USA - only Western Inudstrialized nation that doesn't have free healthcare, yet has the death penalty...?

Question

Why do you get to preach human rights?
In the Western Inudstrialized world you are both the only country that has the death penalty (executes more per/pop'ln (% of its citizens than ANY other country inc. China and Saudi Arabia) and...does not give its citizens universal health care.
So, my question? Where do you get off preaching and boasting endlessly and flag waving and chanting USA, USA endlessly...about being the beacon of human rights and freedom in the world?
The rest of the West is laughing at you...and the rest of the 2nd 3rd world hates you.
Sorry, but it's true. Deal with it.

and highest infant mortality in the industrialized world.
and no canadian or brit would EVER, EVER give up their/our healthcare system for yours. that's a fact. if you had a referendum it would be over 905% yea easily.
and you're executing people in your overpopulated prisons everyday.

USA!!! A beacon of Human Rights!!!
Woo hoo!

big daddy,
i didn't know that americans knew...there was a country called saudi arabia. shhh.
china is phasing out the death penalty within the next ten years.
healthcare and the death penalty are as much human rights issues as education, civil rights, domestic violence, et all. I'm sorry if you can't connect the dots.
USA!!! Go away.
the western world is laughing at you, and the 2nd/3rd world is resenting/hating you (b/c your foreign policy, NOT your supposed freedoms)day by day...hour by hour...minute. Ahem! CHoke! End oF EMPIRE! Hah! Huh! Pass the...p-nac neo con bohemian grove! Haah. 9/11 inside job!!! blaaaaaaaa....straighten your own country first before you denegrate others. something the chinese understand because they've had 5000 years of civilization. not 200 years of entertainment/violence

Answer 1

One thing is what you preach and an other is what you do.

Answer 2

Clearly, there is a lot of passion in both the question and the answers. It is true that Canada has universal health care, but no, it is not free, as has been pointed out. It is a semi-socialist country in that sense. The origins of this relate to the fact that Canada believes more in the rights of the collective than of the individual. The US has enshrined the rights of the individual in its constitution, and has believed so since its inception. Therefore, individuals are expected to "fend for themselves" in everything from finding childcare to quality education to health care. A society based on individual rights is one that has very little sympathy for people who can not or will not find a way to pay for what they need. That is one ethos, and one way to operate. Canada, however, set up several systems--most of them during the Great Depression--that put the onus on the tax payer. And, in terms of real dollars, what each individual pays per year for things like health care, welfare, and so on is actually quite minimal. We pay more in Canada for the extravagant behaviour of politicians than we do for any of the social systems we have in place. We also do not have capital punishment because we, as a collective, agreed that it is hypocritical for killing to be deemed wrong, and then for the government to kill. PM Pearson's philosophy on peace had a great deal to do with abolishing (yes, we did have it at one point) the death penalty. The questioner aligns the two issues--health care and the death penalty--for a legitimate reason: how can a society allow its citizens to die when that society is known to be the richest in the world, and is known to speak out for human rights to everyone who will listen? You cannot tell people how to live when your human rights policies are corrupt--that is hypocrisy. So, if the death penalty (which is extremely expensive, by the way) is a good thing, why wait, exhaust appeals, have people sit in prison forever? Why not just do what they do in "uncivilized" places and shoot them on the spot? I mean, the death penalty is either right or not, so get it over with and save some money. Further, why allow someone without money to die a slow, lingering death because that person can't get health care? Why not just euthanize that person, since killing people is okay? Oh wait--Americans don't allow euthanasia. Hmmm. So, bottom line: no health care=people dying unnecessarily, and that is because it's their fault for not having money; capital punishment=good because that gets rid of all the pedophiles and rapists out there (BTW, why is it the US has the highest crime rate in the world?); and euthanasia is wrong because the person WANTS to die. Two groups don't want to die, one group does, and because the third does, eliminate it as an option for them only. I'm not sure why people rabidly defend the US--and good on you for your patriotism--but doesn't your alignment to such corruption show the kind of person you are? I mean, isn't it all, when/if you think about it, somewhat hypocritical?

Answer 3

Interesting question, but first of all, many countries execute far more people than the US. I'm not going to argue that this is humane, but I would question the sanity of a person who could watch a child be murdered or sexually abused and NOT think that a person who would do such a thing is better off dead. As far as not having free healthcare...that's because we live in a country where the philosophy is people should earn what they have, and supply and demand is encouraged. Our healthcare certainly could be better, but to say it goes against human rights is slightly illogical. And what free healthcare really is is the rich paying for the poor...people who work hard and earn lots of money shouldn't be punished for it. Nothing is free. Of course there are exceptions, but the majority of poor DO have the opportunites in a country like this to better themselves and their situation...other's should not suffer because some chose to be lazy and not take control of their lives.

Oh haha, and I love how you feel you speak for the entire world. Every country has it's pros and cons, and most of the US does not agree with the war, or the reasons for it, and would prefer to mind our own business and not invade other counties. I don't know what's inhumane or laughable about any of that. I would be interested to know where you're from and where you're getting your facts from.

