Kradek said:
Jupiter551 said:
Ok, as a non-American, who has lived with a government-subsidised healthcare system his entire life, will someone please explain to me what's so bad about it? It seems to be such a huge issue that your country has been arguing back and forth over since (at least) the 1960s.
Bottom line, more taxes.
Right, but spreading the cost of something which many consider a basic human right - healthcare - over an entire society, could be argued to be a criterion of a civilised, humanitarian society.
How is it any different to education anyway? No one calls the public school system socialism. Or highways. What if you don't own a car? What if you walk everywhere?
I went to a private school - so I never benefited from government sponsored education - and I don't have kids, and may never have them, so why should I pay taxes that go toward education? Because I choose to be part of a society that helps me when (or if) I need it and in return I do my very small part to help others.
At my University there used to be a Student Union that it was compulsory for each student to pay like $100 into. There was also a cinema that showed great, sometimes offbeat films, and tickets were only $5 each. There was a daycare that young mums could have take care of their kids so they could go to their classes and get an education. The pub had cheaper beer. There were bands every friday night. There were a bunch of other things including psychological counselling, student advocacy, etc.
Then came along a politician named Brendan Nelson. He was the Howard government's Minister for Education. He said, it was unfair for everyone to pay for things they don't use, so against the majority of students issues he abolished compulsory student unionism nationwide, saying that if the people wanted to use those services they'll pay for them, and if they don't they won't.
Within just a couple of months the Schonell cinema, which had been there since 1970, closed it's showing of films. Friends of mine couldn't afford to pay the amount per day it would cost to keep the daycare functional, some of them dropped out of school as a result. Counselling became like $100 per session.
I never used half these features, but I never begrudged doing my bit to support them either.
And none of that even touches on the net savings that widespread preventative medicine like free vaccinations, checkups, etc cause.
Medicare for the older becomes cheaper if people have preventative medicine is provided throughout a lifetime. Both our countries have aging populations - so this is going to be a continuing and worsening problem.
Doctor selection - I can only experience what I've seen in my country. I can go to any doctor I want, some bulk-bill which means you just show your medicare card and the government pays them. Others don't (because they want more than the bulk billing amount) so you pay the gap amount, take the reciept to the medicare office and they'll refund you a certain amount. You can ALSO have private health insurance (I do) and it covers things that medicare doesn't (medicare covers basic stuff - stuff a person needs to live and remain generally healthy). There are rebates for having private health insurance - it's not much, but it helps. The reason it helps is because people taking care of their health is BETTER FOR EVERYONE.
Unless, that is, you want to live in a society where people die of preventative, basic medical conditions left untreated for want of a few tax dollars a year.
. I would have guessed the number was closer to 10% about Australia. The Vietnam contribution is especially admirable because both England, and France managed to duck their SEATO treaty obligation while Australia honored it. I have been the war memorial in Canberra as well as the battlefield at Gallipoli (it wasn't just American wars you got dragged into) so I do appreciate your contribution. I complete agree Australia and the UK are the definition of a stalwart ally, and my numerous friends in the military all say Aussie and UK troop soldiers and sailors are first rate. Mr. Howard was staunch supporter of both Iraq and Afghanistan wars and he stayed in office a long time so couldn't have been particularly unpopular until recently. 
