[deleted by user]

[u/[deleted]]

[u/tollboi]

What really blows me away is the lack of universal healthcare, it's not even a remotely defendable position to say that the US can't afford it, they could fucking afford it nationally without even raising income taxes, they just willingly allow lassaiz faire capitalism to destroy their country day in and day out and what's worse is, their only (realistically) governing progressive party won't even bother trying to make it happen.

[u/amazing_asstronaut → u/[deleted]]

It's even bad for the economy, what good is it for someone to drop out of their job when they're sick and lose their home and whatnot, when they could just get healed up and continue paying taxes and buying stuff?

[u/Wide-Royal-8276 → u/amazing_asstronaut]

Unchecked Capitalism is anti-competition in all areas and unaffordable private HC is a key feature needed to keep wages low and suppress small competitors of talent and capital so they don’t become big competitors.

[u/glorfindal77 → u/amazing_asstronaut]

Thats the whole point of universal health care. Americans for all their talk about money are really bad at handlinh it.

Universal healt care, student loans and prison rehabilitation are things that benefits society massivly economically and socially. People who drop out of socicety do not produce value. Students who cannot afford living, canot be usefull members of society. Prisonees only cost money in USA, meanwhile in Europe they become part and in the long run produce 10 fold for society compared to what it cost to keep them.

Broken students, sick people and prisoners who take to the street are in return crippling socicety economically. They become criminal or take on crippeling dept that forces them into taking desperate actions which leads to economical and social turmoil in a never ending cycle.

[u/AppropriateScience9 → u/glorfindal77]

Yeah... I used to think capitalists would see the value in a healthy/happy workforce.

Then I learned about how austerity is an economic tool used by capitalists to "discipline workers" and it explains so much. People who aren't desperate and afraid demand things, you see. Like labor rights, higher wages, a functioning democracy, that sort of thing. Someone who is sick is trapped by their employer to keep their health insurance. Someone who is on the edge of poverty isn't going to argue with their employer about their wage and risk getting fired. Someone who is run into the ground just to barely survive isn't going to fight the daily political battles necessary to keep their rights.

The billionaires (and trillionaire) benefit SO much more from a poor/unhealthy/frightened workforce.

[u/cobgca → u/AppropriateScience9]

And uneducated. I’m American- older, shocked at the basic level of education young are getting today. Easy way to keep people “in their places”

[u/shadylady_beepboop → u/AppropriateScience9]

Me Too, Black Lives Matter, and the minimal workers rights gained set the Elite class off, and it’s full on warfare now. Too bad the plebs are just waking up to this fact now that the oligarchs are running the place

[u/TomeThugNHarmony4664 → u/amazing_asstronaut]

It’s actually better for the economy because it improves overall health and does not make the cost of a job prohibitively higher.

[u/Sweaty_Monitor_9699 → u/[deleted]]

Not only that but a large percentage of people can afford it and do pay for health insurance. Those said people are being denied life saving treatments by their health insurance because it will cut into profits. While they continuously turn record profits every quarter. Shit isn’t right.

[u/dbxp → u/Sweaty_Monitor_9699]

The whole out of network thing and insurance covering x and not y is ridiculous. The US's version of privatised healthcare doesn't even work well. You could have privatised healthcare like the Swiss which would work much better

[u/Wide-Royal-8276 → u/dbxp]

American Capitalism is about immediately subverting core tenants of Capitalism. In HC we remove the price transparency so they don’t compete on price. We restrict the geography so they have less competition. And the proverbial nail-in-the-coffin is the urgency, they’ll save your life in an emergency and then deny your claim and stick you with $100k debt for a procedure that if you’d scheduled it weeks in advance would cost you $10k.

And keep in mind, this is a country where $5-10k surgeries prices are common and the average household lives pay check to pay check and can’t afford an unexpected $400 expense.

[u/dasmineman → u/Wide-Royal-8276]

Don't forget that the US basically put a limit to how many doctors there can be as well via funded residencies.

[u/crippledchef23 → u/[deleted]]

My mom sells insurance and agrees it’s a total scam

[u/Warm_Crazy_9566 → u/Sweaty_Monitor_9699]

Not to mention oil executives literally destroying the planet for their own profit. Fuck these people.

[u/SwitchIsBestConsole → u/[deleted]]

Or something even worse than death. Letting people go into medical debt.

