Don't panic!

I thought that this was typical Daily Mail exaggeration until I saw US based friends, on Facebook, actually joining the panic.  Now whilst I agree, it's all a bit scary, we need to put things into perspective, there has been one USA based death from the corona virus in a country with huge geographical distances and a population of over 320 million, during February,  there have been 280,000 hospitalisations for "regular" cases of flu with some 16,000 flu related deaths this winter, a far more worrying trend.  Whilst I accept and encourage sensible precautions, increase washing of hands, ensuring everyone you know sneezes into the crook of their arm when they sneeze, even wearing a surgical mask when in public if you want (all of which will help for seasonal flu), we really don't need to start doomsday prepping and life can and should continue pretty much as normal.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8056301/amp/American-supermarket-shelves-stripped-bare-coronavirus-panic.html

"That will be $10,808 please Ma'am"

According to the website Businessinsider.com, the average cost of delivering a baby in the USA is $10,808 US, this does not include ante- and postnatal care, this is just the cost of delivery and any subsequent hospital stay that is normal and expected as a result of childbirth.  Now whilst I am aware that America is not the only country that follows an out of pocket/voluntary insurance healthcare system, they are certainly the most prominent and arguably the most developed nation to do so, and though an insurance model can work, whilst there is no federal mandate for compulsory insurance and no safety net for those that simply can't afford to pay insurance, a significant percentage of the population will be consigned to paying out of pocket, whether they can afford it or not, either that or they will be left to suffer.

Barack Obama tried to address this situation; the colloquially named Obamacare bill (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), amongst other things, extended the reach of the Medicaid program, increasing the number of people totally covered by between 20 and 24 million (source - Wikipedia).  Now whilst impressive, this still leaves a significant number of American citizens either wholly (around 27 million nonelderly - source kff.org) or insufficiently insured.  A bill, mind, that the Republicans have (unsuccessfully) voted to repeal either entirely or partially some 60 times.

The arguments for various healthcare systems are many and varied, so I'll not be falling down that particular rabbit warren on this occasion, I will simply and succinctly state that any country that does not consider some form of UNIVERSAL healthcare to be a human right can in no way consider itself to be a civilized and mature society.  The vast majority of Americans that I know are very caring people so, taking political ideology aside, I can't imagine a single one of them disagreeing with this proclamation.

With all this said, I call on all Americans, old and young, rich and poor, to demand better of your elected officials, to demand that they work out a solution to this most basic of human rights.  I call on the elected officials and appointed civil servants, take this solemn responsibility that you have been entrusted with seriously, remember that you are the servants of the people, not their masters, and reassess your priorities.  When a government chooses to allocate some 60% of its federal budget to its military might, whilst neglecting the welfare of its citizens, one has to question why and how things have been prioritized and just why such a country has involved itself in the lives of so many other nations when they have such a long way to go to get their own house in order.  

As former US Vice President once said, “the moral test of a government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped.”

Frankly America, it's time to grow up!

Brexit is a fact......sort of.

A month into the UK independance from the EU and I wonder what changes have really been made, what is the effect of Brexit so far?  Well other than the physical manifestations of the psycological efftects, not much and we still don't really know where we are going some 3 and a half years after the referendum result was finalised.  Personally I fall, just slightly, on the side of Brexit, my views being exaserbated by the vehemence and patronising attitudes of so many remainers, but ultimately I am not a strong supporter of either side of the divide, seeing both problems and potential benefits to life both inside and outside the EU but I do still have one big problem with the leave side....we still don't know what the goal actually is.  With this in mind I refer to my article of September 2014, outlining my view on the Scottish independance referendum, so many of the same issues are applicable:-

https://idontquitefit.blogspot.com/2014/09/scotland-braveor-foolhardy.html

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses....."

I love my friends from The States and realise that, despite outward appearances, they have a very differet cultural background to me and every other European. I understand that they love their country and are proud of their nation.  

What I don't understand is why they assume that everyone who comes to their country is doing so because it's so much better than every other alternative.  There seems to be a belief/paranoia that everone crossing their borders (even some tourists), especially those that marry a US citizen, are doing so only to get a green card or other way to live there.  It's an arrogance that does not endear, many/most people around the world love their country of origin, even those poorer countries often have much to offer and hold sentimental attachment.  

Moving to another country is a big deal, emotionally it costs more than many realise and it's something that lasts for the rest one one's life, it's not just about the move, or even what one is moving to, it's also about what one leaves behind, about family and friends that one is "abandonning", about leaving behind familiar, comfortable things and often, it's a big risk, leaving a stable situation to entre the unknown and the insecure.  

Moving to another country is difficut and requires a lot of thought and careful planning.  So rather than treating prospective new countrymen with suspicion and coldness, take a step back and ask yourself what they might realy want: Sure, maybe they are looking for a new start in a new country (and that's not necessarily a bad thing) but maybe they are just looking to be with the one they love, the country they choose to live in might be in doubt and even then, it's not just one person's decision. Maybe they are looking for a better education, one that is not available to them back home, but in coming to your country they are bringing a level of wealth, paying into your education system and contributing to your country's economy.  Maybe they are bringing skills and other attributes that enrich your society, the National Health Service in the UK would not work without the immigrants that work there.  

The point is, it's not a Dick Whittington storyline, the rest of the world does not think that your streets are paved with gold and to many of us, your culture is an aquired taste.  A little humility goes a long way, which the vast majorty of my American friends understand, but, as is often the case, those that shout loudest, even when in a small minority, tar the rest of you with their unsavoury brush.  So please, those that do have this attitude, reassess your beliefs and your priorities, and the majority that don't think this way, take a moment to reach out to someone new in your country, make them feel welcome and offer them your friendship.  I speak from personal experience, you can make all the difference in a person's life with little more than a smile and a kind word.