why do americans claim to have a free country when you have to pay for absolutly everything in the usa?

Question

if the usa is such a free country how come you have to pay for the most basic essentials of life such as water and healthcare, as ive seen though various news services many americans have died because they couldnt afford healthcare or victims of crime such as gunshots are given the most basic lifesaving help only after there insurances has been checked?

Answer 1

How long do you have to wait for an elective surgical procedure in your country? We have insurance her to pay our medical bills, what it doesn't cover we pay ourselves. As to people "dying" because they can't afford medical care, well, that is just a bunch of crap. I am a registered nurse in the US and I promise you people cannot be turned away from any medical facility in an emergency situation. we also have a wonderful little system over here that was thrust upon us by the bleeding heart libs in our country. It is called the welfare system. It started out as a temporary means for people to have the basic needs including healthcare until they could get "back on their feet" financially and take responsibility for their families needs. It has turned into a way of life for many. I worked at a small rural hospital as a supervisor for a little over two years. during that time I saw several young, unmarried, unemployed females(ranging in age from 14-19) come in more than once to give birth to their illegitimate babies. They had no jobs to support these children, no husbands to help support these children, and no intention of finding jobs to support these children. In our country you can obtain social security benefits for being an alcoholic, a drug addict, and many other self inflicted problems. And you can do it all on my dime. You see, I work at a full time job. I work 120 hours every 2 weeks, sometimes more, so, I pay more taxes. My taxes from the money that I earned pay for all the programs that these people take advantage of. So, the next time you want to comment on how lousy we treat the "sick" folks in the USA, get some real facts not the propaganda that you have been reading or listening to.
As for "gun shot" victims having their insurance checked prior to receiving the most "basic" life saving measures. I spent three hours day before yesterday trying to stop the bleeding and keep the brains in the head of a 20 year old gang banger who had an argument with another gang banger who shot him in the head. We pumped 10 units of type O blood into this young man and air flight transferred him to a larger hospital in a metropolitan area better able to care for him. He was pretty much dead the whole time we were trying all these "rudimentary" life saving measures on him, but we kept on working on him anyway. He had no job, was a known drug dealer in our community, had been in juvenile detention until his 18th birthday on manslaughter charges(record was cleared once he was released). Two years later I am in an emergency room at 2 a.m. trying to stuff his brains back in his head, but you're right, we treat folks here that are in need of medical assistance and don't have insurance like ****. Come over here and walk in my shoes for two days, no, 24 hours, you'll go back across the"big pond" with a new attitude.

Answer 2

yeah the problem isn't free vs not free, it's about efficient distribution. A pure free market health care system will commodotize human life. Is my life more valuable than someone without a job? Someone who is denied coverage? Does my life become suddenly less valuable if I'm fired and can't afford cobra? I believe that to value a free market system over human life in this way is evil. An amoral market cannot solve a moral problem.

Answer 3

Its funny, ive had to pay for water in every country ive been to. As for healthcare, it is a business as well, but the system is better in america than other countries with socialized medicine and the care is better.

Answer 4

It is free because in America there is greater degree of healthcare choice. You are free to choose between a number of healthcare providers and that means if you need something quick you can get it quick. The flipside is to make that choice you need money. Without money you are not free to choose anything.

Answer 5

Don't forget that they use English in a slightly different way from us and the words have different meanings.

The word "FREEDOM" has, somewhat notoriously, been subverted in recent years and now means something different to Americans.

So for instance when they tortured those poor people in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, they actually "brung them freedom".

Similarly, when they gave up their right to Habeas corpus without a murmur ( which no civilised democracy would ever contemplate) this was also in "da name of freedom".


As for needing money to survive in America, it's no different than anywhere else surely?

Answer 6

Try living in the United Kingdom, you get taxed on savings, inheritance tax, capital gains (ie if you make too much money you are taxed on it)

Its completly wrong, out health care seems free, but we pay each month out of our wages, but least anyone that turns up at a hospital is treated

Answer 7

we may have to pay for healthcare but our taxes are a lot lower than other countries.

Answer 8

Um we don't get free water in the UK either

Answer 9

i am french and it is not better. we have the most taxes in europe i think. now i live in cardiff and planning to move to the US later.

Answer 10

Americans are full of sh*t and they try to sell it to us !