I've got to speak out

This is not photography (again), I know, but I've got to speak out ...

I'm a Brit and I'm not particularly proud of my country at the moment. We've not had a lot to be proud about over these past few years - becoming embroiled in wars that we should have stayed out of, electing a self-serving, duplicitous Prime Minister who took us into these wars despite massive public resistance, and a swathe of British politicians have had their greedy little noses in the trough. Britain also has a transport system that is a shambles.

But one thing I am proud of is the British National Health Service. Of course, it's not without its problems. What health service is perfect? But it provides high-quality health care to anyone who needs it, regardless of their age or ability to pay.

My 89-year old disabled father lives alone in an isolated cottage in the Welsh countryside ...


He gets house visits from his doctor if needed, and his medicines are delivered to his door within hours of him phoning for them, at no cost to himself.

So I am shocked and disgusted to hear of the blatant lies and distortions that are being fed to the American people about the NHS.

Some of these distortions are outrageous - gutter journalism at its worst - and offensive to us Brits ...



I find it vile to suggest, on a major US news channel, that the UK's National Health Service is a 'breeding ground' for terrorism.

Who will believe nonsense like this? Could it be the people who would benefit most from some form of fair and equitable health service?

5 comments:

Esther said...

hmmmm while I don't believe the NHS is a breeding ground for terrorists, I'm not singing it's praises. I've got an ageing father (84) and I've not been impressed at the treatment he's getting from a health service he spent all his life contributing to and not using until the last two years.

Unknown said...

Hey Cher, I wonder if your old dad would have been better served by our health service. One thing's for sure, he would have paid a whole lot more for health cover during his lifetime and a whole lot of that would have gone into the pockets of the insurance companies as profit. And then they would have looked for any possible way to deny him cover when he needed it.

I've lived in your country and, believe you me, you've got a better health system.

DL NELSON said...

No health care system is perfect but compared to the US it is as close as possible.E veryone has health care. My mom pays over half her income for medicines for example. As for the American system it is rationed for those who can afford insurance and rationed for those that convince the insurance companies that they really, really, really need the treatment. One company was even cuaght paying bonuses for people who turned down claims.

Ralf said...

Alistair, I'm surprised you watch such channels. Murdoch rubbish.
Is there any western health care system worse than the US? I wouldn't be surprised if it causes some small scale terrorism itself.
Just heard of a young couple, foreigners in the US, who had to apply at 10 hospitals, including personal interviews, before one finally accepted the pregnant mother to give birth there.

Alistair Scott said...

I don't watch the Murdoch channels Ralf. I don't have them - just the 4 Swiss TV channels that come in over the airwaves, and a few French ones too. I hardly ever watch TV. The most regular thing is the weather forecast, to see if the next day will be good for photography.

I discovered this rubbish through a comment someone wrote on an internet discussion group and was appalled by the blatant misinformation and scaremongering.