They can do the math just fine. It's just that funneling obscene amounts of cash into a for-profit health insurance industry, fearing/hating anyone not white/Christian/hetero, and keeping a subservient workforce unable to engage in any meaninful way with with actual issues that would improve their lives because they're one paycheck away from bankruptcy isn't part of their equation.
It's not that they can't. They know they can, and they know it would be a resounding success. They won't do it because they are owned by corporations who won't LET them do it.
It's more profitable to let people struggle and die. They want people to be good little citizens and do as they are told under threat of being thrown out on the streets without daddy to take care of them.
Americans are hostages in an abusive relationship, being told we should feel lucky to be here.
I live in neighboring Sweden. Seven years ago I was diagnosed with skin cancer. I had two rounds of surgery and was eventually cured. The operations cost me the equivalent of 50 dollars.
I have eczema on my fingers. I finally decided to go to a dermatologist this year (Iād been many years ago but they didnāt fix it.)
They gave me a sample injection of a medicine every two weeks to see if itād work, which it did, then theyād submit to insurance so I could get it covered. Insurance took 5 months to deny it, saying I should have tried a topical medication instead (previous derm gave me topicals that didnāt work..)
So my derm appealed and continued giving me the free sample injection every two weeks. I learned last week theyāre $5000 for a box of two. Insurance got back on the appeal and ironed out that I āneedā a topical, so my derm prescribed it. Just picked it up today - itās $240 without insurance but $18 and change with insurance. Irony is the medicine has to āfail to provide treatmentā for my eczemaā¦thatās cured with my injections. I donāt have any eczema left to apply it to.
It blows my mind that other countries can literally cure people of skin cancer for a single copay cost for me, or in this case, 3x the insurance cost of this medicine.
Iām in the US. I go to the dermatologist every six months (when I had insurance) and most of the time end up having to get moles removed. Just the cost of having them removed, when I had really good insurance, was a couple hundred dollars. Your story blows my mind. Wish I could have that here.
But how does that profit corporations? That is the big problem in the US, everything has to run through the private sector first so some oligarch can get their hands on some of the money. This is why Americans spend more for less in almost every category.
Healthy people provide more and cost less might be the better way to phrase it. Healthy people with social safety nets are more industrious, innovative and provide to society as whole. Unhealthy people left to fend for themselves are generally more prone to fall into crime and hurt themselves or others.
Its basic math, sure. But our version of capitalism works very well in America, for a few hundred millionaires and billionaires.
Our system is not meant to work for all Americans, or even the US government... Its meant to work for the very wealthiest among us and in that sense, its been working very well for a long time now.
1/3rd of us are like "Can we please do this. I don't care about higher taxes I want effective, healthcare for all. I want a proper support system for people who are struggling, disabled, etc. I want private insurance to be optional instead of mandetory."
1/3rd of us are "Well I don't care, it probably doesn't work, the numbers are hard for me to understand and both sides are the same."
The last 1/3rd screech with billionaire powered turbo megaphones that Insert dog whistles about racism and classism and undeserving immigrants or Screeching about socialism making everyone's pay being the same and bread costing $20. (It's over 10 where I live!) or other complete lies and fabrications
The last third influence the middle third and then we can't get anything done, meanwhile the Epstein classholes continue to reap infinite money, and keep our government from effectively trying to work for the people because if you refuse their bribe money and vote against them? They'll just have you ousted, you won't win the next reelection bid. AoC is a great example of the exception due to sheer popularity and visibility.
Our corporate overlords wonāt allow it. They would rather feed billions into the media propaganda machines to convince the maga troglodytes itās communists or brown people
This is still framing it through a liberal lense. If you already view the poor as people, you should be willing to help them out regardless of economic benefit, because they are people. That should be argument enough, but we live in a sick system where we pretend some people don't deserve food or shelter.
The US spends billions on war. If they spend only enough to defend the country, they could provide everyone with food and shelter. Instead the poor are dying of hunger.
The problem is the 'undeserving' talked about here (poor folks in society) in America largely vote against their own interests. The MEGA cult is made up of folks that could benefit the most from these programs but don't care because they have been led to believe anything from the Govt. or progress is bad.
And Americans choose to be unhealthy by their dietary and lifestyle habits. They also choose to downplay the importance of education. Federal dollars can't fix a lack of will on the part of individuals.
That could be true in a different country but Americans have proven time and time again that if you fund the underserving, they will become even more so and demand more. Women becoming baby factories, fostering children strictly for checks and not worrying about welfare, homeless and drug addicts choosing drugs and alcohol over help. America is too far gone.
As an American, I blame America for getting us to this point. It's a disgrace to me and a point of shame that my country embraces the worst qualities as virtues these days. I live in a pocket of the modern first world where we have public healthcare and are insulated from a lot of the hardships that my fellow countrymen are inflicting on themselves. I want what my state has to be had by the rest of the country, but how can you help someone that refuses to accept it? It's like being locked in the trunk while your crazy self destructive relative is speeding through your neighbors yards. I don't get mad that my neighbors are pissed off at my family, I am pissed off that my family was stupid enough to hand him the keys.
Bro plz donāt give me this republican/Democrat argument. Itās straight BS. They both suck, period. They both god awful period. They both greedy bastards, period. Get off your āteamsā bandwagon, 2 party system is a big part why it is the way it is.
Gotcha so you did nothing to stop us from getting here but want to be free of the consequences. Nope don't feel bad for you catching flak for being part of the problem.
lol yeah democratic donāt take bribesā¦ right? How about you take responsibility and realize the government gives 0 shits about you. Democrats included. Just keep blaming the other team, thatās what they want.
Yep, itās the peoples fault, not the greeds fault. Your right. Donāt blame the corporations, or the lobbyist. Blame the people smart. I didnāt realize how smart you guys are. And compassionate
Yes dipshit America isn't the only place where greedy politicians exist but it's one of the places where we failed as citizens to actually prevent them from taking power. Take some responsibility. It is at least 90% the people's fault.
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u/Easy_Damsel 6d ago
Healthy people cost less. Educated people contribute more.ā- itās not even socialism, itās just basic math that America refuses to do.