Why do Americans,who repeat the mantra about democracy all over the world, think it is ok to have political dynasties?

[moondog]

I mean,what the hell gave Dubya or Hillary the right to be in the White House beyond the fact that a relatave got there first?

In Hillary's case,it seems such a betrayal of her feminist convictions. I jsy don't geddit.

Still, good to see Obama doing well in Iowa. Maybe there is hope yet?

No, I thought there was another word for it. A law that specifically banned the president from handing a job to a close family member. And I remember it being argued at the time(rediculously!) that wife didn't count as a relative.

I was suprised that more democrats weren't interested in Richardson considering he was the only one with any real governing experiance.

Its the Anti- nepotism act of 1967

okay, okay. You are right. Who says you have pregnancy brain????

It doesn't exactly apply to her (regarding the nepotism) because each first lady chooses a cause to support. Nancy Reagan had drugs and the "Just say no" campaign, (I forget Barbara Bush) Hillary had healthcare reform, and Laura Bush has education.

I don't know that Laura Bush is intefering geting involved to the same extent as HC???

My brain hasn't packed up yet.

Agree with moondog. Going out and campaigning for a non-controversial worthy cause is hardly the same as developing gov't policies such as health care reform.

Barbara did leteracy

Not very well, obviously.

Sorry my screen is cracked and I can't see the results of half my typing.

Don't mind me, I quit smoking four days ago and have been obnoxious ever since by all accounts.

Not sure if it's partly nicotine withdrawal, but I'm finding this whole "Let 45 mn Americans die if they get sick, us upper class don't want our healthcare quality to decline" thing quite incredible.

sorry but lol Cote [no offence paula] I think HC's Health Care Reform objectives come from a good place. I can see the problems with lowering standard of health care overall but as there are so many without any access to health care at all something does have to be done.

surely a system like the UK's is better than a system where the poor die or go bankrupt? The UK's isn't perfect but I don't have to worry about how much money I have when I get sick. I lived in the US for 2 years and was horrified at the insurance companies and having to call them if a doctor recommended some operation yet have some twerp without medical background decide whether I could live or die. And the money grabbing doctors. I refused to see any Ob/gyns while pregnant because they wanted to do unnecassary tests because they were paid per test! Came home to have my baby in the end and thnk goodness I did. She was born brain damaged and would have used up the insurance's lifetime expenditure in the first year, then they would have let her die.
Back on topic, from the UK, the repubs and democrats look the same. Right of centre, over privilaged, moneyed and shallow. They make Thatcher look reasonable.

We are concerned about people who have no insurance coverage, something does need to be done but universal healthcare isn't the answer

smallwhitecat, yes, most do. But 50 million don't and many more millions have poor health care. Its only the wealthy that have access to the good care. I'm on various disability yahoo groups and the Americans on the list are often in a terrible way trying to get the things their kids need that I take for granted. Sheesh, many don't even get free wheelchairs. Barbaric.

why isn't universal health care the answer? If you took all the money that employers and private individuals pay to insurance companies you'd have more than enough. Insurance companies are money-grabbing and out for profit.
Universal care would mean no poor person missing out. Why do Americans hate that idea?

Health insurance companys make no money when people die. However it is cheaper to let people die here. Thats why there is no preventive medicine here.

Health insurance companys make no money when people die. However it is cheaper to let people die here. Thats why there is no preventive medicine here.

i can only imagine the numbers of underinsured.

i wonder if anyone's compiled stats on these folks.

i don't know what the solution is, either, but unfortunately for my family, we can't live there until something is figured out.

I didn't come from a wealthy family and we always had medical care. I had to have 6 surgerys as a child and my parents never went without and were never told that I couldn't be covered.

People are concerned about getting a poor level of care. You do know that poor people get health care in the States. The care for them is the same calibur of care that you recieve on the NHS here

it has become more common, however, paula, for employers not to offer insurance, or to offer it only to employees and not their dependents.

or to hire only part-time employees one or two hours/week below the threshhold at which they would be compelled to offer insurance.

or to not cover any of the premium and make it extraordinarily expensive for a working poor person to afford it.

this is why there has been such a huge increase in the numbers of uninsured.

I know this goes on (Its why people should never shop at Wal-mart) but I don't think its representative of US companys as a whole. Most people's jobs offer group health.

Americans on welfare DO NOT get care as good as the NHS. Nowhere near. In fact, many of us with insurance do not or cannot get the care we need.

Like the UK, quality of healthcare in the US depends on many things - location, income, insurance and the doctor. Earlybird had a great experience from state-provided care yet I had an awful one on private insurance. It's not just the poor who die or go bankrupt. Many 'middle-income' families can't afford healthcare whether they are insured or not.

Target has also been accused of the employment tactics used by Walmart & the like.

Anyway, this discussion was about politics not healthcare. Go Obama, I say. He's lovely