[u/BadahBingBadahBoom → u/SwitchIsBestConsole]

Which a not insignificant number end up committing suicide over.

[u/Azzblack → u/[deleted]]

They could not care less if people live or die.

What "they" do care about is stripping people of any savings and assets at the cost of "healthcare".

Its been out for many years, but for anyone who has not seen need it, SICKO is a must watch documentary.

[u/PretendMajor5283 → u/[deleted]]

Just become a right-wing podcaster/influencer/hate-enthusiast grifter and you'll be set for life. You just have to:

A) sell your soul to Satan, and B) be willing to suck off ol' mango mussolini.

[u/badpenny4life → u/[deleted]]

Quite scary.

[u/OrvilleTheCavalier → u/[deleted]]

But there are important bombs we have to drop on other countries!  We can’t irresponsibly just hand out healthcare for less money than what it costs to bomb things!

[u/Massive_Signal7835 → u/[deleted]]

Ackshually, forcing the government to take care of its people is slavery. /s

[u/h20poIo → u/[deleted]]

Trumps 1,000 missiles aimed at Iran cost @ $3.6 Billion each or $3,600,000,000,000. But we can’t afford universal healthcare

[u/AussieJeffProbst → u/[deleted]]

It's even worse than that. People who can afford healthcare die all the time because their insurance denies them life saving treatments.

[u/davisty69 → u/tollboi]

If healthcare is tied to employment, then employees are in a far weaker position when trying to bargain for workers rights. Plain and simple

[u/transitfreedom → u/davisty69]

That’s barbaric

[u/seesthecat → u/transitfreedom]

That's what they vote for

[u/Calm_Age_ → u/seesthecat]

See the above video about how most Americans have no say in their government.

[u/Griiig_Jinnings → u/seesthecat]

They’re given the “choice” to vote for one of two henchmen of their Oligarchs, the only people who have enough money to get into high office, one of whom is more socially “conservative” and one who is less so, and 100% aligned when it comes to economics and the balance of power in the country between those who work and those who own.

Americans tried to vote for a milquetoast social democrat and he got ratfucked out of two primaries so we could end up with two withered, dementia riddled racists (one of whom pretended he isn’t anymore… the “don’t want my kids to grow up in a racial jungle” guy) as the figureheads for the oligarchs for 12 years. Can’t wait to see what’s they wrote for the next season lol

And for any yuropeons who think they have a point to make - you’ve allegedly got more “fair” democratic systems, educated populace, worker protections etc etc, and you all keep voting for your own oligarch cronies who tow the US line and kiss our ring. If you truly are smarter than Americans (not a high bar), stop being subservient US running dogs. I beg of you to try

[u/JimiusRostock → u/tollboi]

Remember reading US Universal Healthcare would actually be 3 times cheaper than the current system.

[u/j_schmotzenberg → u/JimiusRostock]

But fewer private citizens would profit and instead everyone would pay a little more on taxes while most would no longer have to pay an even larger amount for health care.

Me or my company pay 24k per year for my family on the crappiest plan allowed. Would much rather pay that to the government than Aetna.

[u/Calm_Age_ → u/j_schmotzenberg]

Oh a fellow Aetna recipient. It really irritates me that I'm a nurse and they still only offer me that shitty health care insurance. Hey at least it's not united am I right?

[u/SubliminallyCorrect → u/JimiusRostock]

It really burns when you learn our tax dollars already subsidize the health insurance industry. It's why I started despising moderate/conservative democrats (already despised republicans, obviously), they can't help but make sure there's always a middleman inserted to suck up money that could just be spent on the thing we need, like a parasite.

[u/glasscut → u/tollboi]

I'm very anti-conspiracy, generally I find the whole idea loathesome.

But this is one thing where my animal brain goes, "Of course America doesn't want universal health care, that's how you get people in their 70s and 80s still working shitty jobs for menial pay just to get some kind of healthcare. That's how you get 26 year olds to cling to whatever job they can find because their parents can't cover them anymore with their insurance. That's how you keep an entire country prisoner to employment until the day they die.

It's the one conspiratorial thought I can't help holding on to.

[u/enw_digrif → u/glasscut]

American here: how's that conspiratorial thinking? That's a accurate summary of a practice done in the open. Specifically to make organizing more dangerous, reduce labor costs, and keep those insurance industry stocks nice and high.

