Obama's speech

This is the guy they should have nominated for The Republican's candidate.

Ron Paul was the only Republican to vote against sending troops into Iraq.

For those of you interested it's a refreshing thing to hear a politician say that he wants Government to butt out of peoples lives.

Take look here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2UCI9iXgnQ&feature=related

Some of his biggest support came via the internet, especially amongst switched on young Americans. With young savvy campaign organisers working with him, he raised $6.03 million online in one day to go towards his campaign fund. A sign of things to come. lets hope so for America's sake.

I love the sign on his desk. It says
DON'T STEAL! THE GOVERNMENT HATES COMPETITION!
 
Last edited:
If Obama can get a change to the US healthcare system through and make it stick, I would be so happy just with that.

It's just crazy how bad the system is, that they spend a greater percentage of GDP than countries with universal healthcare, and still leave 45 million people without cover and as many again unable to get their legitimate claims paid. Imagine if people didn't have to lose their house because they got cancer :eek:

Obama's policy I hope will change that and that will be a real change for the better in the USA.
 
dave99 said:
It's just crazy how bad the system is, that they spend a greater percentage of GDP than countries with universal healthcare, and still leave 45 million people without cover and as many again unable to get their legitimate claims paid. Imagine if people didn't have to lose their house because they got cancer :eek:
Click to expand...

Don't rely on Michael Moore for your take on the US health care system.
Try these links
Michael Moore disputed
Further refutations by a Swedish Economist
And keep in mind the US has a high level of illegal immigrants and two underclasses that lean on the health care system. Australia doesn't have that problem.
 
WinstonWolfe said:
Don't rely on Michael Moore for your take on the US health care system.
Try these links
Michael Moore disputed
Further refutations by a Swedish Economist
And keep in mind the US has a high level of illegal immigrants and two underclasses that lean on the health care system. Australia doesn't have that problem.
Click to expand...

OK, here's the reality. Two stories - one true, the other hypothetical, but accurate as described to me by my wife.

My wife worked at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills as a Theatre Nurse for 21 months.

Scenario 1 (hypothetical): you are a middle-class family living in an average suburb in West L.A. Combined income for Mum and Dad of $150k per year.

You can afford Health Care, which is approx $850 per month. This will give you 80% cover on all the things you qualify for.

If you arrived at their Emergency Dept with your 7 year old son, who was having a severe appendicitis attack, and he had to have them out straight away, you can expect the Hospital bill for the Operation, anaesthetics, Bed for 2 days and other associated costs to be in the vacinity of AT LEAST $50k. Yes; $50k. (I under-quoted so you wouldn't think I'm exaggerating this).

Now, your Health Insurance will cover 80%, so your OUT OF POCKET expenses will be approx $10k - for an appendix op. Some people have insurance for the "gap" as well. Let's call the all-up monthly premium for this family $1,000.

Scenario 2 (true story): USA Traveler-Nurse at Cedars-Sinai. She get's sick at work (suspected viral meningitis - another case occurred a few days earlier), and is told by the Nurse Unit Manager to go to the Emergency Department for treatment.

She spends one afternoon in the ER, gets her treatment and weeks later receives a bill for $6k. She was not aware that the Health Insurance co which covered the Traveler Nurses didn't cover her treatment as they didn't deem it to be worthy of an ER treatment.

This is not an uncommon outcome with Health Insurance claims in the US. As was described in Michael Moore's movie (Sicko), Health Insurance companies have whole departments dedicated to trying to make sure they can weasel out of paying claims.

We arranged and paid for our own (travel) Health Insurance in Aus before we left to go there. It was $2k per year, and we had to pay it in advance each year, but was 100% cover for any heath treatments.

Unfortunately for the US, the pharmaceutical companies and health Insurance companies are sooo huge and wealthy, and contribute funds to the Congress reps in various (untraceable) ways, there will be no change in the system anytime soon. It is worth far to much money for the various players.
 
So to summarise Marc's points

When you get Big Govt, Big business, and their hired guns called Lobbyists, you get this collusion where they all have their snouts in the trough, and the ordinary punter literally gets screwed alive.

Obama will only increase the costs of health through an expanding beauracracy.
Why else propose increasing taxes?
 
BayView said:
OK, here's the reality. Two stories - one true, the other hypothetical, but accurate as described to me by my wife.
Click to expand...

Here's more of the reality. In the USA, most employers pick up health insurance so it isnt' a direct cost for employees.

In Australia, take Qld as an example...taxpayers are slugged with 1.5% medicare levy and 25% of the state budget goes on health services expenses.

For 2008-09, Qld will spend $9 billion running hospitals and another $2 billion as part of the Health Action Plan (to cover a chronic shortfall in services basically). And this doesn't include capital provisions for rebuilding hospitals when they reach their use by date.

COnsider Qld's population is 4.3 million.

Now if you go through and add up what the average household is paying in health costs and insurance, you'll see there is little difference between us and the USA.

i.e.
$11 billion state expenditure / 4.3 million people = 2558 pa per person
or 2.5 * 2558 = 6395 per household pa.

plus health insurance, say $2000 pa per household.

That's around $8500 pa every year for hospital care and insurance for the median Qld household, excluding capital provisions.....whether you use the service or not. This doesn't even include the gap paid to GPs, dentists, physios, radiologists. etc.

