Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I think, to be honest, the reaction you're going to get from anyone living in Western Europe is "why on Earth are you even talking about this - healthcare is a fundamental human right". For most of us, the idea that a government would not provide healthcare for its citizens is just bizarre  . It really is a pretty deep-seated cultural difference between Europe and the US. |
It may come from America's claim that we have no "class system;" that anyone, from any background, can rise to any skill level, any job.
This fosters an attitude that anyone living in poverty is stupid or lazy or both, and undeserving of "free" services of various sorts. Currently, free education is provided to everyone... but I assure you that it's not the same education. Oakland, where I live, pays a bit more than $4000 per student per year for public education. Marin county, a few miles away, is one of the wealthiest in the nation; they pay over $9000 per student per year. And over 90% of Marin students graduate high school; less than 2/3 of Oakland students do.
Other public services have similar differences. There's an awareness that not providing police, fire, and road services to poor communities is bad for everyone... but the services provided aren't even close to the ones available in wealthy communities.