Sarkozy lays into US health care in NYC

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Sarkozy lays into US health care in NYC
March 30, 2010 - 7:24AM

With a podium flown in from France and his fingers firmly entwined with those of his smiling wife, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has made a splash even before he opened his mouth for a no-holds-barred speech at Colombia University.

~snip~
"Welcome to the club of states who don't turn their back on the sick and the poor," Sarkozy said, referring to the US health care overhaul signed by President Barack Obama last week.

From the European perspective, he said, "when we look at the American debate on reforming health care, it's difficult to believe".

"The very fact that there should have been such a violent debate simply on the fact that the poorest of Americans should not be left out in the streets without a cent to look after them... is something astonishing to us."

Then to hearty applause, he added: "If you come to France and something happens to you, you won't be asked for your credit card before you're rushed to the hospital."


Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/breaking-news-world/sarkozy-lays-into-us-health-care-in-nyc-20100330-r8mh.html

[Lucy Goosey]

1. And in Europe, he's considered a right-winger, isn't he? n/t

[New Dawn]

2. He is a right-winger.

No surprise that he is blowing kisses at law that forces people to buy a product from private companies.

[PSPS]

4. A french right-winger would be around the center in the US.

American right-wingers are a breed unto themselves. In may ways, even the Likud is to the left of the american right wing.

[Crunchy Frog]

12. A French right winger is an American socialist.

[No Elephants]

28. Not really.

[karynnj]

54. Great to see you again!

:hi:

[cali]

62. lol. hardly. If you think Sarkozy is the equivalent of Bernie, think again.

[liberation]

105. It is called a "joke" ....

[Crunchy Frog]

118. Thank you.

by today's standards, Nixon was a socialist.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

75. isn't he neocon?

[LeftishBrit]

119. No; he is a conservative, but not a neocon

'Neocon' implies support for imperialist foreign policy. France is no longer in any position to practice this directly; and French right-wingers, unlike some British ones, are rarely willing to play second fiddle to someone else's imperialist adventures. Perhaps because they are *too* chauvinistic; but at any rate it prevents some disastrous policies.

[booley]

116. Anyone who disagrees with the American Right Wing is a socialist

Count Socialist among those words that over use and misuse have made meaningless.

Like Patriotism and Values and Faith and Responsable

[krabigirl]

128. no

[No Elephants]

26. The center in the U.S.. is pretty far to the right these days, thanks in great part to the DLC.

[Riverman]

77. The center of America is far to the left of the Corporate Class that

controls the congress, white house and mass media. Most Americans support single-payer when explained what it means for themor at least a strong public option. More to the point, most Americans do not vote, nor are represented in corporate run political polls and are thus discouraged and dispirited from particiating in civic affairs. The corporate media gives the illusion that the country's political center is far to the right! It is in the slef-perceived interests of the corporate class to agressively support the status quo as that system keeps them in their positions. For example, why does a news reader on CBS, NBC or ABC earn millions a year simply to repeat the nonsense they do every night? Who benefits?

Who benefits from so-called "Health Insurance Reform?" I didn't ask for that, I was not asked, I wrote letters, I voted for access to medical treatment for me and my family. I don't want more insurance company decisions placed between us and out doctors. But, I was not asked, nor listened to on this and many issues.

I don't want to be spending my hard-earned tax dollors for foreign wars that benefit the war makers, not the people in those foreign lands or us in the US. I voted to end wars.

I don't want my money to pay for billions in bail-outs and immoral bonus for failed performance of banker and insurance executives. I want that money spent on medical treatment for all, for education for all, for decent housing for all.

I have no doubt that more people in the USA feel as i do than the numbers that make up the corporate class and their employees and supporters.

[ooglymoogly]

110. Count me. nt

[Joe Chi Minh]

121. Center left, surely?

[harmonicon]

6. a French right-winger; so, to the left of most Democrats (nt)

[BlueMTexpat]

17. Absolutely spot on! nt

[cali]

63. not true. not on many issues.

[harmonicon]

67. such as?

[liberation]

106. well... issues about "crickets: and "tumbleweeds" for example

[Name removed]

69. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HughMoran]

120. Well, that's pure horseshit

Only a bitter American...

[TomCADem]

3. Yup, Sarkozy Lost Seats To The Left...Amazing Isn't It? Even Merkel...

...who is called a conservative would make most U.S. "liberal" politicians blush. Kucinich would merely be a moderate in Europe.