The trouble with socialism is most people are ignorant of the true cost of 'free services'.

And let's not mention the non competitive salaries paid by Qld Health to health employees.
 
WinstonWolfe said:
Here's more of the reality. In the USA, most employers pick up health insurance so it isnt' a direct cost for employees.
Click to expand...

This is true WW, but is starting to be excluded.

My wife's cover was included in her contract, but was pathetic. We got our own from Aus.

However, there is a sliding scale as to when you qualify for Company provided health care Plans. For example; many will not offer cover until you've been with the company for say, 3 or 6 months.

And often the cover is at best; basic.

Not forgetting; if there is any previous history (of illness) the cover will often exclude those illnesses for the future. Even things like childhood headaches, multiple visits to doctors and/or hospital can cause major problems with obtaining cover.
 
kissfan said:
I wonder if our election speeches make the news in the U.S.

I doubt it.

I think their news and views get too much publicity over here.

Just my thoughts.

Regards
Marty
Click to expand...

For almost 3 years we lived in the USA.

I never saw an AFL match on tv, and Aussie Golf Tournament, the Yanks all think our main football code is Rugby, they always ask "is Aus near New Zealand?".

I got asked what language we speak?, do we have industry?, do we have any cities?

No-one knows who our Prime Minister was - John Howard at the time.

So, I can promise you; they not only don't know ANYTHING about Aus - especially our elections, they also don't care.

It really p!$$es me off how much Yank crap we get exposed to here when it's totally a one-way relationship.

And, they are absolutely brainwashed that theirs is the best Country in the world.

At least now the dollar has dropped a few might come here for a holiday to see the kangaroos which jump down the main street. :eek:

But; "it's SOO far away!" so they won't come.
 
Bayview, I've worked under Aussie and US health systems. Many think the US system is free market but it isn't. Health care has been corporatized for the last 35 years due to government regulation (ERISA and tax laws). Profits are being creamed off by Wall Street, to the detriment of health professionals and consumers. Socializing medicine isn't the solution.
 
WinstonWolfe said:
Greg Sheridan's view is always grounded imho.....here on Obama
Click to expand...
Greg Sheridan well rounded? Like FOX news is 'fair and balanced'. What a joke. The guy is a right wing neo-con bigot who thinks Bush is one of the best presidents of the last 100 years. He has no credibility.

As far as budgets go, neither candidates balance (McCain is worse with his tax cuts & military spending). That's par for the course in elections, everyone promises more than they can deliver.

The biggest difference in my opinion is foreign policy. McCain is a loose cannon, far more likely to create instability and wars with his reckless confrontational, trigger happy attitude. The guy is very dangerous.
 
joeExpat said:
Greg Sheridan well rounded? Like FOX news is 'fair and balanced'. What a joke. The guy is a right wing neo-con bigot
Click to expand...

Comparing Sheridan to the Australian national broadcasting socialist elite, I can see why you think Sheridan is a bigot....John Pilger, Tony Jones, Maxine McKew, Kerry O'Brien, Philip Adams, Monica Attard, Michelle Grattan, Jenny Brockie et al, are all so left of centre, even a moderate would come across right of centre to anyone raised on a diet of taxpayer funded media consumption.

Anyone from the private sector who has had dealings with the ABC or SBS is well aware of how the leftist progressive elite feel it is their right to usurp taxpayer dollars to push socialist agenda across the board.

These same dill ideologues have blindly bought the ETS hook line and sinker, only to drive the Australian private sector to recently present a united front in educating them about the harsh realities of ETS pitfalls. So much for responsible balanced journalism.

And funny how discrete the ABC has been on the 'laptop for every senior student' policy quietly becoming a laptop for every two senior students. Aunty ABC sure takes her paternalist superiority seriously.


I can only presume you think the US mainstream press is biased against Obama because they don't have a media as left as Australia's public broadcasters. Meanwhile, back on planet earth, most opinion is that Obama has had a dream run in the press.

If you want an example of political bias, look no further than how Ron Paul was ignored.....while all the attention went to Hillary and Obama.

The one thing I agree with you, is that McCain is a poor candidate. But that doesn't make Obama anymore informed or capable.
 
topcropper said:
Well it is isn't it? :confused:

:)

See ya's.
Click to expand...

No, it's football.

victory2_gallery__547x400.jpg


In rugby, the ball is played largely with the hands, can someone explain to me how that is considered football?

Mark
 
You know, I was thinking about this election earlier today and came up with a perfect solution. I got a much better candidate than those two clowns Osama and McCain.

batman.jpg


Doesn't get much better than a guy that gets around in a cape and wears his undies on the outside. He's already even got a running mate, even if the kid is a bit fruity.

Mark
 
I thought things would have got interesting if McCain chose Condoleezza Rice as a running mate............

Actually I think Condy would make a great President, in part because she doesn't want to be President, unlike Hillary and Obama.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
US "burner" phones
Replies
9
Views
1K
aussieB
A
hobo-jo
Hidden camera reveals what it's like to walk through NYC as a man.
2 3 4
Replies
72
Views
8K
pinkboy
P
E
Obama meets Abbott
2
Replies
26
Views
3K
dex
dex
MTR
Quiggles US Journey
Replies
11
Views
2K
Ausprop
A
lizzie
Future party leader
2 3 4
Replies
75
Views
17K
willair
W
Back
Top