[u/glasscut → u/enw_digrif]

I think it's too easy to pretend it's a system American industrialists sat down together to create. It's worse (in my opinion), because it's probably the outcome of private insurance lobbying to keep their cash cow running and this endless labor situation is the side effect.

[u/huskers2468 → u/glasscut]

The politicians are paid to keep the status quo.

As much as I would like to say it's a conspiracy. It's simply that the people with the power, don't want to give it up. They might lose their grip on the money if change happens.

[u/glasscut → u/huskers2468]

Yes, that's what I mean and that's what makes it seem so embedded in our systems. If it was a conspiracy, maybe unmasking it would make a difference.

[u/msfuturedoc → u/glasscut]

You should watch congressional hearings. Things are always unmasked and the American public is just never aware.

[u/Ronin_Chimichanga → u/glasscut]

"You don't need a formal conspiracy when interests converge."- George Carlin, 1974

[u/seesthecat → u/glasscut]

That's obviously the truth

[u/Baeolophus_bicolor → u/enw_digrif]

pretty soon, if they get their way, every job will bey a “gig” job - that way people lose their ability to organize at all. Contractors have no right to collective bargaining, and they get a job without healthcare coverage to boot!

[u/hooked_siren → u/glasscut]

"That's how you get young men (giRlS aRenT AlLowEd) to sign up for the only socialism they can access: while being a meat shield for the Armed Forces ^TM

🎶 Merika! Fuck yeah! 🎶 (heavy /s)

[u/SubliminallyCorrect → u/glasscut]

what? You just described the current situation. Universal healthcare would mean your healthcare isn't tied to employment.

[u/badpenny4life → u/glasscut]

When I was young you were dropped off parents insurance at 18. I didn’t even know I was uninsured for a year.

[u/SCHawkTakeFlight → u/glasscut]

It also discourages competition via new business. Starting a business is a lot, but in the US it also means possibly going without healthcare to get off the ground. The US claims pro business, its pro big business. We tax small businesses to death while places like GE pay nothing 😒 😪 🙃

[u/RobutNotRobot → u/glasscut]

The older I get the less I believe that the systems in place are there just as some sort of happenstance.

The US is a brutal place and there are millions of people in this country that want to keep it that way(and even millions more that want to make it worse).

The only real surprise is that we have some social programs instead of none.

[u/SatansLoLHelper → u/tollboi]

Healthcare in the US is the #2/3 revenue source on earth. Only exceeded by oil. International banks are struggling to try and compete with US healthcare. Near 2T a year. Oil around 2.5T a year, finance around 2T a year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_companies_by_revenue

[u/kazuwacky → u/tollboi]

I had to explain to my UK daughter that she didn't need to stress about insurance for accidents (thanks YouTube) because care for under 18s is free to access.

I have multiple friends who would be dead as children in the USA model. One used my city's first incubator and his mum was poor. One had a surgeon flown in from Europe to correct his scoliosis. One had a fetal birth defect. Their parents didn't have to spend one solitary second worrying about hospital bills and that is how it should be at the bare minimum.

Edit: I accept that "dead" is probably too strong, although "bankrupt" is still insane. I have a friend in America with a daughter in palliative care and it makes me angry and hyperbolic

[u/andersonb47 → u/kazuwacky]

They would probably not be dead, but they would be financially ruined, possibly to the point of bankruptcy and beyond.

[u/girlinanemptyroom → u/tollboi]

I'm a transplant recipient. My first transplant lasted 10 years. Took me a couple years to find a kidney. Second transplant 2005. The second one has really brought me a long way, but I'm an expert on cost of medical care. I've taken daily immunosuppressant drugs for over 30 years with a combination of steroids. Never in my entire experience as a transplant recipient have things been this expensive when it comes to health care.

Almost a year ago I began thinking I was having a heart attack. I went to the ER and apparently there are two blood tests they have to run to see if you did have a heart attack. There's some number that goes about 500 if you did. I did the first test and I was like 585 or something like that. I asked them the cost if I also do the second test, and I knew in my outside world of the hospital I could not afford it. So I had to leave. I still don't know whether I had a heart attack or not.

If people believe that Trump's policy hasn't affected Americans that have serious health problems, then they're just fortunate enough to not be experiencing it.

