Ridiculous facebook status updates about the NHS.

So. There's this person I'm friends with on facebook who is pretty extremely extreme in her political views, which happen to be republican. She isn't a reasonable type of person. In any regard. I know plenty of very reasonable republicans (for instance, everyone in my family except for me) and well... she just isn't one of them.

And her facebook status updates are LITTERED with comments about the NHS. She has never been to England, in fact has actually never travelled outside of Indiana, and yet is an expert on the NHS. Expert! And a few minutes ago she posted this:

" something to think about during breast cancer awareness month: women in G Britain come here for healthcare...because in their system, women with advanced breast cancer are denied govt healthcare. You think people in our country suffer now...just wait "

And I finally bit and said something. Because seriously. People on both sides of the political spectrum - left and right - who just repeat things they hear as FACT as long as it suits their own whacko extreme viewpoints? Really chaps my butt.

So here I am complaining about it, to un-chap the butt so to speak.


(edited to fix the majority of typing errors, but left a few just to keep it real)

I assume this is what she's talking about:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/21/women-denied-cancer-drug

And sometimes wish people who brought up topics like this were willing to *talk* about them, I've had many interesting conversations about this type of thing with other friends and family... but I think when someone is bound and determined to paint the NHS as the devil and democrats as communists... well, what's the point in a chat really?

Your friend glossed over the larger issue, that all women in Britain enjoy the ability to receive treatment for breast cancer to the end of their lives, whenever that point may be, regardless of their ability to pay. American women cannot say the same.

I get so frustrated when people dig up stories like this, pointing and screeching and using it as an example of how horrible national healthcare would be. They also all seem to know about "that one lady in Canada who had to wait like ten years or something like that for a hip replacement so she had to come to the US and get it done." These brush aside larger questions of equal access and fairness for all.

(edited to fix the majority of typing errors, but left a few just to keep it real)

Yay for keeping it real! 

Honestly, I got so tired of seeing comments like that (my friends and family are in Texas, so you can imagine....) that I hid a few people whose comments were annoying me. I hate to say it, but you can argue with your friend until the cows come home, but she won't ever, ever, ever think you know what you are talking about, even though you have lived in this country (you'll most likely get the usual "but you are young and healthy" or "you just got lucky" sort of comments I think all of us get who try to argue the point with people in the US). People are just so narrow-minded sometimes, and they think they know everything. Rather that let her irritate the hell out of you with her ignorant comments, I would just hide her for a while. She'll never know, and your facebook can be fun again! 

I actually defriended someone on FB for that sort of thing recently. She would NOT let it go and even though we kept saying to each other "OK, well we'll just agree to disagree"... I just couldn't. I couldn't take the constant barrage and to hide her didn't feel like enough since she could still comment on my posts.... So yeah, first and probably last time I've defriended someone there.... 

That really sucks on FB.

What is it with my (our?) friends and family back home? They pay through the nose. They have insurance but seem to always have to pay more for something, they know they can be dropped, they know why they are tied to the same crappy job because of medical reasons. They have made the long journey through the University hospital for treatment for my nephew (born with holes in his heart) because they had no insurance. They know the headache of hitting rock bottom after spending every last dime.They know! But would even just one of them even talk about a NHS in the US. Not on their life. I just don't get it. I really don't.

I know plenty of very reasonable republicans (for instance, everyone in my family except for me) .

does that mean you are an unreasonable one?      

 to un-chap the butt so to speak.

That's good! I must remember that one. Made my morning.

My facebook status lastnight = "going to register for the NHS tomorrow...poor me for being forced to use free healthcare"  (hee hee...I told you guys I was never snarky!)

I have an acquantance on my FB and she is a self-proclaimed expert on government run health care and how horrible it is.  I love commenting on all her ridiculous comments about the NHS, and especially pointing out when this expert is wrong...which is pretty much everytime she says anything about it.  Like when she said that people who used the NHS weren't able to pick which doctor they wanted to go to (which I just did this morning) and when she said that people in the UK weren't able to choose to pay for private health care (which I think the last time I looked up the statistic, around 12% of the population has paid private health care) and when she said that the prescriptions in the UK were free for everyone and you weren't allowed to go to the store and buy pain killers (like Tylenol or Ibuprofen)...

