Oh boy, there's a confirmed case in my small rural county now. It spreads quickly.
@mookysam I'm convinced at this point that the right will continue seizing power and shifting the overton window by preying on the fears of old people until there's a marked generational change in the U.S.. There is a lot of support in America among millennials and (probably) zoomers for universal healthcare, but they don't go out and vote when the chips are down, so they (we) are not a relevant voting bloc atm.
Entrenched corporate interest in keeping healthcare insurance private and ridiculously expense is just too strong here, and it's going to take a unified and muscular response from a large portion of the country to change that. And even then, that'll take years of groundwork, because even if we somehow got universal healthcare legislation passed right now, I'm convinced the supreme court Donald Trump has shaped for a generation would consider it to be "unconstitutional."
@Ralizah I have to admit that for the average Brit the opposition to universal healthcare in America is baffling. It should be viewed as a basic human right, yet giant corporations have this chokehold and won't relinquish control. The way many Americans have been led to believe that any form of socialism is wrong - particularly at a time when it is needed most - is difficult to comprehend. The general message seems to be that socialism is okay when it comes in the form of massive corporate bailouts at the expense of ordinary citizens.
Although the UK's own healthcare system has been battered and stripped to the bone by a decade of very deliberate underinvestment, we are still extremely lucky to have healthcare that is universal and free at the point of delivery. I am in awe of the work doctors and nurses do and feel extremely grateful on a personal level. If we didn't have the NHS I would probably be dead right now, or at least in debt for the rest of my life.
Do you think that the millions of uninsured or underinsured Americans who simply can't afford treatment could lead to the COVID-19 crisis worsening? Then there are migrants - whether legal or undocumented - who are very distrustful of federal government and as a result may not seek help if they fall ill.
@mookysam It being an election year in the U.S. it will be interesting to see. Healthcare reform is always one of the top 2 or 3 topics of debate. First Obamacare and now the proponents are calling it “Medicare For All” which is basically like a universal health care system. It has a lot of traction in the public and this pandemic is sure to influence voters.
It’s all complicated by the horrible related economic recession we are in, which will also be a factor.
@nessisonett Boredom is a big factor. I was bored the other day, so I dyed my hair for the first time in a couple of years. Now it's a lovely dark reddish purple colour. It also helped that I'm now working from home and don't have to worry about what the office will say, though I doubt they particularly mind these things anyway.
@RogerRoger I'm a bit too squeamish to shave my own hair, so it's going to be rather long once this is all over. It's going to be interesting to see other people also having long hair due to the hairdressers being closed.
I shave my own head, so it’s a nice break not having to do that for a while, actually. I actually had to wash my hair in the shower for once today, shampoo and everything.
Cutting your own hair at home is a great way to save money as well, and you get to avoid that awkward chit chat. There's just so many wins, I'd never go back to a hairdresser.
I always ask my sister to shave my hair very short. Saves so much money. That's nothing new, though.
@mookysam This is what comes of generations of brainwashing via corporate-owned media. Should we ever get universal healthcare that's properly funded, it'll likely be wildly popular like Medicare and Social Security are now. But, in this country, we have to fight like dogs to get even basic reforms that are considered basic rights of citizenship in other countries.
Although, honestly, the problems with America's political system go so deep. There's so much gross, blatant influence of corporate money in politics. Partisan gerrymandering. Voter suppression tactics. An electoral college system for presidential elections, and state electoral vote allocation rules, that disenfranchises wide swaths of the country
@Th3solution I understand a relief package was needed for the significant disruption this virus has caused, but I'll confess, it has been more than a little annoying to see a lot of the same people gaslighting Americans about a universal healthcare system "bankrupting" America by costing us trillions over a decade or so (despite Sanders' Medicare-for-All system actually saving everyone money in the process, a finding supported even by right-leaning institutions who have studied it) gleefully voting for a bill that literally consists of trillions of dollars of handouts to businesses and individuals. Most of these elected "conservative" people have no ideology. They believe nothing.
@Ralizah Yeah, I think what we’ll probably eventually end up with (as far as health care) is a two-tiered system, I think similar to Canada’s. There will be some basic universal health care for all citizens, but there will be purchasable private insurance as well. We’ll still get the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ because the federally funded plan will likely be bare bones, but it will be something. People will have access to basic stuff if they get sick and typical preventative services. But if you want a knee replacement you’ll have to be put on a 12 month waiting list unless you have insurance. If you want a scan to work up your back pain, you’ll be denied that unless you get to the point of not being able to walk. If have cancer, you may not get all the latest most expensive treatment options available unless you have private insurance. If you have a medical problem that needs long term medication, you’ll get the cheapest generic covered but not anything new to market. Etc, etc. I think it will be better than what we’ve got now. I’m not saying it will be soon, but depending on results of the election (and how Coronavirus continues to unfold) it could be here sooner than later. Obamacare got passed rather quickly after he took office and I don’t think anyone would have predicted that. So it can be done. Again, I’m the eternal optimist, so take my predictions with a handful of salt, but there’s nothing like a good ol’ fashioned pandemic to shake things up.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
I always cut my own hair these days. I think I'm pretty good at it too but it does take a few hours all in. Hanging up the mirrors, cutting the hair, hoovering the floor and showering after. I'd go to a barbers but just can't seem to find a good one in my area (the last one I went to was a young guy who gave me short on top and long back and sides - I felt so awkward I just had to leave and finish it myself at home). People always compliment it but when I reveal I done it myself, all of a sudden they notice all these imperfections in it 😂. Started doing my beard now too.
My boss has said he will furlough me today. I'll take it with a pinch of salt until it's in writing but a week of anxiety has been relieved somewhat. They're tight geezers so I didn't think they'd say yes. I know the government pays for it but they won't pay the profit they'd earn if I was doing jobs so I expected them to try and keep everyone available for the odd job that does come in during the next few months.
@ralphdibny ...short on top and long on sides. I’m trying to imagine that and I actually don’t understand what kind of barber would approve that monstrosity 😂😂😂
@nessisonett oh it was bad. I'm not sure if he had finished but he just said "is that alright?" And I was horrified, just said yep yep ok and left, I even tipped him haha. Ever since, I have done the opposite, which is short back and sides, probably what you'd call a hipster haircut but I do it myself so I don't think it's very hipster.
Lidl do some interesting tins, I had a minted lamb hotpot from there the other day. Not alot of actual lamb in it but it tasted bloody good. The broccoli and stilton soup is tasty too but leaves a confusingly fishy aftertaste.
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