[Lucy Goosey]

7. The US is weird. Or unique, I guess would be a better way to say that.

I remember Jon Stewart once commenting on the Canadian election; he said the Canadian Conservative Party is the equivalent of the American "Gay-Loving Nader Fans for Peace Party" which is hilarious, and perhaps not far from the truth.

[The Wizard]

30. The U.S. is weird in that

it seems to be based on the European fascist model as propounded by Mussolini, a system we fought a world war to defeat.
We followed the Second World War with a Cold War that concentrated national resources on wasted defense spending. In fact, we seem to be going down the same path that bankrupted the Soviet Union. In essence, we have become what we spent a half a century railing against. The Tea-liban is a reflection of that muddled thinking.
For most Americans, waiting for things to work themselves out was the path of least resistance. When we should have been actively changing a flawed government under the control of the Military, Industrial, Media Complex, we chose to watch mindless TV shows. Now we have to pay the price.

[dotymed]

36. 100%

TOO BAD WE CANT REC A POST

[BrklynLiberal]

38. +100

[Amaya]

56. this is exactly spot on...

[Riverman]

79. Exposing Liars and Morans! Well Said!

[Peace Patriot]

91. Well said, Wizard!

I especially like: The U.S. now seems based on the "fascist model as propounded by Mussolini, a system we fought a world war to defeat." That's the bitter irony, ain't it? Very sad.

Also agree with: "...we seem to be going down the same path that bankrupted the Soviet Union. In essence, we have become what we spent a half a century railing against." Very true.

But I don't so much agree with, "When we should have been actively changing a flawed government under the control of the Military, Industrial, Media Complex, we chose to watch mindless TV shows. Now we have to pay the price."

Although my generation--the generation that came of age during the Vietnam War--bears some responsibility for NOT dismantling the "military-industrial complex"--and I often cringe at our failure--I think we shouldn't underestimate the power of the corpo-fascist forces against us, then and now. Much thought and strategizing--and lots and lots and lots and LOTS of money--has gone into how to demoralize and disempower America's great progressive majority--from corpo-fascist 'news' monopolies, spewing crapola at our people 24/7, to stolen elections (whether by money or by 'TRADE SECRET' voting machines). We are a specifically targeted people because of our potential power as a progressive force in the world, living, as we do, at the vortex of corporate/military evil, and having, as we do, at least theoretical sovereignty as a people. Please bear this in mind when you criticize the American people for laziness or inattention. These are symptoms of depression--which I believe to be a very deliberately induced state of depression with its feelings of powerlessness.

One book comes to mind, which I think you should read, if you haven't: James Douglass' "JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters." It's an eye-opener as to how and why Americans' desire for world peace was defeated.

[The Wizard]

100. I agree with your critique

The powers that be have more influence than we imagine. We're overwhelmed. The Bush cartel told bigger lies every day and our minds couldn't comprehend that the country was so out of order. In the end they won because we were feeling helpless. When members of the Bush cartel start getting hauled off in cages the people might believe they have some hope.

[Yavin4]

95. Amen Brother, Amen

Our defense budget is STILL on a Cold War level, even though we don't have any hostilities towards the former USSR. In fact, a billionaire Russian just bought the NY Nets.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

117. Damn, you nailed it. (n/t)

[liberation]

107. Well "weird" and "unique' are rather mild terms for "insane" and "uneducated"

Even American labor would be considered far too conservative for most European tastes.

This is the sad legacy of a society brainwashed by their gilded class into supporting and fighting for policies, which are diametrically opposed to the interests of the many in order to benefit the very few.

I have said this, and I will said it again: this so-called "reform" proposed by the Dems would be considered far too corporate-friendly and reactionary for any main line conservative European party to even consider supporting, it would be electoral poison for them for at least 1 generation.

[LiberalLovinLug]

111. Unfortunately not the truth

We have a Conservative minority government, which means they need approval by the other parties and have to walk a fine line between pushing their agenda too far and risk a new election,if the other parties vote them down. But knowing that Canadians don't want another election now, they are pushing.

What would really throw us back into the dark ages is if Prime Minister Harper won a majority in the next election. Then he could do whatever he wanted. *shudder*. Here is a YouTube clip of what he says behind closed doors to supporters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWaxTotsqrE&feature=related

[FarLeftFist]

8. He's actually a conservative. But recent exit polls show him getting beaten....

By huge margins by the Left-wing. Our conservatives here in the USA are more like neanderthals.

[BlueMTexpat]

18. Neanderthals look almost liberal

by comparison ... US conservatives are more like fossils, with apologies to fossils.

