Zelensky - feeling quite sad

[Bakewelltart1]

I know that there are several threads about him, but I’ve watched the interview again today.
I don’t know what’s made me feel more sad - how exhausted and disappointed he looked, the fact that English isn’t his first language and it must have been hard to speak, let alone speak whilst being verbally attacked, or the suit question.
When the war is over, I want to buy that man the best suit money can buy!
How can anyone kick someone when they are so down anyway.

Something I didn’t know until yesterday.

He did have holiday insurance that took care of it all but if he had been an American citizen and not in work and too poor for health insurance then he would have died

I am a bit confused why your mother waited until she had 20 issues to discuss with a doctor before she made an appointment

How long of an appointment was she wanting? At 5 mins per issue it would have needed a 1 hour and 40 minute appointment. If you are a fan of health insurance then surely a private doctor would have been the way to go

I don’t think the average American citizen travels abroad and even less when abroad get very ill very quickly or have an accident so they don’t get to see the free at point of need service that other countries provide.

So $1000 per month for 2 of you.

For that I would expect what you get and more.

Just to correct you. You do have tax on purchases (very annoying that they don’t actually show you these charges before you get to the till) & our Vat isn’t on everything
We also don’t have 30% tax (it’s not the 1970s
Our tax starts at 20% on anything earned over £12600 in a year

Uh, It wasn't MY mother. Might want to get who you are replying to sorted. My Mom has been dead a long, long time, so it's very hurtful AND insulting that you cannot take the time to sort who said what.

Any American who travels to a foreign country and doesn't get travel insurance is a fool.
My Mom, when she was alive, travel insurance that covered the states and covered my travel to go to her when she was in the hospital. Got to use it twice and got RT airfare covered so I could be with her.

Any person, who goes to an ER, gets care until stabilized. The hospital also works with you and will lower the bill if no insurance. I had a friend who got pancreatitis, she was admitted, had her gall bladder taken out while there and she had zero insurance. They ended up putting her on Medicaid and all was covered. They worked with her.

Our system isn't perfect and could use an overhaul but if a small country like the UK cannot get NHI working well, who can think a country of 350+ million can get it in gear? Especially with our government. The only thing that could work would be federally funded but run by the individual states, insurance. That could stand a chance. I don't think a lot of citizens would appreciate VAT and doubling or more their income tax to pay for it though.

Which is totally fair if the US wants to implement their health care system. But putting it on Europe is not on if you chose to leave 40% of your people in debt due to healthcare or leaving 20% of your public not be able to avoid needed procedures.

No, it's $500 for the TWO of us/month, as I said in my OP. Then $300/deductible for EACH of us. This covers the basics, vision, dental and prescriptions.

Yes, there is a state, county sales tax. Each state and even counties within the state are different. It can be confusing until you know what the rate is. It's pretty easy at that point, for most people to figure out what the taxes are on something. At least loosely.

And income tax? How much % do you pay for $50K/year? 75K? $120K?

$12600 here is lower than the poverty rate for one person. They would pay 12% up to $47,xxx/yr and then it jumps to 22% until $100,xxx/yr when it jumps to 24%. It jumps a lot at around 190,000/yr. to 32%. It is also divided into categories of you pay so much to this, then over this to this you pay so much, etc. Not straight tax.

Excellent slap down of Farage by Starmer at PMQs just then.

Farage is a 🐍 of the highest order.

No one is "putting" anything on Europe. LOL!

They won't have federal healthcare in the US during my lifetime. The two parties have such hatred towards one another that working together seems impossible. Their egos are greater than their desire to do anything positive.

https://www.ft.com/content/2e908d56-603b-4e60-b70c-7d2d5bda8ec5

Well I like that it states that Zelenskyy is the real deal as he’s stayed put on his home turf throughout all of this, whereas Vance went into an undisclosed location because of a few protestors when he was skiing.
What a man 🤦‍♀️

Just seen Trump's Director of National Intelligence (and long suspected Russian asset) Tulsi Gabbard claiming that European countries, including the UK, are fighting AGAINST democracy and freedom, while repeating the talking point about Ukraine cancelling it's elections.

