Anyone watching Panorama?

[ArielNonBio]

Is anyone watching this about poverty in the USA? These children are very, very sad. How can a family which was comfortably off be living in a storm drain under Vegas, or five people to a hotel room, and not have any access to unemployment benefit? How can anyone be against broadening access to healthcare?

Grrrrrrr

Unbelievable...........and obscene in such a rich country.

And really depressing and sad.

Yeah....kind of blows apart the 'Amarican dream', doesn't it......the Neo-Cons have a lot to answer for....

Why is fairness seen as such a dirty word in the USA?

Remember this is the country we follow like lambs to the slaughter - Americans truly believe people like that arn't taking personal responsibility for their money situation and that they should just try harder - oh and that you shouldn't have children you can't support sound familiar?

Reccomended watching - the film 'Sicko' by Michael Moore.

This programme is really upsetting to watch

Indeed Trickle.

Meanwhile we watch the hatchet job being done on the NHS in this country...we need to protect the NHS with a passion.

I don't think you can generalise about what "Americans believe" and I certainly haven't intended starting an Americans-bashing thread. I actually think some of what they are doing to encourage innovation and small business could be imitated here to a degree.

But the poverty in the world's richest country is truly shocking. I can't imagine anything more miserable than living in a tent in Northern Michigan through the winter :(

That poor man with the hernia.

Yes, Selks we need to be protect the NHS. I am a nurse, and I do not want to part of a system that turns people away knowing they will die without treatment.

It goes against everything I believe in.

Shit its scary. That'll be us in 15 years time. People living in ghettos with no access to health care with none of the 'haves' giving a damn.

so sad. I a shivering just looking at the tents.
so grateful for the social safety nets and health care we have here!

It's fucking heartbreaking. And sickening.

$20,000 to treat a tooth! And they said he would get gangrene if it wasn't treated.Who the fuck has that kind of money lying around let alone someone who has no job?

American people of course vary in their view points as much as anywhere. Sadly the far right has had a grip on America for such a long time that the inequalities and lack of social care infrastructure is so ingrained as to be very hard to shift. Obama tried hard to change healthcare but was met with insurmountable obstacles by the right.

And all this is happening under Obama -although admittedly he's lost control of the Senate.

I'm wondering what will happen under a Republican administration......

"social safety nets and health care we have here".....not if Cameron has his way

I was listening to radio two today regarding Greece and there are children there fainting at school as they are hungry. Its absolutely disgusting that this is happening in 2012.

the 20,000 were for the open hernia

Oh right.

Mustn't MN and try and watch Panorama at the same time!

It's dog eat dog out there. You work and get to keep your money via lower taxes and state intervention. You don't work, you are in trouble. You have money, you have choices, best health care etc. Tis the way the cons want it here.

meant to say 'lower' state intervention.

The republicans were in a CNN debate which this program mentioned. It made me boil over. The NHS is heading in the same direction - slowly, but surely. Privatisation, cut backs, short staffed, procedural work overtaking the executive work.
It is a sad day when a child watches their mother eat a rat, out of a lack of choice. Sad. Sad.

Its the doctrine of Samuel Smiles - Self Help.

But you lose your job, you lose your home and health insurance.

And millions of people are losing their homes.

thats our future there

That's the child which made me start this thread MaMattoo. That poor little scrap called Lesley who was so sad and serious.