[activa8tr]

44. This old fossil accepts your apology!! LOL

[Golden Raisin]

25. An insult to Neanderthals!

[shellgame26]

21. Yes..mainly because he's VERY anti-immigrant

That's the platform he ran on.

[Crunchy Frog]

66. Kind of ironic, considering that he's mostly descended from recent immigrants.

I guess they were the "right" kind of immigrants though.

[liberation]

109. Same can be said for the anti-immigration contingent in the US.

I always get a hoot when pasty white WASPs, who belong to families which have been in this continent for a few generations, get their panties all twisted up about those brown people "immigrating illegally." When chances are any Mexican can probably trace part of his family tree to this land for orders of magnitude more generations than any whitey.

[shellgame26]

126. That's right

Most Mexicans are in essence, NATIVE AMERICAN.

[Skink]

5. we should send him back with that refur bush ed statue.

[troubledamerican]

9. Sarkozy/Biden 2012

Just kidding... or am I?

[Cha]

10. Yeah you are.

[EJSTES2005]

11. Pretty powerful words

[Dr.Phool]

13. Sarkozy/Kucinich 2012

[old mark]

32. Need to see his birth certificate first, though....He's not African,

is he?

mark

[indy legend]

52. he's gonna need a birth certificate. That would really make republifux heads explode

[karynnj]

55. I thought simply "looking French" was a problem for the right

[indy legend]

57. Anything involving intelligent thought is a problem for the right

[leftstreet]

102. SARKOZY/NADER 2012

[Juche]

14. Our poor/weak are hated

I think that is part of it. I don't understand European poverty or culture well, but in the US we demonize the weak and poor as either being 'others' (black, latino) or being somehow weak or stupid.

I think that is the big difference. Here in the US we treat the weak and poor with disdain/disgust.

Sarkozy doesn't seem to understand that middle class and upper middle class people are squeezed to death by our inhuman health system too. It isn't just the poor.

[Lorien]

15. They have a huge immigrant population in France as well and some do

complain about it, but they don't dehumanize their people the way we do. We have a culture of extreme selfishness that's at odds with our species natural reliance on one another, which is supposed to create a functioning society. The Right never has had any respect for nature, though.

[harmonicon]

19. I think Sarko does dehumanize people...

don't forget that during the riots in Paris a few years ago, as a cabinet minister, he referred to the (muslim) rioters as "dogs". He is an out-and-out racist, but still wouldn't dream of cutting healthcare to people he considers to be dogs - it just isn't something that is done.

The first political ad I saw here in England a few months ago was a billboard with David Cameron's creepy visage on it saying something like "I will never cut your NHS funds". Healthcare is a big deal. Cameron is woefully incompetent (shit, he makes Gordon Brown seem like the better option), a bit crazy, and supremely out of touch, but even he knows that fucking with the NHS is the last thing he should ever do.

[Laughing Mirror]

49. "Racaille" was the term he used as Interior minister ...

a term that is variously translated as scum, trash, etc.referring to people living in the housing projects in France, who daily confront poverty, high unemployment and crime and who are pariahs in French society and extremely despised by members of his political party, which is the party of the right.

Sarko further added that those people -- and the people in the projects took that to mean all of them, not just Arabs starting fires -- needed to be cleansed from French society with a "Karcher" (popular brand name of a high-pressure water cleaner).

For this preposterous hateful media whore politician and his aging face-lifted trophy wife to set themselves up as some kind of champions of the poor and sick and dispossessed in the U.S. is a huge and tragic joke to those of us who live in France and know what this clown is all about.

It's all show business, ladies and gentleman. And like Berlusconi, Sarko is a good showman, if nothing else. But the French people have had enough of this slob and his awful show-off nastiness, and thank goodness he will be voted out of power in 2012.

I can't believe people here on DU fall for his lies.

[cali]

64. no shit. this thread higlights how ignorant many DUers are.

It's sad.

[liberation]

112. Projection is the cruelest of mistresses

yet so delightful in its irony... LOL.

[harmonicon]

70. thanks for the correction.

It's not that I fall for the guy's lies or showmanship, but I do think there is a very real and strange divide between truth and perception going the opposite direction of what you suggest. Sarkozy being elected as "right wing" just fit the US media's script, whether it was true or not. The fact that he won and socialists lost was said far more than that the party in power (the party that was in power when people in the US - esp. people on the right - were describing the French as socialist sissies in need of replacement with "freedom") stayed in power. Only the US media could make "more of the same" seem like part of a world-wide political move to the right.

