turtles_and_frogs

I think these kinds of things might be hard to change, because we often hear normal, everyday people say things like "oh, well they were criminals, so they deserve what they get." when did we lose a sense of compassion, or did we as a society never have it to begin with? How do we convince most Americans that yes, this is a big deal, and inmates' treatment should be getting national attention?

Watching this encouraged me to move to New Zealand. I don't regret that decision at all. Not only is everyone covered, not only is everyone 100% covered in case of accidents, heart attacks, etc, you can actually feel it in everyone's day to day mood.

I get the impression that the real hurdle for universal healthcare (and thus the obligatory universal mandate) is that a lot of Americans don't support it. I've talked to minimum wage workers, those who would benefit the most, in Rhode Island, a democrat state, and they tell me, "I don't want to pay for healthcare for those lazy assholes who won't bother getting a job! I earned my healthcare!" People in all ends of the economic spectra seem to oppose it. How can we possibly oppose the effect of lobby in Washington, if we don't even have a large buy-in from the public?

Really, I think what's blocking it is the unbridled, deep, deep, latent hate Americans have for each other. We seem to have a culture where we believe to succeed, your neighbor must fail. You can see this in the minimum wage conversation. You see teachers and mechanics saying, "we earn that! Others dont deserve this much!", and NOT, "those poor folk and I both need raises, desperately.". Until we have a cultural shift away from that, I don't think profiteering in health will ever change. It will be an accepted part of American society.

My suggestion has always been to look over the border and consider moving. I went to New Zealand, and I'm really happy with the decision.

Edit: by the way, Australia and New Zealand have $15 and $13.50 minimum wage respectively. Society has not collapsed yet. Unemployment rate here is less than in US. Both have universal healthcare of some sort.

Edit 2: I meant 'unemployment rate' when I said 'minimum wage'. This has been fixed.

See? This is Exactly what I love about kiwi society!

It's okay, man. It says right there; Everyone is a winner. :)