it or rejected it because they didn't want to be beholden to Jesus' radical politics.

We have so far to go.

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@Untrickled by Michelle Teheux - in the UK, we've had far too many years of conservatives in power, where their mindset was “privatise everything”, “public sector bad, private sector good”, and Thatcher's finest ever quote “There's no such thing as society”. 🤬

Starting with Thatcher, the conservatives were brainwashed by Reaganomics, and it doesn't half show in the state of our economy today.

They've done their level best to cripple the UK over the last 14 years, as the right wing press fomented ever more hatred, and caused the turkeys to vote for Christmas, in the form of Brexit.

Even so, I'd take our taxes and creaking Health Service over the US system every day.

I was talking to a client in Brooklyn this week, and they were telling me how much they pay for insurance, medication, and co-pays each year. It worked out at about the same percentage that a Dane would pay in their taxes.

The only difference is that the Dane not only gets cradle to grave healthcare, they also get better leave, paid maternity and paternity leave, free (good) education, and a pretty decent social safety net.

For the same proportion of their income…

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I envy the Danes and struggle to understand why so many Americans are terrified of that system.

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I've lived abroad and work with an international array of clients. I've seen how better it could be here. However, I do have to say I disagree with you on canned green beans. I grew up poor and all of our vegetables were canned. Fresh green beans and carrots taste gross to me now. Old habits die hard.

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Other than tomatoes and beans, I can’t bear canned vegetables!

Home-canned in glass is always better than metal-canned, though. The metallic taste just ruins it.

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Thank you for informative article! I’m an advocate!

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Brilliant take down as always. It's also worth considering where our tax dollars actually go: a typical pie chart reveals that the lion's share goes to an already bloated military. The old chestnut is true: we always have money for wars. We could easily pay for healthcare for all, etc. Another thing few ever talk about but I witnessed first hand in the healthcare system is Medicare grift. If Medicare would refused to pay $800 dollars for a bag of saline or for services not actually provided, we could extend Medicare to all.

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There are Americans who like their healthcare...veterans in the VA. I love it!

I just got back from walk in flu and COVID shots, they are sending me new shoe inserts, I made an appointment with my PCP and I got a bucket of bloodwork drawn.

Oh wait...I think there is something about the VA that is different...oh YEAH! It is SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE. Paid for by the government.

People love to point out (when politically expedient as they try and gut funding) that the VA has problems. True. But they get to complain about those problems because the VA also has...data. Reams of it. So they know what the outcomes are. Can ANY of the big healthcare systems say the same? NO.

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Michelle, I have a question. I am genuinely curious and do not mean it in a snide way. Since your husband is from the Netherlands, it seems like you probably have the option of living there and enjoying the positive and equitable economic infrastructure they have there. Why is it the right choice for you to live in the U.S?

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I had minor children when I met him. Now we have young children. We wouldn’t be able to afford to fly home for visits.

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My guess is family/kids. Not everyone wants to lo live abroad.

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I’d love to live abroad but yes, family.

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Wow!!! What a fantastic article laying it all out!! So sad and yet most Americans are duped into believing the big lie.

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We’re no. 1 also reads “we are no one”

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Exceptionalism is another "ism". Humans would rather believe than know.

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I hear you. Agree 💯

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