Some.  People.  Are.  Just.  Idiots.

I'm an argumentative person.  So if someone were saying things that were categorically untrue, or altered to fit their viewpoints, I would call them on it.  Not to change that person's mind (because 99% of the time their mind is already made up) but to make sure that other people reading or listening don't automatically assume what that person is saying is fact.

Yes, I like to put the smack down. 

I'm an argumentative person.  So if someone were saying things that were categorically untrue, or altered to fit their viewpoints, I would call them on it.  Not to change that person's mind (because 99% of the time their mind is already made up) but to make sure that other people reading or listening don't automatically assume what that person is saying is fact.

Yes, I like to put the smack down. 

I soooo agree with this and that's me to a tea.  I don't try to change that person's mind...I just like pointing out that what they are presenting as fact, is not.  I can totally respect the person's opinion and if they hate the NHS, more power to them...but they need to hate the NHS and form their opinions on actual facts...as opposed to what FOX News tells them (jab). 

I love this post Jessica...just saying...

I soooo agree with this and that's me to a tea.  I don't try to change that person's mind...I just like pointing out that what they are presenting as fact, is not.  I can totally respect the person's opinion and if they hate the NHS, more power to them...but they need to hate the NHS and form their opinions on actual facts...as opposed to what FOX News tells them (jab). 

I love this post Jessica...just saying...

Exactly. I always respect other's opinions. Everyone's entitled to have one and we don't have to agree all the time.  But just make sure your opinion is based on honest to goodness facts.  Otherwise, I'm calling you on it. 

And thanks T.

Not facebook related, but I just don't get what the big deal is with government-funded healthcare. In the UK, if the waiting list is too long, then you can opt to pay for private treatment. In the US, you have to pay no matter what.

The worst-case scenario - the ones that the hardcore government healthcare bashing folks love to bring up time and time again - is the one that the US lives with every day.

I don't get it.

Not facebook related, but I just don't get what the big deal is with government-funded healthcare. In the UK, if the waiting list is too long, then you can opt to pay for private treatment. In the US, you have to pay no matter what.

The worst-case scenario - the ones that the hardcore government healthcare bashing folks love to bring up time and time again - is the one that the US lives with every day.

I don't get it.

 I totally and completely agree. The US has a seriously flawed system.  And anything to make affordable healthcare accessible to all is better than keeping the status quo.

My facebook status lastnight = "going to register for the NHS tomorrow...poor me for being forced to use free healthcare"  (hee hee...I told you guys I was never snarky!)

oooo. Just rub it in.    I would have emphasised the word 'free'. I'm just saying... 

I'm an argumentative person.  Yes, I like to put the smack down. 

I'll try and remember that.   

but to make sure that other people reading or listening don't automatically assume what that person is saying is fact.

My sentiments exactly.

Ayoubob, yeah, being a democrat DOES make me unreasonable to my family. I'm definitely not an argumentative person, not in an actual "grr! argue!" kind of way, but will always, always make my opinion known. A soft-spoken loud mouth perhaps?

I don't put this particular person on ignore simply because she's still a friend and there are a lot of reasons to keep her around. I responded to her post with something like "my husbands grandmother, aunt, and close family friend have all received high quality health care for their advanced breast cancer in the last few years, so I'm not sure where you got that bit of information from"

And that was that, no fight or anything.

Facebook status updates are a weird thermometer for me, with a large group of midwestern, white, republican group of old acquaintances, family & friends... there is a real sense of genuine *FEAR* about health care reform. I always chime in a little bit, who knows. Maybe it helps.

I always chime in a little bit, who knows. Maybe it helps.

Keep chiming in.  If nothing else it keeps that person on their toes about what they say as "fact".