DirtyOldTownMay 28

My kid just WhatsApped from his German exchange trip. They had to call an ambulance for him.

He has food poisoning, was very pale and nauseous. He was dehydrated and his blood pressure was dropping.

He's fine now but I wanted to share this because it has the most Western Europe Is a Civilized Place ending ever.

The paramedics came to the mall, took him into the ambulance, gave him an IV, checked him out, stayed with him until he felt better, then told him "No charge. Enjoy your trip to Germany." And if that wasn't enough, when they realized the group had had to move onto the train station without him, they gave him a ride over there to catch up with them.

I'm so ground down by the predatory realities of America in general in 2025 that this just about blew my fucking mind.

Show threadPeter KreftingMay 28
@dirtyoldtown @lachralle This is why paying taxes is cool.
Show threadNjordMay 28

@nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle

To be fair, Americans pay taxes, too ( and it's often a lot closer to European rates than you'd think), but all of that money is redistributed to oligarchs.

Us taxes absolutely are wealth redistribution, but it's primarily from the middle class to the ultra wealthy.

Show threadsabikMay 29
@Njord @nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle
In fact, US government spending on healthcare is similar to or higher than government spending on healthcare in Germany
Show threadDeus Figendi.jwdMay 29

@sabik @Njord @nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle

per capital or in total?
Asking for a friend.

But the German health care system is mainly based on insurances (which everyone has to have by law), so it's not financed by the government.

Show threadsabik

@deusfigendi @Njord @nafmo @dirtyoldtown @lachralle
Per capita or as a percentage of GDP, pretty much any other country in OECD or so

The US healthcare system just costs twice what comparable systems cost in other countries, for somewhat mediocre outcomes

May 29 at 7:18amWeb