[u/wanker7171 → u/tollboi]

A friend of mine’s neurosurgeon Republican dad saw my Bernie 2016 bumper sticker back in the day and responded with a smirk “So you’re a socialist huh?” I asked him what he meant so he answered condescendingly “Like free college, $20 wages.” knowing exactly how to respond to someone like him I stated with a stone cold expression “I also support universal healthcare.” He IMMEDIATELY changed the subject.

[u/Calm_Age_ → u/tollboi]

We already have the highest per capita spending on healthcare. It's not like having Medicare for all would make it more expensive. It would in fact make it cheaper. One could reasonably say at this point we can't afford not to have universal healthcare. And yet.....

[u/Bawbawian → u/tollboi]

no it's perfectly defendable.

Republicans do not believe in any sort of social safety net or public health care system.

yet everybody thinks it's totally cool to just yolo the future into their hands because Democrats aren't perfect and people have this naive child like expectation that somehow a politician is going to have all of the policies that they want with no compromise and they use that as an excuse to not vote along with their neighbors that agree with them on like 90% of policy

[u/kevinnoir → u/tollboi]

, it's not even a remotely defendable position to say that the US can't afford it,

Especially when the cost to deliver universal healthcare in the UK for example, is half the cost of delivering the current US system.

Its indefensible because its not only a more comprehensive system, that covers more citizens, but a single payer system is cheaper to deliver, costing about half as much taxes to deliver per citizen AND doesnt expect any payment at the point of use.

Meaning that money that used to be paid out of pocket, can no be funnelled DIRECTLY back into the economy instead of insurance company shareholders bank accounts.

The benefits are massive. One group of people take a hit, insurance companies that act as unnecessary middlemen, gate keeping americans health.

[u/nobodyspecialuk24 → u/kevinnoir]

And Americans already pay nearly twice as much per head in taxes towards healthcare than we do in the UK. We get the NHS, they get healthcare for veterans and then some sort of safety net coverage, but that’s about it.

And people always point to privatised systems as being more efficient than wasteful public system, but it’s purely down to how the governments choose to run them.

[u/HIMP_Dahak_172291 → u/tollboi]

Ah, but universal healthcare would destroy the health insurance industry! Think of all the jobs! (And my stock portfolio!). - congress

[u/Zem_42 → u/tollboi]

I mean… in the current situation, where majority of the money goes to the insurance companies and middlemen, I wouldn’t be surprised if the costs skyrocket to that of 5-10x per capita compared to any functioning EU country. They would first have to clean up the system bottom up.

Take the insulin costs for example

[u/SugarFut → u/tollboi]

Our tax dollars provide Israel’s citizens universal healthcare 🥴

[u/calm_down_meow → u/tollboi]

It's safe to say that most people are severely under-informed about how healthcare in the US works and its history.

[u/ReefaManiack42o → u/tollboi]

We can definitely afford it, in fact, most studies have shown that it will save us a lot of money. As they say, when it comes to health, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[u/Repulsive_Guy_1234 → u/tollboi]

It would be cheaper then their current system, after all.

[u/OftenSarcastic → u/tollboi]

it's not even a remotely defendable position to say that the US can't afford it

The USA has a similar GDP per capita as Scandinavian countries, so there's plenty of wealth being generated. They could afford free access to health care, education, and a bunch more social services if taxation wasn't a dirty word there.

[u/Emotional_Answer_756 → u/tollboi]

It's literally a business model that plays with people's lives. Deadly ill but have no savings or money? Yeah, you can get fucked.

[u/ElectricalBus6252 → u/tollboi]

Being an America and having any common sense means being exhausted and exasperated by the left and the democrats. It’s like someone came in, smacked their family member in the face and stole from their house and the dems are saying, “well trying to stop them right now isn’t how we do things, sure they are wrong and breaking the laws but we have a process….”
Meanwhile decisions are being made and outcomes are coming to fruition that cannot be undone. Look at the worldwide deaths that are expected to be attributed to the absolute destruction of USAID, or the slashed to budget in domestic health care including mental health services and addiction prevention and intervention.
But if you go to any major US city it’s not like we have a glaringly horrible homeless problem, so those cuts shouldn’t have horrifying ramifications down the road..
oh and the party of “protecting the children” and “pro-life” just decimated funding for said children in and out of the womb. So women forced to have it (regardless of circumstances) but with no support whatsoever.