[BlueMTexpat]

76. Even given that (and I am not a Sarko fan),

it is still true that he has not been as right-wing in his actions or policies as many expected, which is one reason why his own party is not supporting him now; some believe that he has acted more like a socialist than the socialists would have. He named one of the most diverse cabinets in the history of French politics, for example. He included some socialists among his appointments. And despite his nasty terminology during the riots, he named at least two women of African (North and Sub-Saharan) descent to high cabinet posts. Unfortunately, some named were probably not the best examples of competent and capable leadership, which may actually have set the minority cause back.
He is also most definitely NOT part of the Front National, which is the far right party in France. It might fall slightly ... just slightly ... to the left of our own tea-hadists.

No, I'm not a fan. At all. But his actions as Prez have still been to the left of many of our own Blue Dog Dems. And that's the truth.

[Laughing Mirror]

92. Is that so?

Attempting to portray Sarkozy as some kind of would-be leftist strikes me as some crazy kind of hallucination that just doesn't come into focus as a coherent picture. I don't know of anybody who thinks, as you say, that Sarkozy "acted more like a socialist than the socialists would have." Such a statement sounds like campaign rhetoric that the Front National family enterprise of the Le Pens, daughter and father, might spout. They loathe Sarkozy, not only because he's a phony, but because he stole away a good part of their xenophobic electors in order to win in 2007. But as the recent regional elections showed, those Front National electors have now come back home to the Le Pens.

So who were the two "socialists" that were bought over to the dark side? I put socialists in quotes for a reason because you have the last-minute turncoat xenophobe Eric Besson and the awful doctor "humanitarian interventionist" Bernard Kouchner, hardly shining examples of French socialism to begin with. The French Parti Socialiste was glad to get rid of them. They were socialists the way, say, Joe Lieberman and Saxby Chambliss were/are Democrats. Good riddance!

As for the two women of color, Rama Yade (first in the Foreign Ministry and then more recently switched over to the Health and Sports Ministry), and then Rachida Dati, who was named Justice Minister, both of these women were educated in private Catholic schoools in France. The appointment of these two ambitious right-wingers was mere window dressing, much the same way as Bush used Condi Rice and Colin Powell. So if you fall for that ruse, I don't know what to tell you. Yade came out of a highly placed political family in Senegal, and Dati was born and raised in France. Yade was gung-ho for Bush's invasion into Irak, Dati was drummed out of her post for incompetence. And to imagine that either one of these women is in any way representative of the Central and North African women who reside in France is an insult to those minority populations.

I'm glad you're not a Sarkozy fan, but you may be misinformed as to what he's all about.

[yava]

96. Laughing Mirror: Sarkozy is an ass but he will be re-elected because..

the French left and center have not been able to come up with a substitute that would get 50% of the vote. The present head of the opposition (Matine Aubrey) is the person who reduced working week to 35 hours some ten years ago as a minister in the Jospin socialist gov.
That was a catastrophy for the country as all employers thought "OK, you want to work less and we cannot fire you nor lower your salary. So, we will keep you at the same salary and will not hire anyone else". Or anyway something like that. It is incredible that the French work only 35 h/week and not expect jobs to go elsewhere (which of course they did at the time).
Now companies are coming back 10 years later but only because salaries are so low in France.
The ass Sarkozy and his face-lifting wife have no viable competitors in French politics.
In addition, rumors have it that the face-lifting, aging Carla will be pregnant in time for the elections. Family values, the Church and so on. They will take your heart out on that while Aubrey doesn't have time to take care of her hair, has cut it short, looks like a beer-drinker and is fat.

[Laughing Mirror]

99. Nope, sorry, he will not be reelected

If UMP wins the presidential in 2012, which is highly improbable, the winner will be de Villepin, not Sarko. That I promise you, yava. I think it will be Martine Aubrey, though. The wind is in her sails.

If so many companies are coming back to France, why is unemployment going up every month?

I think eventually Carla Bruni, an aristocratic adventuress if ever there was one, will drop the little creep for somebody else. As Bruni ages, and has more cosmetic surgery, I see her picking up with somebody younger than she, possibly an actor or musician or somebody like that.

[Mike K]

88. While it might be true that Sarkozy is a [i]racist,[/i] -

- in relative terms his (the French) form of racism does not deny health care to any citizen category, a fact which reflects an important difference in the French culture, or most European cultures, as compared to the American culture, which has become unique in its lack of humanistic disposition.