Edit:
It is true we have the highest mortality rate of industrialized countries, and like I said, our healthcare could be a lot better...but it's also true we have more births than many industrialized countries, and keep better records than some. Every country has problems to fix. As far as prioson overpopulation, that is a problem that's creating another problem...people are being let out NOT executed.

Answer 4

Nothing is free, you always end up paying for it somehow. Could our helthcare system be structured to make it more affordable and more efficient? I believe so, and without having the government take it over. I would rather our government stay out of the healthcare business, especially after having experienced the efficiency of other government agencies, I would rather pay for my own heath insurance. As far as the rest of the world hating us, that's quite an over exaggeration on your part, have been to 17 countries around the Asia-Pacific area, and have yet to see this hate of which you speak.

Answer 5

We are not a socialist country so why do you think in order to be credible we have to adopt socialist healthcare? The US has the most technologically advanced health in the world (care here meaning care, not access). That is why people come here from everywhere in the world for operations they cannot get anywhere else. Can access to healthcare be better? Yes, but that does not mean it has to be a socialist answer. Canada has this and the care is sub standard and waiting lists are ridiculous. The death penalty is reserved for criminals who have committed heinous crimes. They are not pulled off the street and executed. They receive a fair trial and are judged by their peers. As to human rights violations , there are too many to list for China and Saudi Arabia but I've provided some links you can look at.

Answer 6

What does free health care and the death penalty have to do with each other. Don't the prisoners get free health care right up until they are put to death?
Since 1976 the U.S. has executed 1078 people. Between 1980 and 1999 Saudi Arabia executed 1163. Saudi Arabia has a population less than Texas, so I would have to say you are dead wrong on that.
The Chinese executed at least 3,797 people in 25 countries in 2004 alone, according to Amnesty international.
These are the two countries that you mentioned. Let's not bring up the executions in Rowanda and Somalia shall we.

I say you get your facts right before trying to lay your b.s. here.
As far as I know boasting and waiving our flag symbolizes freedom and democracy not human rights.

Answer 7

I had a woman from England call me once. She used to work for their health care system. When she called me, she was in tears, telling me how she had quit her job because she could no longer tolerate how people were treated under their socialist healthcare system.

I had another friend, a co-worker actually, who received a call from the healthcare system in Canada. Her father needed a heart transplant. She rushed from Florida back to Ontario. By the time she got there, he father had died. She later found out that the healthcare system in Canada had no intention of searching for a donor heart for her father. The reason? He might only live 5-6 more years, and he wasn't a good case to spend the money on. Maybe she wanted to spend 5-6 more years with her Dad, ya think?

We have the death penalty because we voted for it. We believe criminals who murder should be put to death, not supported by the tax payer in prison for the remainder of their lives. If you oppose the death penalty, then fine, but that is something we choose. Oh, and most "3rd World " nations support the death penalty also. I believe they hung Saddam Hussein, did they not? Did you get on your soap box against Iraq, or is the U.S. your pet project?

We've liberated more countries from tyrants than any nation on the planet. Check the history books. That's probably more than I can say for where you're from.

As far as the world laughing at us. We could care less. We are glad that you think about us, though. You must not have alot to do if you're worried about what we're doing. But as for us, we don't think about you........you really don't matter. Sorry, but it's true. Deal with it.

Answer 8

Free healthcare is a tax burden that is not needed in the USA. The United States seems to be doing fine in the health field. There are many residents of other countries that come the the US for healthcare. Where in the US Constitution does it say that this country needs to offer every citizen healthcare free. Besides, if you need healthcare in the US free, just go to the ER like all the other people without healthcare.
I really do not care how many counrties in the West laugh at the US. I know that this country is the best country on this Earth. How is it that executions of convicted killers bad? I know healthcare for them is free. I do not see why they need it though. Human rights is more than just universal healthcare and executing death row prisoners.

Answer 9

hmmm at the risk of injecting some fact into your flight of fantasy. The countries that have your so called free healthcare, any of their residents that have the money come here to pay for major surgeries because they can't get it where they live. As for the opinions of the rest of the world sounds like you don't travel much, we are disliked by many 3rd world governments but not the people. Trust me I have traveled all over. Also all those countries that hate us don't have americans immigrating to them but they are immigrating here hmmm sound like a flaw in your lack of logic. As for our death penalties some have earned it and we give it to them but it takes years of appeals to have a chance to execute in all the 3rd world countries that you talk of if they decide to execute you at most days go by. Oh and since you want to use China as an example lets remember a square where a bunch of students gathered to say they wanted freedom and the chinese republican army ran over them with tanks. There were more innocent students killed that day then i've heard of executions actually taking place in the US in the last 10 years.
Sorry to slow your flight of fantasy with facts but hopefully it will help you to become more grounded

Answer 10

How did you ever draw a parallel between the death penalty and "free" health care? Do you really believe the United States executes more people than, oh, let's say, Saddam's regime in Iraq prior to our invasion?
By the way, the rest of the world isn't laughing at us - they're too busy trying to immigrate to the United States.
I've been to several of your so called 2nd and 3rd world countries, and I can say without any reservation that my freedom in this country is absolutely worth preaching about - and, believe me, I can deal with that.

Answer 11

The death penalty is Health care, see how well Bush is implementing it in Iraq, Afghanistan, and all his little false flags.