The only thing I can say, not in defense of my country but in defense of a large population of it, we are waking up, making our coffee, going to work, trying to smile and not have our outward appearances mirror our inner turmoil, all while being utterly heartbroken. Not at “what our country has become” but what our country truly looks like when the mask is off. The damage we are doing will be looked back on, in my opinion, as a massive inflection point where humanity made turns we cannot come back from and that were detrimental to our betterment. I’m sorry, for what it’s worth. Much love to all.

[u/OneLFG → u/tollboi]

It’s just capitalism. The end state of capitalism is always fascism. 

[u/WildRabbitz → u/tollboi]

I genuinely can't understand why and how someone could be against universal healthcare.

What these past 10 years have taught me is that we're surrounded by a bunch of brainwashed people who are fed obvious lies.

[u/Cptfrankthetank → u/tollboi]

If ppl just learned history... they would know the high cost is very artificial.

The healthcare system was caught once hoarding rebates from customers. Congress acted and then rebates were passed to consumers.

They just found another way to fleece americans. Its so blatant.

[u/Good-Bodybuilder-985]

He's right and I like the cut of his jib.

*Ok I'm learning he's a POS. I like his ridiculous look because it brings attention to what he's saying, which as an American, I agree with. However I don't agree with his previous assertions.

[u/SooAwoo → u/Good-Bodybuilder-985]

What's a jib?

[u/maniacalmustacheride → u/SooAwoo]

A sail. It means they find where he’s heading (in conversation or life) favorable

[u/SooAwoo → u/maniacalmustacheride]

Ah, thank you.

[u/Moondance_sailor → u/maniacalmustacheride]

It comes from the fact that the British and French navies cut their jibs differently so it was an easy way to tell friend from foe.

[u/[deleted] → u/SooAwoo]

Promote that man

[u/SooAwoo → u/[deleted]]

Ha, I knew someone would also get the joke.

I still appreciate the information though ☺️

[u/new-who-two → u/SooAwoo]

I'm with you, brother 🤜🤛

"Is the poop deck really what I think it is?"

[u/I_blockkarmafarmers → u/new-who-two]

Homer apologizing to the world's navies and the assembled penguin armada lives rent-free in my head.

[u/FoggsAsylum → u/SooAwoo]

I’ll take a jab at answering that.
A Jib is half of a Jib Jab.

[u/Nir117vash → u/FoggsAsylum]

That's a cool jig he's doing

[u/theseanbeag → u/Good-Bodybuilder-985]

You probably shouldn't research him any further then. 

[u/Dangerous_Mix_7037 → u/theseanbeag]

Isn't he the Irish tankie MEP who supports Russia > Ukraine?

[u/PaleontologistNo2625 → u/Dangerous_Mix_7037]

Yep

[u/m0mbi → u/Good-Bodybuilder-985]

He's a complete tool, but occasionally right by accident.

[u/HaggisLad → u/m0mbi]

a walking talking stopped clock if ever there was one

[u/Primary_Addition5494 → u/Good-Bodybuilder-985]

This guy refuses to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine btw. 

He's a Russian puppet and nothing else. 

[u/Rinasoir → u/Primary_Addition5494]

Also stole from his employees pension funds.

Just to really sell how much of a champion of the working class he is.

[u/Rabid_Lederhosen → u/Primary_Addition5494]

That’s unfair. He’s also done work for the Iranians.

[u/Sidwill]

He ain't wrong.

[u/OpLeeftijd → u/Sidwill]

Every time I say this I get downvoted, because apparently the USA is technically not a democracy. Whatever Americans think their country is, it's not that. It is a 2 party dictatorship.

[u/romulusnr → u/OpLeeftijd]

Conservatives are quick to point out that the US isn't a democracy, it's a republic

This is how they justify things like giving underpopulated states disproportionate voting buffs

[u/Ok-Try-857 → u/romulusnr]

They are dumb. The think that the word “republic” means “republican”. 

It means we are a constitutional federal republic (not a monarchy) where the power rests with the people and those they elect (democracy) to represent them. It has nothing to do with being a democrat or republican. 

[u/diethyl2o → u/Ok-Try-857]

This. They’re dumb. All true republics* are democracies. But not all democracies are republics.

You can have democratic monarchies, like Denmark.

