Achtung, Teil zwei
As mentioned in my previous entry, Germans are renown for their industrial engineering, which often produces everyday technology which is simultaneously more advanced, safer, and easier to use. I used to think this was because Germans tend to appreciate a seamless integration of technology with life.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Underneath their stoic and perhaps austere demeanor, most Germans are, at their core, filled with reckless abandon. So when zipping down the autobahn at 220km/h (136mph), weaving in and out of traffic lanes to avoid vehicles crawling along at a 200km/h, advanced technology and structural integrity aren’t just aspects of modernity which one appreciates—they become existential imperatives.
This realization during my time in Germany has made me rethink my position on several key political issues in the states. More to the point—I don’t know that a national healthcare system is really in the best interest of American citizens. As advances in passenger protection safeguard Germans from their careless vehicular exploits, so too does their national healthcare system shield them from their self-destructive gastronomic tendencies.
Witness this item I found on a menu a few days ago: Pork collard stuffed with sausage meat, served on bacon cream sauce.
You don’t order that—not even once—unless angioplasties are free and available by the dozen. You just don’t.
Clearly, the inflatable balloon catheter used in an angioplasty is the coronary equivalent of a Mercedes-Benz airbag.
top
5 responses
Comment posted at 11:05 on Sunday, October 17, 2004
National healthcare systems don’t seem to have a lot of love from people who live in those countries. Most of my expeirence comes from Canadian friends who show no love what-so-ever for what Canada offers them. All use a private healthcare plan but still I’d like to hear for those who cannot afford the private plans. With all the backlash over long waits for service in these systems what are the positives that nobody is telling us about?
top
big dipper
Comment posted at 14:39 on Monday, October 18, 2004
How about ‘everybody gets healthcare,’ for a start on the possitive side. Emergency rooms have long waits too, and they are the de facto primary care source for the uninsured. Here in NY, if you don’t have a job with benefits, the cost of even basic, minimal, high deductible and low limit health insurance is comparable to rent in other cities.
top
Comment posted at 08:13 on Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Interesting observations!
I enjoy getting to see other countries by others descriptions and photos since I can’t afford to travel at this point in my life. BTW, where are the photos?
top
Comment posted at 03:37 on Saturday, October 23, 2004
Hopefully no one misread my entry as a rally against social healthcare.
I don’t care how much those who in countries which have social healthcare in place complain about it…it would be nice if the U.S. prioritized its citizens’ health over the profits of insurance companies.
Regarding photos, Brent—they’ll come, eventually. I still have a backload of photos to post from my roadtrip this past summer. You can see some of them in the last issue of 28mm.
top
Comment posted at 12:50 on Monday, October 25, 2004
What’s the serving size?
Really though - great juxtaposition. Its often hard to justify socialized healthcare when we pride ourselves on the individual pursuit of happiness. People’s choice often includes very unhealthy pursuits.
top
What's This?
∗Required field
♦Email addresses are never published
§Followup comment notifications contain a link to turn off further notification
†The captcha system verifies you're a human by having you enter text which spambots cannot read.
About Comments
IPs are logged and can be banned, so be civil and don't make an ass of yourself.
Registering greatly simplifies comment entry.
Allowed Tags
a, blockquote, em, strong
Note: only the above tags will be used in submitted comments, despite what that sneaky live preview leads you to believe.
top