The following is a reprint from the Opinions page of the Connecticut Post from September 1, 2009. The author is Hans Wilhelm
I am trying to understand why we Americans think we live so much better than the rest of the world. In many ways I can compare myself with my brother who lives in Bremen, Germany, in a house that is very comparable to ours with regard to size, value and location. He pays only a bit more than $1,000 a year on taxes. This allows him not only to live in his house till the end of his life but also pass it on to his children. As a matter of fact, his estate has been in our family for more than 150 years and will continue staying in the hands of his children.
Our taxes for our American house are close to $20,000 a year and I doubt whether we will be able to afford the ever increasing taxes in 15 or 20 years, and may be forced to sell the house instead of passing it on to our children. For us...like for millions of other Americans....it is simply not possible to live out our lives in the house we are calling home.
The children of my brother can visit the best universities for virtually free. When they are finished they will not be burdened down by enormous student loans, and neither does my brother have to mortgage his home to pay for their education. Compare that with costs for college education for the average American family. Too many American kids cannot afford to work in a profession they really want because it may offer lower pay. Instead, they have to take any well-paying job....just to pay off their loan. So much for "following your dream."
My brother does not have to worry about any excessive health care costs, for himself or his children. His son actually had a complicated heart surgery...with no extra costs to my brother. A third of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. are a result of unpaid health care costs. We throw our children to the wolves and give them no safety net whatsoever when it comes to illness. What king of parents are we?
Germany is a highly industrial nation with a higher productivity per worker than America. And yet the average fully paid holiday for Germans and other Europeans is four to six weeks! Compare that to an average of 8.2 days of paid vacation in America. Maybe we would enjoy our work more if we had also more time to refresh our mind, body and spirit.
Like most Europeans, my brother can expect a pension that will not make him rich...but will keep him in his own House and far away from the poorhouse. Compare that with the latest statistics that say 80 percent of all baby boomers in America are underfunded for their retirement and will run out of money before they die.
Our favorite argument is that we pay less tax than the Europeans. Well, I wonder, just add our outrageous property taxes, our steep private health insurance premiums and actual health care costs that we have to pay out of pocket, and add our costs for colleges and you will see that we probably pay very much the same.
It is also interesting to note that the European Union is made up of many very different countries, nationalities, languages, histories and traditions...and yet, there is one common thing that all 500 million Europeans have firmly agreed on: They all have voted for governments that have socialism as their base and provide each citizen with health care, pension and free education. As a matter of fact, even our close neighbor Canada has voted for similar values.
I am not saying that everything is perfect and better in Europe. It is not. They also have their problems with their big programs just like we have. But why are we so afraid of a little bit of "socialism" when we could have so much more in our lives and the lives of our children? In all statistics about living standards and quality of life, America trails well behind the European countries.
Why are we satisfied with so little? Why can't we live like the rest of the civilized world? (end of article.)
My opinion about socialism was changed when I saw Michael Moore's movie, "Sicko". In the movie I am reminded that we use our parks, libraries, police and fire departments without paying directly. Our mail is delivered without paying the mail carrier. That is socialism. I don't think that is a bad thing.
I am trying to understand why we Americans think we live so much better than the rest of the world. In many ways I can compare myself with my brother who lives in Bremen, Germany, in a house that is very comparable to ours with regard to size, value and location. He pays only a bit more than $1,000 a year on taxes. This allows him not only to live in his house till the end of his life but also pass it on to his children. As a matter of fact, his estate has been in our family for more than 150 years and will continue staying in the hands of his children.
Our taxes for our American house are close to $20,000 a year and I doubt whether we will be able to afford the ever increasing taxes in 15 or 20 years, and may be forced to sell the house instead of passing it on to our children. For us...like for millions of other Americans....it is simply not possible to live out our lives in the house we are calling home.
The children of my brother can visit the best universities for virtually free. When they are finished they will not be burdened down by enormous student loans, and neither does my brother have to mortgage his home to pay for their education. Compare that with costs for college education for the average American family. Too many American kids cannot afford to work in a profession they really want because it may offer lower pay. Instead, they have to take any well-paying job....just to pay off their loan. So much for "following your dream."
My brother does not have to worry about any excessive health care costs, for himself or his children. His son actually had a complicated heart surgery...with no extra costs to my brother. A third of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. are a result of unpaid health care costs. We throw our children to the wolves and give them no safety net whatsoever when it comes to illness. What king of parents are we?
Germany is a highly industrial nation with a higher productivity per worker than America. And yet the average fully paid holiday for Germans and other Europeans is four to six weeks! Compare that to an average of 8.2 days of paid vacation in America. Maybe we would enjoy our work more if we had also more time to refresh our mind, body and spirit.
Like most Europeans, my brother can expect a pension that will not make him rich...but will keep him in his own House and far away from the poorhouse. Compare that with the latest statistics that say 80 percent of all baby boomers in America are underfunded for their retirement and will run out of money before they die.
Our favorite argument is that we pay less tax than the Europeans. Well, I wonder, just add our outrageous property taxes, our steep private health insurance premiums and actual health care costs that we have to pay out of pocket, and add our costs for colleges and you will see that we probably pay very much the same.
It is also interesting to note that the European Union is made up of many very different countries, nationalities, languages, histories and traditions...and yet, there is one common thing that all 500 million Europeans have firmly agreed on: They all have voted for governments that have socialism as their base and provide each citizen with health care, pension and free education. As a matter of fact, even our close neighbor Canada has voted for similar values.
I am not saying that everything is perfect and better in Europe. It is not. They also have their problems with their big programs just like we have. But why are we so afraid of a little bit of "socialism" when we could have so much more in our lives and the lives of our children? In all statistics about living standards and quality of life, America trails well behind the European countries.
Why are we satisfied with so little? Why can't we live like the rest of the civilized world? (end of article.)
My opinion about socialism was changed when I saw Michael Moore's movie, "Sicko". In the movie I am reminded that we use our parks, libraries, police and fire departments without paying directly. Our mail is delivered without paying the mail carrier. That is socialism. I don't think that is a bad thing.
Labels: socialized medicine
posted by gardenbug at Tuesday, September 01, 2009
2 Comments:
I have to agree. Since moving to Australia, where I pay 1.5% out of my pay for health care and don't even miss it, I have to say that my eyes have been opened in regards to public health care. Our government does a lot of things right as long as it's a priority (like our military, for example.) If this became a priority, I bet we could then be equal to the top health care countries in the world: France, Belgium and Germany. Right now, we're shamefully low on the list in terms of infant mortality and overall health care. I'd love to see that change. We're already a socialist nation in many areas - many people, unfortunately, grew up and lived through the Cold War with negative propaganda about any system that was not Capitalism. I don't see why the two systems can't work hand in hand. They certainly do in other developed countries.
With your permission, I could add your email on the topic....
Post a Comment
<< Home