HomeSomething for nothing
In which our eyebrows are raised when we learn that Americans all have free healthcare just like us
The scene: the office conversation, a quick conversation with a new member of staff whilst the kettle boiled. He was telling me all about his past, his former history of self-employment.
“… but you can’t do anything in this country nowadays, it’s terrible for small businesses, this government, it really is, they want to get control of every little thing…”
I thought: I know exactly what’s coming here.
“…it makes it impossible to run your own life…”
… any second now …
“it’s this Nanny State…”
BINGO! As soon as someone, especially a certain type of person, starts along that line of argument, they’re going to mention the Nanny State, which rules every aspect of our lives and tells us exactly what we can and can’t do. These are the people who believe that Christmas is being banned, or that the government has banned blackboards for being racist, and that it’s Political Correctness Gone Mad. And I don’t understand them. Do they never look at the world around them? Do they believe anything they hear or read?
He rambled on about how much better everything was in America – how life is far better, the taxes are lower, everyone is better off and lives a wonderful life without government interference.
“Yes, until they fall ill and can’t afford to pay for treatment,” I said.
“No, no, medicine is free in the USA too,” he replied.
“Really?” I said, because that really doesn’t square with everything else I’ve been told about the USA over the years.
“Yes, it’s all free, just as it is here,” he said. I was tempted to ask if the land is also flowing with milk and honey, with dollar bills and chocolate coins growing on the trees, but I’m not sure if he’d have realised where the joke was.