Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain - Episode 1 (Pt 5) - The NHS

[kingofmilwaukee6969]

For those who think this is proof of something we should emulate... ask the average person there how much they like it now. Who cares how people felt about it in 1948?? And lets not forget that all of this was essentially paid for my the Marshall Plan. The USA payed for it. Who will be our sugar daddy?

[BasilFawlty4444]

@kingofmilwaukee6969 If the US is going down (which is unlikely), it's going exactly the same way as Britain went. Just as we were in debt to the US until 2001, the US will be in debt to China for decades.

Either way, all empires, all superpowers collapse eventually. I just wouldn't worry yourself about it. Que sera sera and all that...

[whattheholf91]

Plarstic?

[davepricewilliams]

"...and no government of any stripe has dared try and take it away from us since."

...until now!!

[thegreatloy]

Every American aginst Obama's healthcare reforms should be forced to watch this.

[ToaJoe]

@thegreatloy No use, most Americans have a different mentality to British people. You have to bear in mind that modern America was built only 200 years ago on incredibly right wing policies/standards. There are poor people in the US who actually refuse government benefits because they are that right wing.

[WC3POchannel10A]

@ToaJoe I think those who do not want to pay taxes for Social Security or Medicare, or even local fire fighting should just be able to check a box on their tax form, opting out of the system. Once you are out, you are out. Well, of course these right wingers would become all hot and bothered when the house burns down. "But sir," says the fire chief, "You said no to those local taxes." "It's my consteetoosheenull right to have you save my house," says the home owner. "No sir. It isn't."

[KungfuCow5]

@ToaJoe BURN THE NAZIS WITH FIRE!

[Ou8y2k2]

@thegreatloy I am against Obama's healthcare reforms. He didn't do enough. It is not an NHS. It is a still a "ragged sprawl of private, charity, voluntary and council run hospitals". Had he any orbs, he would have put full support behind H.R. 676.

[MrLopezsMusicLounge]

@thegreatloy - I agree - but look all the hardships it took to give the British people the NHS . That has not happened in the USA, and it will take dire, DIRE poverty and horrid disaster to millions of people to ever make a truly universal healthcare system happen here where I am, in the USA. The other problem is that the USA is just that: United STATES, and each state can make the decision yay or nay. For example, Massachusetts has a form of it, but no other state does - it's ridiculous!!

[attie3]

@thegreatloy reason we dont like Obama's healthcare reforms beause he is telling people to buy healthcare even if the people dont want it also the reforms has government wastful things for exp: why should people be on there parents healthcare plan before the age of 27? and Obama should have got he's head out his but and negotiate with the gop on the healthcare reforms but ''NO'' he pass it with a ''one party VOTE'' btw if the NHS is so good why did the people have to pay for it at 8:26 ?

[Geoff900]

@attie3 We pay a small amount, in tax otherwise the cost would be £10-£10,000+ maybe more just for a simple operation (ingrowing toe nail for instance), prescription.

Nothing is truly free, someone somewhere has to pay for it.

[attie3]

@Geoff900 ok maybe the left-wing and libs should stop talking like healthcare is going to be all the way free

thats why people on the left always f*** all the time just tell the people that your going to pay more in healthcare but nooooooooo there dont want to tell the people that. i think thats a shame. be real with the people.

[KungfuCow5]

@attie3 Britain was suffering after WWII severly, unlike a America the had been in it from start to finish, yet the NHS still survived and is still around today, If it wasn't for the NHS I would have paid £150 for glasses the other day rather than geting them for free. Medicine, Dental care, Spectacles, even Education are free (apart from Univesity level) for the people that need them.

[BasilFawlty4444]

@attie3 The NHS is absolutely amazing! America would really benefit from one...

Our doctors are still world class, the only thing that's a problem is the hospital food, the bad decorating and in a few cases the hospital buildings from the 50s. Nothing life threatening, though - treatment is still great! Just what comes with providing free healthcare to millions of people.

If you lived here, you'd understand. I have an American friend that lives over here who used to be against it - not any more!

[venomousspiderwookie]

@BasilFawlty4444

Why should I be forced, through the force of the state, to help pay for your healthcare? You should do for self, pal.

Thatcher should have gone after the NHS.

[BasilFawlty4444]

@venomousspiderwookie

That's vicious. What about the poorer families? Those crippled by medical bills?

And what's this about paying for someone else's healthcare? You fund the military-industrial complex; supercarriers, 5th gen fighters etc... why not healthcare? It's guns vs butter!

Look at the tax brakets. Average earners in the UK pay almost exactly the same as American ones. It's only the higher earners (over £150,000, or ~$250-280,000) that are hammered 50% - rightly so, if you ask me.

[venomousspiderwookie]

@BasilFawlty4444 Then ask for help from your family, friends, and neighbours while saving up your own money.

When I pay tax money for the military, I'm paying for a traditional purview of government that can only be done and paid for by government. When I'm paying for someone else's health care-someone I don't even know!-I'm paying for something that can be dealt with and paid for by smaller institutes and individuals without the force of the state.

Tax brackets are inherently unfair anyway.

[BasilFawlty4444]

@venomousspiderwookie You're missing the point. The US spends nearly 5% of GDP on military. The UK spends less than 2%. Yet the NHS costs 9-10% of the UK GDP. So it's about priorities - guns vs butter.

The UK remains a world power with decent power projection capabilities, despite low military spending. It's small but effective.

Either way, you pay the same taxes. Currently, 40 million Americans go without healthcare, yet the military-industrial complex remains established! It's plutocracy!

[WheresMyAle1990]

@venomousspiderwookie I guess that's the difference between the Americans and the British. You'd rather spend money on mutilating and killing your young and poor men in wars in other countries, while we prefer to take care of our people.

[attie3]

@thegreatloy 

[debzeppeliniv]

bailed out by America AGAIN and you all hate us.

[ToaJoe]

@debzeppeliniv I don't hate Americans, that makes one of us.

[debzeppeliniv]

@debzeppeliniv good, because we have not hated you, well maybe in 1776 ;)

[DSCH4]

Korea: the only time Britian fought a Red Army? How about the intervention in the Russian Civil War?

[a199215]

@DSCH4

I think he was referring only to the Cold War era.

[ManicDrunkMonk]

Is Korea the last time that Britain sent conscripts to war?

[shaunyboy1000]

@ManicDrunkMonk the falklands war used conscripts

[CO2TROL]

Death by snoek.

[deansnotapimp1]

6.00-- unbeleivable timing by that nurse!!!

[JayEey]

Its funny how all of Marr's impressions sound the same!

[TheWELSHGUARD]

My Granddad fought in Korea

[HellwrathUK]

NHS part starts at 03:08.