This is my first foray into US politics but I feel I need to comment. Recently, people have been accusing Obama of being a socialist - making out like its a bad thing. Call it what you want but the government's 700 bln intervention is completely in line with socialist ideologies. To be honest, the citizens in the US could have done with a little socialism, it would have prevented the crisis they are facing now.
I have lived in a socialist country in Scandinavia and semi-socialist in Canada, and if any person who believes that socialism is a bad thing please consider the below -- as an everyday citizen. These are some of things that socialism brings to the average citizen.
- Taxes are much higher -- yes, its brutal in Denmark (62%) and Canada (50%), but here are some fringe benefits:
- free healthcare - spend weeks in the ICU, have a transplant, get an artificial leg and pay nothing.
- maternity leave AND paternity leave of one year each and only part of it can be taken concurrently. So in essence the baby has parents at home for at least 18 months.
- guaranteed job security post pregnancy for 2 years (yes, people do take advantage of this - I know a story of a woman who had worked 12 months in a 9 year period!)
- free childcare - parents are not burdened by extremely expensive daycare for their children.
- free education - undergrad degrees are paid for by the state. You can also go abroad and go to school and they pay for that as well. Therefore, 'school debt' does not exisit.
- go abroad with a loved one and learn a language and the government pays you a stipend to learn that language and they pay for all schooling
- 25 days paid holiday, as a minimum
- tighter regulations around banking - they cannot make as much money as in the US but I think we all know the benefits of this
- premium elderly care. Old age homes are well run, clean and absolutley an amazing place for the elderly to spend their last days. One thing (and this is totally messed) is that the government in Denmark pays for hookers to satisfy elderly men. Now, I admit that is a little much (but funny nonetheless)
- strong and robust welfare system - again people take advantage of it, but it is fairly well run
- overfunded pensions so citizens are guaranteed a healthy income when they retire.
These are few of the things that 'socialism' brings. I am not saying that socialist countries are not fraught with problems, they obviously are, but the idea that socialism is something to be wary of is completely misguided and i feel its been used as political fodder.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Fast food medicine
When I first started in the job force my friends and I used to joke that our actual jobs were GDEC's (Glorified Data Entry Clerks). This was based on the premise that we were told we worked in finance but in reality we were just re-keying instructions from another party. I have found recently that the family doctor in Australia is no better and should have a sign reading Dr. Joe Blow, GDEC, MD.
I recently had to visit the doctor for a couple small things and found that in the 40 minutes I spent in there she spent no more than 5 minutes actually examining the maladies which brought me there. Most of the time was spent punching away on her computer. If she had been a touch typer I am sure I would have been out in 5 minutes. She sat there with her 'peck and hunt' keyboard skills typing away my family history and the issues I came to see her about. Upon my departure I was treated to a $75 bill for a class 'B' examination (ie >30 mins). My wife had the same thing - she spent an hour (charged a double rate) to see the doctor only to have her spend 40 minutes typing and tell her to shush up so she could type. I don't think this is the doctors fault by any means, I am sure when they took their hypocratic oath, administration was the last thing on their mind.
What happened to the days where they would write everything in their notes and have someone else punch them into the computer afterwards? I have been to the family doctor in the most socialist of countries (Denmark) and the most severe two-tiered medical systems (Australia) and sadly the level of 'bed side manner' is directly proportional to the systems in which they operate. Obviously, a two-tiered system is all about the billing - get as many people in and as many people out as quick as possible in order to bill the most and live the highlife. In Denmark, doctors get paid daily and not by patient - they are incentivised to 'see' to the patient and understand their condition. On the flip side, doctors in Denmark make slightly above average wages.
It is worriesome that the state of the medical system has come to churning out patients and spending the majority of their time taking care of the administration. In the meantime, we just have to grin and bear it.
I recently had to visit the doctor for a couple small things and found that in the 40 minutes I spent in there she spent no more than 5 minutes actually examining the maladies which brought me there. Most of the time was spent punching away on her computer. If she had been a touch typer I am sure I would have been out in 5 minutes. She sat there with her 'peck and hunt' keyboard skills typing away my family history and the issues I came to see her about. Upon my departure I was treated to a $75 bill for a class 'B' examination (ie >30 mins). My wife had the same thing - she spent an hour (charged a double rate) to see the doctor only to have her spend 40 minutes typing and tell her to shush up so she could type. I don't think this is the doctors fault by any means, I am sure when they took their hypocratic oath, administration was the last thing on their mind.
What happened to the days where they would write everything in their notes and have someone else punch them into the computer afterwards? I have been to the family doctor in the most socialist of countries (Denmark) and the most severe two-tiered medical systems (Australia) and sadly the level of 'bed side manner' is directly proportional to the systems in which they operate. Obviously, a two-tiered system is all about the billing - get as many people in and as many people out as quick as possible in order to bill the most and live the highlife. In Denmark, doctors get paid daily and not by patient - they are incentivised to 'see' to the patient and understand their condition. On the flip side, doctors in Denmark make slightly above average wages.
It is worriesome that the state of the medical system has come to churning out patients and spending the majority of their time taking care of the administration. In the meantime, we just have to grin and bear it.
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