Is it really like this in the US ???

Since i'm a child i've been so expose to US tv shows etc... so i always said that one day my dream was to finish school here and go live in the US and i know there was some things like health insurance that are really different from there

but watching this tik tok video i notice that there was so much things who are like shocking for me that Americans are just used to

and other things who are completely normal and are shocking for americans

and that's pretty surprising to heard

Quote from dummi

In America poor families often just take their kids to the ER when they are sick because they can't be turned away. Health insurance is a mess here

Quote from Kataphract

I know of people who have had to be rushed to the ER because they were saving money to treat an ongoing condition -- until the condition went overboard and even after the trip to the ER they get saddled with a massive bill.

The reason why the government step in and help subsidize this stuff is because a lot of people are afraid that their hard earned tax money is going to be used to subsidize care for illegals (there are cases of illegal immigrants travelling to get free care and then leaving but its honestly not enough to affect anything) or people living off of welfare checks etc and etc. Also insurance companies are going to lose out on their cash cow so to speak so there's a lot of opposition to one of the easier solutions to lower medical prices. I'm not saying that this is the only solution but I'm just giving an example as to the resistance that occurs to some solutions.

Quote from Sweet-Spice

Yes. I was temporarily without health insurance for a certain period and one night at like 3am I tripped and broke my foot.

First thing I did was cry not because of how painful it was, but because I knew I didn't have health insurance and how much it would cost me.

People here would rather die than take an ambulance or go to the hospital sometimes. They fear debt more.

wow that's pretty messed up that people have to wait until their health become worse to even think of going to the hospital

or thinking more about if you'll have enough money on your bank account to pay for your bill than thinking about your health first '-'

and why USA isn't doing anything ? the right to have access to good health care should be the first thing who matter in a developped country like the US

Quote from quarkie

Work culture - as I mentioned the federal minimum wage is $7.25/hr. Your employer isn't required to offer to benefits of any kind unless you work a certain average number of hours per week and if they hire you part time, they will purposely schedule you so you are consistently just shy of this number and so never qualify for things like insurance benefits, maternity/paternity leave, etc.

You're told not to come to work if you're sick, but in reality you are fully expected to come to work if you are sick or even just gave birth. If your employer gives you paid sick time separately from your paid time off/vacation days then you're extremely lucky.

Honestly the part about maternity/paternity leave is the most shocking things to me

i saw a video of someone saying that some teacher are accumulating their vacation days for years just in case they'll become parents, so they can take this vacation days as a maternity leave for few weeks

and that's so shocking

Quote from Kataphract

1 money, 2 political division, 3 infighting, 4 money --

jokes aside Its a sore subject for most but the majority of people put up with it. Its the less wealthy that get affected by it and power flows where the money is, so they get very little representation. and usually the American way is to either make what you are missing or wait for the problem to become a problem to the people in power -- one way or another. Even then its still somewhat an uphill battle; even if proponents agree -- they have a hard time agreeing on how to go about it.

i don't get why tons of people were protesting against mask during covid

but nobody protest against this to put pression on the government to try to change some things ?

Quote from Sweet-Spice

You'd be surprise at how many people here think health care is a privilege, not basic human rights. This country is shit as well as very divided.

that's disturbing

you don't get classes about human rights in school ? or some classes where your teacher compare with other countries to show other it work in US compare to other countries to help people to think about all of these things ?

maybe if people were more educate about human rights and how it work in other countries, it would open their eyes and make them think that it shouldn't be the same there

Quote from Sweet-Spice

their loyalty will reside with one side and whatever narrative that side is pushing. Much like a cult following.

talking of loyalty and cult , not really related

is it true that you pledge allegiance to the US flag everyday at school ? why are you doing it ? it something really weird to do for me, i can't even imagine doing it here

Quote from bartkun

not stationary is also free?

I mean ok even if going to class is free then what about accomodation on campus?

by free education i think she's talking about education fee

everybody paid accomodation even here, even if the university is free

but at least you get a monthly scholarship and help from government to pay less for accomodation

and you also have student service where you can find accomodation to a lower price than they are usually

Quote from keaji

I don't have to struggle with things like healthcare and education etc, so reading this I feel privileged...

Come to Europe zuzu

exactly

we complain about a lot of shit but after seeing these videos and reading everything ....

i think a lot of people here in Europe don't seem to understand how privilege we truly are for all these things who seems like the most basic things for us but aren't for a lot of people

Quote from bartkun

ah in Poland scholarship is only for brains

and only public universities/colleges offer free study but only for stationary students

also there is a catch each university/college has limiit of first years that they can take as new students so...

basically it's not easy to study for free in Poland, and most people must pay for their education

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Well here in France every Universities college is free based on your parent ressource

but even if your parents are rich, college fee are so low that it's consider almost free

and if you're from a low or average revenu family you get a monthly scholarship even if you're not the best at school

and less your family revenu are low more the amount of money you get is high

and here there's no limit for the amount of new student, we only get through a selection when you reach your 4th year of college which is to enter in a master degree, where they choose only the best student and where the number of place is limited

Quote from Kataphract

its more political opposition, this one. Obama Pushed through the affordable healthcare act but then trump just deleted it after he took office

(as well as a pandemic task force, mind you.) so you can see why the US was absolute crap at taking care of covid.

The protest against this one is in the political offices, or on ballots. people have gotten past the marching in the streets bit.

well marching in the street would prove to the government that the population care about this problem and will no longer live silently and acting like it's normal

it would definitely put a lot of pressure on the government to do something about it

Quote from keaji

I think about it a lot... Like people in my country behave like spoiled brats. They have everything, but complain all the time. Of course nowhere is perfect. But it feels like because we live in this safe world they're so bored that they have to complain about bizzare things. Like riot because their kids have to do Covid tests...

exactly

people need a reality check because if tomorrow they no longer have all these things, they'll see how privileged we were and how they shouldn't act like spoiled brats

Quote from quarkie

It's true. The pledge started back during the Civil War and then it got officially adopted by Congress. Back in the day, during the Cold War, in order to "fight communism" or whatever they decided that all kids should say the pledge every single day at school to remind themselves that democracy is the best and they added "under God" to it at the same time because bigotry.

Schools can no longer force you stand for the pledge or the anthem nor can they force you to recite it.

Basically the 1950s and the Cold War fucked over the whole country (even worse than it was before) and extreme patriotism, nationalism, and conservative Christian views became the foundation for the country.

Quote from Sweet-Spice

It's a deeeeeply embedded tradition that they instill on you when you're young. So for most elementary schools it's still heavily practiced. I know it by heart still sadly.

But yeah, it makes you believe you're not a good american that stands for "unity", "god", and "liberty & justice" for all if you start questioning your own country and how things are generally run in it.

tldf; It's patriotic garbage to brainwash young kids to grow up into well- insert some not so nice words here.

that's a really weird tradition