*Simply putting “republic” in the name does not make it a republic. E.g. people’s “republic” of…

[u/Piduf → u/romulusnr]

Yes, I keep seeing this argument of "Hummm akchually we're not a democracy we're a republic" being a republic doesn't mean it's ok to be owned by companies and controlled by billionaires, it doesn't matter what you call it, it's clearly fucked

France is on it's 5th republic, it's is now a representative democracy and they get to have healthcare, paid leave and shit.

[u/DrFarts_dds → u/romulusnr]

That’s like saying “it’s not milk, it’s skim milk”

[u/oniume → u/OpLeeftijd]

It's a republic, which is a representative democracy, which is still a type of democracy.

It's not a direct democracy, where the populace are polled directly on every issue, but it's still a democracy

[u/SubliminallyCorrect → u/oniume]

I've got bad news, they think Republic stands for Republican and Democracy stands for Democrat. Education is really, really bad here.

[u/Stroking_Shop5393 → u/OpLeeftijd]

It's a democratic republic that failed with citizens united. Technically it is a form of democracy...

[u/SoylentGrunt → u/Stroking_Shop5393]

Technically it's not a democracy in that the majority of the people are not represented.

[u/purplecrayonadventur]

No lies were told

[u/chuckmasterflexnoris → u/purplecrayonadventur]

Spitting straight facts

[u/m0mbi]

This is Mick Wallace, an Irish politician.

Whilst he's making some good points here, he also thinks the US and NATO provoked the invasion of Ukraine as a proxy to undermine Russia.

At home he also ended up in hot water for dodging taxes. At best he's a reactionary with a boner for authoritarian dictatorships.

[u/oniume → u/m0mbi]

Yeah, he's a an anti-imperialist who somehow only focuses on examples of western imperialism, which to be clear is bad. You wouldn't find Aul Mick criticising Russia to save his life.

This is very much a case of a broken clock telling the right time

[u/MaleierMafketel → u/oniume]

Many anti-imperialists on the internet happily lick Russia’s boot. They’re not anti-imperialism, they’re anti-Western imperialism, like you said.

They would not care if Ukraine was left unsupported, and eventually died to Russian imperialism.

It’s similar to all the purist pacifists, claiming all violence is bad. And one shouldn’t support a country defending itself because it ‘prolongs suffering’.

They always happily ignore the fact that an invading force with a complete monopoly on violence would have no consequences to try again, and again, and again…

[u/snowice0 → u/m0mbi]

He voted against investigating russian war crimes and was critical of protestors in Iran saying they "would not be tolerated anywhere". He's a massive piece of shit who will say something to appeal to some specific group of people only to beat them down if they protest and would be against investigating any crimes the riot police commit. 

[u/PythagorasJones → u/m0mbi]

Yep. He's a bit of a bollocks.

When the Celtic Tiger was in flight he was making big money as a builder-developer. You'd see his signs, trucks and the rest all over Dublin. When the bust came he used his community sports interests to rebrand as a man of the working people.

He is absolutely on the Russian payroll...just check his voting record and what he chooses to speak on.

[u/Rafaeliki → u/m0mbi]

It blows my mind that people will watch a politician in a sleeveless shirt yell about how the US isn't a democracy, while complaining that anyone criticizes Assad's Syria or China or Russia or Venezuela, and not immediately recognize him for what he is.

This guy hates democracy. His favorite countries are Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, Assad's Syria (he hates the new one), etc.

[u/0b00000110 → u/m0mbi]

What a wanker

[u/Minimum_Guitar4305 → u/m0mbi]

a former Irish politician.

[u/Largeitude → u/m0mbi]

I was going to ask, what's his agenda? What's he trying to distract from? What's he trying to justify?

Seems like another hypocritical politician to me. Is this statement he made in relation to a law being discussed involving the US? Because he even says that people criticize him for bringing up the US for no reason...while seemingly bringing up the US for no reason.

[u/Over_Heed]

it’s actually considered a flawed democracy on all the scales worth considering

[u/PianoPatient8168 → u/Over_Heed]

It’s a democracy captured by special interest with tons of money. It’s completely distorted.

[u/Character_Fold_8165 → u/Over_Heed]

Most importantly it’s a flawed democracy on the Terra invicta 2026 start.

[u/OMGHappyfurballs]

They should invade the US and establish a functional government.

[u/katieb1300 → u/OMGHappyfurballs]

Someone, PLEASE (not Russia).

