Thread: Столпы могущества США

Well, didn't the USSR have quite decent health care, at least for a few decades... And free too. Or am i wrong, i don't know.... That is my impression anyway. Although some aspects of it, like long term care of mentally retarded people seems to have been bad. People here have said that the system is still tolerable, but not great, and still more or less free.

I think what the USA is doing on the healthcare front is downright uncivilized. I can't even imagine healthcare being driven by profit, or people being denied medicine because their insurance doesn't cover it, or because the don't have insurance. Or the idea that it is ok that some people routinely get better healthcare than others just because they are richer.

As for the East/West split in Europe I believe that it is possible that some of the Eastern European countries do better than some of the Western European countries within short. Hungary and Poland come to mind. They work really hard, try to combat corruption, take education seriously and do not have a problem with welfare dependency or non-European immigration.

I think Russia could become a key economic power in Europe- alongside with Germany if it could only get on top of open corruption and nepotism. Of course, when it comes to gas and oil it already is, but I am thinking of other sectors too. Russia's got the talented people, the natural resources, education is valued and there is a big workforce of people who could work in production.

It's obvious that many of the Western European countries have messed up economies that were sound and good in the 70s and 80s and are now up to their ears in depth, welfare dependency and immigrants who are unable to integrate and contribute to the economy.

The tables could be turned in the East West question sooner than you think. And that Germany is unstoppable is another fact..

Another side of it. Also discusses some of the US benefits that never seem to be mentioned around here.


The Amazing Thing About American Inequality: How Equal The Country Is - Forbes

Scott

Originally Posted by Hanna

Well, didn't the USSR have quite decent health care, at least for a few decades... And free too. Or am i wrong, i don't know.... That is my impression anyway. Although some aspects of it, like long term care of mentally retarded people seems to have been bad. People here have said that the system is still tolerable, but not great, and still more or less free.

Here is a jocular song about a grudging doctor and his elderly patients accompanied by outrageously disparaging caricatures , mercilessly exposing the so called dark side of Soviet/Russian free medicine not so often mentioned in official media.