Comments on: Does America Need More Neighborhood Pubs?

By: Newspeak

Newspeak — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:31:23 +0000

It’s not just the UK. All of the industrialized countries get better healthcare outcomes for less healthcare expenditures than Americans do. The UK has the National Health Service, which is a system like our Veterans Administration, except that it covers everything for everyone.

The NHS is far more cost-effective than the American medical system for two reasons. First, it doesn’t let private health insurance companies skim 25% or more off the top of the health care expenditures. Second, the NHS actually hires and supervises the doctors, managing them in ways that encourage them to provide better preventive care.

Basically, people in the UK are healthier, despite lower per capita expenditures on healthcare, because they can go to the doctor whenever they like, without cost, and because the doctors are under pressure to provide better preventive care. Why grasp at vague abstractions like “contentment” when Occam’s razor suggests that we should look at the simple and obvious tangible explanations first?

I’ve always been skeptical about the use of “emotional intelligence” to explain social phenomena. It initially struck me as a post hoc attempt to explain away evidence of social inequality, after it turned out that the Nietzchean supermen ruling over us didn’t necessarily score better than the rest of us on their precious IQ tests. Therefore, I’d expect “emotional intelligence” to be trotted out to support other kinds of right-wing causes, as well. So I’m not surprised to see it used to undermine support for healthcare reform–in an indirect, plausibly deniable way, of course.

If the British are healthier and live longer than Americans while spending far less money on healthcare, it must be because of their better “emotional intelligence.” (Or maybe their better food!) We can’t possibly allow ourselves to imagine that they enjoy better health at lower cost because of their “socialized medicine.” That would be thoughtcrime.

By: Doug Holland

Doug Holland — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:36:14 +0000

Just read the comments about the NHS, re:- the healh system in the UK.
No; most people get their treatment through the NHS. As for payment; if they are daft enough to spend out, well and good, this is a small number. My local GP will come out to visit me, if I ask, or not. Lovely Pratice Nurses, lovely hospital staff. Many new buildings. No I do not have the same as in the U.S. and the wealthy people do receive greater choice, BUT when I spent time in a middle class home in Washington DC USA a story went that a gun was ready if a friend went into a the Public Mental Helth hospital. OK a ‘pinch of salt’ but hey come on, its money that talks. The standard is high in the NHS. I,ve just come out of hospital, this after a quick diagnosis. A shared ward, at one spell a mix ward and glad for the company. My opp. was quick and I was out within three days. Now I have regulary treatment. This can be done ‘at home’ if I wanted.!!!
The somewhat comical term “Socialised Medicine” was used in the States, even by people who have to struggle to pay for the simplest needs.
Lets hope the New attitude, the people of America are showing, get their real health system.

By: Doug Holland

Doug Holland — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:48:13 +0000

Yes PUBS are changing, in the UK, they are more lunch time gathering for the pensioners. Fact is the pensioner are spending their money, this was,in Pubs and have been a boon to the establishments.
We at least once a week go for our Pub Lunch (Crawl) and this for the social contact and the standard of the food. Holidays can well be spent doing “a pub lunch tour” in different areas; then home to our own bed at night.
Yes at nights the town bars are taken over by the likes of my grandchildren. BUT if I do enter I am greeted or ignored. Never interfered with. No different as I behaved in the 1940/50s

By: htoof

htoof — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:27:33 +0000

Social interaction on it’s own does not seem to make for a healthy person. I would agree that social interaction is important in physical and mental health but I would also suggest that maybe it is our life balance that is fundementally changing our health in the US and Europe. A balanced well rounded person should be a happy healthy person and there appear to be fewer of them around than ever. صور ماسنجر صور للتصميم رسائل فساتين

By: htoof

htoof — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:27:04 +0000

hay has it right - how warped a sense of the British social picture this study seems to have. The pension comment is spot on, and how anyone thinks that our students only spend the equivalent of GBP1500 per year for their education is beyond me. That hasn’t been the case since before I was at university, tuition fees and living expenses combined make it probably twice or three times that much, totalling a final debt of around GBP20-25k depending on the length of study. British pubs are not all cosy little places for the well-heeled to congregate, I’m not sure about Sir Michael Marmot’s local, but a lot of pubs in my area are places for the younger to harrass the older, and get blind drunk in the process. I’m sure my student drinking days never made me this intimidating. منتديات توبيكات

By: Lady 's Park

Lady 's Park — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:20:22 +0000

[Emotional intelligence]Does America Need More Neighborhood Pubs?…

erica’s cultural malaise the fact that our networks of friends seems to be shrinking. Between 1985 and 2005, the average number of confidantes people reported dropped from three to two. By contrast, B
Links：[Emotional intelligence][Health and Welln...

By: brainmenu

brainmenu — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:13:12 +0000

Wow! I think it’s time I moved as the parts of Britain I have lived in for the past 30+ years seem a bit different to that described here. Maybe it’s a class thing and whatever class I belong to seems is missing out?

By: David Winters

David Winters — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:45:25 +0000

Thanks to Mr Hay for pointing out that things are not quite as rosy in England as you paint them. The abolition of student grants means our students now leave college in massive debt and are unable to buy a home for many years. Despite massive tax hikes, our public hospitals are filthy, nursing staff and doctors are overworked and underpaid and just about everyone would opt for private hospital care if they could afford it. The latest news is that cancer patients who pay for additional drug treatment get all of their “free” care removed and are having to sell their homes. Company pension schemes are closing, fast, and most of us will live on a $150 a week government pension if we’re lucky. Our pubs are shutting at an alarming rate due to the smoking ban, and we live in a “suspect citizen” nanny state with more CCTV per head than anywhere else in the world. Its true we are following the same hedonistic capitalist path as the US – its just that our gas costs $12 a gallon.

By: Clare

Clare — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:28:16 +0000

f hay has it right – how warped a sense of the British social picture this study seems to have. The pension comment is spot on, and how anyone thinks that our students only spend the equivalent of GBP1500 per year for their education is beyond me. That hasn’t been the case since before I was at university, tuition fees and living expenses combined make it probably twice or three times that much, totalling a final debt of around GBP20-25k depending on the length of study.
British pubs are not all cosy little places for the well-heeled to congregate, I’m not sure about Sir Michael Marmot’s local, but a lot of pubs in my area are places for the younger to harrass the older, and get blind drunk in the process. I’m sure my student drinking days never made me this intimidating.

My experience of Americans in the workplace is that they expect a lot (fine, I’m up for a challenge), sometimes too much, but even if those expectations are met it is never good enough.

Having said that, the individuals I have met, when outside their workplace, are very friendly and welcoming when you are on their “patch”.

I’m a generally contented cheerful sort of gal, however supposedly positive, but inaccurate, comparisons of my country to one which is imposing its outsize ego on the rest of us by an organisation which should know better is disconcerting to say the least.

By: Kureshi

Kureshi — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:55:17 +0000

I find these words so relevant. Its not only the physical obesity that Americans suffer from, they have what can be called obese minds. Lots and lots of blubber in their thinking which probably comes from the vicious intentions of the select media and multinational groups who are controlling the thinking and behavioral patterns this otherwise great nation.
They want you to be like this, and kill innocent people around the world through your stupidity!