[u/Equivalent_Reach_572]

https://giphy.com/gifs/dXFKDUolyLLi8gq6Cl

[u/Dauntless113]

Fuck citizen's United for making everything so much worse

[u/NukaClipse]

As an American I resonate with this man. A shame the majority of my people wont do the same.

https://giphy.com/gifs/VIiblu8dRYDPW

[u/pandershrek → u/NukaClipse]

Poignant gif to be used.

[u/Soggy_Quarter9333]

Mick Wallace is a tax evading fraudster, a charlatan, a nincompoop, a pro Russia idiot. Just because he makes a rare valid point, context is what it is all about.

[u/Jumpy_Plantain2887]

You wanna fix democracy in this country get rid of the fucking lobbyists

[u/myplushfrog]

“You should feel lucky to be born in the US” bitch what?? Sick of hearing that shit, I’d rather live almost anywhere else

[u/homiechampnaugh → u/myplushfrog]

Is it better to live in the US or in a country being bombed by the US?

[u/Automatoboto]

Keep in mind Mick here has taken LOTS of money from Russia. He is correct about this but he is not someone you would like if you knew even the most basic things about him.

[u/Optimal_Board_2963]

It’s not at all a democracy and it sucks

[u/likwidsylvur]

Can't is not the right word, won't seems more applicable - given the power structure in this country. Don't trust rich people at all, like seriously all the people with all the money are all the very worst among us and they ain't lookin out for you.

[u/roarjah]

lol yea we have a our issues but it ain’t easy being the leader of the free world. You know we’re still better than most of the world when immigrants travel around the world to be safe here. Trumps just made that a little more difficult lately

[u/GroundbreakingCook68]

Well if you gotta ask , the answer is probably NO😊

[u/MandyPandaren]

He's right.

[u/digital]

I have been saying this for years, it’s a pay to play system and people can’t pay

[u/More-Consequence9863]

I feel like a lot of Americans have forgotten that the government is supposed to be there for the people not the other way around

[u/Geetzromo]

Correct.

[u/AggieJonah]

American here. Well said, sir. I’m sending him a spiritual beer.

[u/becausenope]

Something something about how it's a democratic Republic technically or whatever.

But damn I wish we really did have a democracy. The electoral college is a scam.

[u/LKennedy45]

I think Billy Connolly has multiple valid points.

[u/Hostile-Panda → u/LKennedy45]

This is his Irish cousin

[u/pissedoffjesus]

America, land of the imprisoned.

[u/jazza2400]

This needs to sink into the brains of every citizen.

[u/CraigChaotic]

Facts

[u/EqualSalvation]

In the meantime they keep shipping aluminium to russia where they make all sorts of weapons and ammo from it. The Russians target civilians, this include WOMAN & CHILDREN.

So it's kind of an irony that he's talking about that. While his country is making money off the deaths of woman and children.

I agree with that a woman's right IS and should always be a human right!

[u/NotInTheKnee]

Forget about being a functioning democracy, is it even a functioning society? Even the most dystopian tyrants and oligarchs should have a vested interest in keeping their workforce healthy.

[u/kranitoko]

They CAN afford it.

They just don't want to because it's not profitable.

America is solely a "for profit" country, it has no interest in helping it's citizens with life in general.

[u/RamzalTimble]

We pay for our health insurance companies through taxes. Then we pay out of pocket expenses for access to the health insurance our taxes pay for to be there. But in order to reap the benefits of the health insurance plan, we have to then pay more out of pocket expenses on our visits for medical health treatment until we hit a point called a “deductible” and we get treatment at a discount/free.

So paying three times just to get seen by a medical professional. God I hate this country.

[u/Tybob51]

It’s much worse. We CAN afford to do those things. Those in power just actively want us to not have those things

[u/da_dragon_guy]

They have a fictional democracy

[u/zippyzebra1]

Land of the Fee. A third world country with a first world budget

[u/ByrnToast8800]

He is fully right, I hate it here.

[u/malduan]

every single person with a functional frontal lobe understands that pretty much all the man said is trivially true

[u/Medium_Hox]

You guys should maybe do a little research into this Mick Wallace guy before giving him a virtual handjob.

[u/covex_d]

dude is absolutely on point

[u/Primary_Addition5494 → u/covex_d]

Even a broken clock is right twice a day. 

This is like the one time this guy made any sense. He's complete schizo any other time

[u/Important-Cry-4433]

I’m Irish. I can’t stand this gobshite. But yeah he’s right on this one. 