Makes you sick to see just how far the US has fallen.

The average heal insurance premium is 8951 per person, so you are one of the lucky ones.
You are also lucky that you don't belong to 47% of Americans who find it difficult to pay health care costs or the 20 % who can't afford procedures.

Earlier in the thread is has been mentioned that Europe can only afford it's healthcare due to US defense spending a common Republican talking point.. As well as drugs in developed in the US being given cheaper to other countries.

Both of these are not true.

While the US does in fact spend more on defense they do in fact also spend more on healthcare they just do it more inefficiently.
There is no federal healthcare in the US because voters don't want it.

Not sure why this has turned into a debate over tax rates and who pays what

I think we can all look at our own countries and be grateful or annoyed about different aspects of it can't we? Same regarding other countries? If you want it or want it to change then vote for it

I do have to smile about the comments about the US tax dollar subsidises our healthcare though. You do your healthcare we'll do ours, for better or worse.

I do think we should spend more on defence, even before the latest shitshow. But let's also recognise the US spends lots as it suits its agenda of being a superpower across the world.

@sleepwouldbenice I’ve lost the plot of this thread now.
It wasn’t meant to cause annoyance or anger, yet some posters appear to be just that.
Im just glad that Zelenskyy can go home and feel more supported after this weekend.

@OneLemonDog
God, they sound more and more like Soviets. I grew up with this rhetoric, but have hoped that after 1989 it would not have spread past Russia, China, North Korea and a few other countries. Never have I expected to hear it from Americans.

Interesting.
It’s often surprised me why there are so many clever and charismatic Americans and yet your politicians and political choice is so appalling.

Tax on items bought is the same system here in Canada. We all know gst and pst will be on certain items and we know the rate. So, it's not a surprise at the till. Just a different system than yours.

Russia is quite please US FP is more in line with theirs now per news this morning. I despair.

Nobody should believe he can lead. Farage is a catalyst.

Farage is a great messenger. He is not the leader though. Even Farage himself is coming to terms with this........rationale.

Farage's successor will come from the West with military experience. You can't see it now, but you can hear it.

Many of us ask that same question. In a country where we have very intelligent, poised, educated, savvy, kind people; why can we not field candidates who have those attributes? Sadly, I think a lot of the answer is those people know how toxic politics are and avoid them at all cost. It's also a money man's game. The ones with the money get to pick who they want and promote them.

But, even as a rich man's game, there has to be someone out there who has positive qualities and would be an asset to the political landscape. There just has to be. Or the rich that run this crap need to look for someone decent, not someone rich like them. I don't know. I am heartbroken and frustrated these days.

Yes, pretty much. I have no problem with telling folks I have voted Democrat in all the presidential elections since I was eligible to vote. In the UK, I vote Labour. Especially when it is in a political discussion.

150 pounds, 5 foot, seven

No children.

Sex frequency depends on various factors, you?

Britain has limits on election spending, and that is a good thing. It opens up the candidacies more. As mentioned, you have to raise insane amounts of the money to run in the USA. Also regulations on political advertising in the UK as well. Electoral reform in the USA is well overdue.

Zelensky is offering partial ceasefire to re-start peace talks. This will only end when Russia and the US get exactly what they want. Trump is looking at removing sanctions on Russia per news yesterday. Putin is praising Trump for aligning US foreign policy to Russia's. What sort of alternate universe are we in?

I remember Obama raising £££ through asking people to donate 1 dollar each, rather than huge one offs from millionaires.

It’s a shame Zelenskyy can’t start something similar, I would be very happy to pay £20 a month or whatever towards Ukrainian military equipment or whatever was necessary. I imagine there are a lot of people worldwide who would as well.

It is very easy to do so! Link is the official Ukraine country site. Click on " In wartime" top of page. Then click on "support" top of next page.

https://ukraine.ua