National healthcare debate crosses Atlantic | Breaking Tweets

National healthcare debate crosses Atlantic

Posted by Craig Kanalley on 8/13/09 • Categorized as Europe, Health, North America

Should it be the responsibility of a government to assist its citizens in need of healthcare?

U.S. President Barack Obama’s push for healthcare reform has many conservative politicians in the United States saying no, and the debate has spilled overseas. The nationalized healthcare system in Britain is the subject of the debate, and it’s taken a lot of heat lately.

But many British citizens are speaking out in favor of England’s National Health Service (NHS), its public healthcare system. They’re using the hashtag #welovetheNHS to get their points across.

  1. Dave Morgan
    morgandave (London, U.K.) RT @Gnorb If you’re in US and …think we’d be better off w/a national health care system say why.Tag with #WeWishWeHadAnNHS #welovetheNHS 14 Aug 2009 from web
  2. Matt Harrop
    matt101 (London, U.K.) #welovethenhs its always worked for me….. stuff u republicans! 14 Aug 2009 from web
  3. Victoria Monro
    VictoriaMonro (London, U.K.) oh wait, last one #welovethenhs because my 85 year old grandmother gets free medication, meals on wheels & dial a ride thanks to the nhs. 14 Aug 2009 from web
  4. Paula Thomas
    numerate (London, U.K.) @cwoolfork that would be as opposed to the US poor =die, middle class=covered until you get ill then die, rich=live #welovethenhs 14 Aug 2009 from TweetDeck in reply to cwoolfork
  5. Roshan Gaind
    roshgaind (London, U.K.) It’s unfortunate to see poor people living in the richest country in the world insulting a universal free healthcare service. #welovetheNHS 14 Aug 2009 from web

Others also weighed in, with many Americans divided over the issue:

  1. Micah Sifry
    Mlsif (Undisclosed) Fascinating to see #welovethenhs trending. Cross-national debate on national health care via twitter. And the Brits seem to be winning. 13 Aug 2009 from TweetDeck
  2. M.Riley
    Life0Riley (San Francisco, Calif.) If the TownHall MOB would shut-up & listen they might find out that they would benefit greatly from #HealthCareReform #p2 #hcr #hc09 13 Aug 2009 from web
  3. Will Burton
    WilliamABurton (Roanoke, Va.) RT @crnc Owner of British hospital urges Americans to reject government-run #healthcare http://ow.ly/jW7O #crnc #handsoff #hc09 #tcot 13 Aug 2009 from TweetDeck
  4. Christopher
    cborkowski (New York, N.Y.) Death Camps ? Government interference.? Let’s not forget Terri Schiavo, GOP f’d that one up big time. #tcot #healthcare #iamthemob #hc09 14 Aug 2009 from TweetDeck
  5. James Gilbert
    james_gilbert (Washington, D.C.) RT @thenation @JimmaeJames: #welovetheNHS i’d rather be taxed for a hospital bed than a bomb. 14 Aug 2009 from web
  6. Liam Fox
    Liam_Fox (New Mexico) RT @shadowfax_rulz: RT @newsjunkiemom Another 14,000 ppl lost health ins today. Did U? We need reform now. #hir #hc09 #health #hcr 14 Aug 2009 from HootSuite
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  • At this point, although the debate and spin continue, this bill is essentially dead from an emotional and mandate perspective, even if some version gets passed. Whether it ultimately proves to be of any benefit to society, or a detriment, will take years, if not decades, to appreciate.

    This bill, and virtually anything that might be done to improve our healthcare system, involves too much complexity with which we are emotionally motivated to deal.

    There's been too much arguing about the details. People can not describe in 2 or 3 sentences the conceptual parameters of the effort and what it is supposed to accomplish. Unfortunately, people can describe how they feel about it in 1 or 2 words, and that's not good.

    If either side of the debate has to work this hard arguing about something which theoretically should improve the lives of the masses of people, there's a big problem.

    Even more so than how something is done, people are interested in results, not the details. And once again, as is frequently the case with much of human processing, the facts don't really matter. How people view the world, what they value, and what they want, matters.

    And there is nothing collaborative in nature about that. Factor in the strong individualistic American DNA, and this effort is emotionally toast.
  • carole
    Our health service is wonderful.. Ok it does have some cash problems but if anyone is ill, in an accident or anything else you get taken straight to hospital and seen to instantly with no-one asking you FIRST if you have health insurance. Our doctors and nurses are wonderful and not out to make money out of everyone like the american ones...After you have been treated you don't come out of hospital facing massive medical bills. Also you get free aftercare as well if required.. Of course there are mishaps and unfortunately these are what make the papers but in the US (Compensation City) they have a lot more lawsuits going on.
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