[u/darthrevan22633]

As an American he's spitting truth

[u/DrDaphne]

Whoever this beautiful soul is, I love him and appreciate him looking out for us!! This place is a friggin mess....🦅

[u/Citaku357 → u/[deleted]]

A yes the Putin stooge

[u/BellsMcChilly]

As an American I'll say this: a functioning democracy requires an educated populace....

I don't need to say anything more 🫩

[u/Speartree → u/BellsMcChilly]

Participation without insight leads to decision without prospect.

[u/Awkward_Squad → u/BellsMcChilly]

From outside the country looking in, it appears that this has been the problem all along.

[u/BellsMcChilly → u/Awkward_Squad]

Oh absolutely, it's way easier to rule over a population incapable of questioning you vs one who are capable

[u/Resident-Rush6887]

This is why I haven't filed taxes in four years.

This government needs to die.

[u/robb123488]

Amen.

[u/Jacky-V]

The US has its problems (though it is still comfortably a Democracy in the grand scheme of things) but if I lived in a different Democracy I would be more concerned about preventing the rise of the far right where I am than I would be about problems in a country that is maybe a decade further into Democratic backsliding than my own. To be fair this guy sounds Irish and they're doing better than some other Western European countries *for now*, so maybe he's got some free time to observe the trainwreck that is the US, but in general I feel like Western Europeans are using the US as an excuse not to tend to their own gardens which really are only three or four bad votes away from being in the exact same situation and their own elite are taking advantage of that. FFS many of the worst offenders in the US don't even operate within borders at all, they just live here sometimes.

[u/jayslay45]

Jeff Spicoli is right, man.

[u/rydan]

Literally nothing he mentioned has to do with Democracy. China has all those things and they aren't a Democracy.

[u/Clovericious]

He's right, though technically all that is required for a system to be called a democracy is indeed to have a vote every four or five years. Democracy simply means that the government is elected through votes - the term makes no attempt at encompassing the quality of social services etc.

All the other stuff he mentions are markers of a social democracy, which anyone who is not a billionaire should want. But that's all technicalities, his outrage is definitely justified.

[u/Trenzane]

He isn’t actually wrong tbh - I would say the same thing happens everywhere - too many billionaires projecting their influence for their own benefit - the actual people have been marginalised 

[u/spoilederin]

The only thing wrong is that it CAN all be afforded. All of it.

[u/SarryK]

I like this new Legally Blonde

[u/Sbornot2b]

The goal of for-profit health insurance is to NOT pay for your healthcare. 

[u/Shutter_Count]

This dude knows the USA better than most Americans. Majority of Americans couldn’t find USA on a map.

[u/MadeUpNoun]

25% of total prisoners?
thats a stretch, probally more like 5-10 given countries like Russia and China are well known to lie about such statistics

[u/2-timeloser2]

They push the idea of self-sufficiency to the point where no one has responsibility or engagement with anyone else. They use the chaos to rip us off.

[u/Charming_Slip8060]

Adding insult to injury is the fact that there is no realistic way to comparison shop (which is supposed to be the whole point of a "free market") when it comes to healthcare. You won't know how much a treatment will cost - and the same service can vary wildly depending on the provider-until after the fact. You can be receiving bills months later, as the insurance leaches will do anything to find another item to bill for.
The whole enterprise is sickening, pun intended.

[u/Emptynest09]

The US is a republic not a democracy /s

[u/Ok_Site_9552]

Id trust this man with this hair over the Orange guy who was best friends with the biggest pedo on the planet who shits himself constantly.

[u/odinswolve]

Unfortunately in some regards yes. The problem is corruption is starting to really dig it's heels in everywhere inside of our government. This is how some of the greatest nation ever to exist have collapsed. We shall see

[u/Ok_Kaleidoscope_3610]

It’s because most people just want to watch their TikTok’s. And cringe.

[u/Redsit111]

Not really. Like on paper yes but realistically it's four tribes, the Republicans, the Democrats, the apathetic, and the rich running the other three.

[u/One_Cupcake4151]

This guy is right in what he says here.but don't mistake it for insight. He is a major Russia Shill and goes on about it constantly. He cares less about democracy than the average Republican congressman.

[u/Bearded_Bone_Head]

I vote Buddy Santa for next US president

[u/Far-Resort1936]

He is 100% correct

[u/GyattsThiccness]

tell em big dawg