More simply stated; if it is true that the dominant racial group in French society is negatively disposed toward members of a different race or less privileged social class, the humanity of the perceived inferiors is not ignored, or in some cases denied, as it is here in the U.S. In fact, our tolerance of the existing health care (insurance) system in America is unequivocal evidence of our relative lack of simple human compassion. What Sarkozy is in effect saying is the French people would not tolerate this affront to the civilized human condition.

So it may be said that the existing conflict over access to health care in America is a confrontation between the more and the less civilized elements of American society.

[Juche]

23. In our society we prey on the weak and vulnerable

The poor/desperate have payday lenders charging 500% interest a year. Rent to own stores charging insane amounts for mediocre products. Creditors charge exorbitant fees on the destitute. Pawn shops rip them off. Hospitals charge the uninsured far more than they charge insured people. There are tons of get rich quick ripoffs peddled to the desperate (internet business, invest in gold, etc). Private colleges like ITT tech charge 20-40k for an associates degree that won't help you get a job.

There is an unspoken acceptance that it is ok to prey on the weak, poorly informed or people at their lowest moment. Capitalism is more about preying on the weak and uninformed at times. I don't know, but I assume/hope those attitudes are not as pronounced in western Europe.

You are right, there isn't the sense of community. And it sucks.

[pattmarty]

39. Very well said.

[teknomanzer]

73. Even the boom and bust cycle of capitalism benefits ther rich...

During a boom or bubble stage the wealthy are making money hand over fist. The poor might have a job making shit for pay barely keeping up with the bills and all the parasites are waiting in the wings with thier high interest loans and scams.

During a bust the wealthy and well to do can buy up property at depressed prices, get bargains on loans, purchase cars at zero percent financing. The working poor will find themselves out of a job, broke and destitute once again. This is a rigged game. People in this country need to wake up and see it for what it really is.

[Joe Chi Minh]

122. A courageous little tyke. I call him, Popeye.

[Kutjara]

83. We hate most that which we fear most.

Many Americans are only a paycheck or two away from poverty. Even the "affluent" middle class are often so burdened with consumer and mortgage debt that even a relatively small blip in their income can quickly lead to big problems. Given how precarious our financial lives are and how little control we have over our means of earning a livelihood, the prospect of "falling through the floor" into homelessness is very real for a large proportion of the population. We could all so easily end up like "those guys" on the streets.

That is, of course, unless there's a "reason" why some people end up homeless and destitute. More specifically, a reason that involves the poor person's moral fiber, mental ability or willingness to work. As long as we believe that the poor are the way they are because of some weakness within themselves, we can sleep easier in our four-bedroom-two-bath debtors' prisons, comforted by the fact "it can never happen to me. I'm better than those layabouts."

[Eric Condon]

115. +1,000,000

That, and the fact that due to decades of being fed this line of shit about the "American Dream," middle class people all seem to be convinced that they one day will be rich, even in this economy. The thing about "middle class" is that give or take a few factors like dependents, location, etc, it can span anywhere from like $30,000 to $150,000/yr income, and so one really big problem is that someone who makes, say, $60-75K a year might think of themselves as "rich" or potentially rich and therefore identify with the owning class, not realizing that they have a LOT more in common with a person living in poverty than they do with people who make ten times what they do.

[Hulk]

16. Well said! We are such an ass-backward nation.

As long as we have teabaggers, we'll be the laughing stock of the world. That's NO exaggeration.

[Hippo_Tron]

24. France has tea-baggers too, but they all vote for Le Pen

In France center-right party distances itself from the lunatics, whereas the Republicans here fully incorporate them.

[ejpoeta]

34. they have to because they don't have the numbers without them.

[Laughing Mirror]

94. Sarkozy won in 2007 because he co-opted Le Pen's platform ...

tricking that right-wing faction into voting for him. That's how he won. Sarkozy did not distance himself from them. Quite the contrary.

But as the recent regional elections proved, the Front National voters came back to Le Pen and did not make that same mistake again voting for Sarkozy's UMP.

[Shining Jack]

20. K&R n/t

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

22. Translator?

was this speech through a translator, Sarkozy speaking english is a sight in and of itself.

[No Elephants]

27. Easy for him to say bc France has had a health care system for a long time and is not going to

dismantle it. If it had been up to him, though, would he have tried to institute a health care system? We have no way of knowing, but I never trust conservative, even when I agree with what SEEMS to be his or her agenda.

The real issue: What is his point/agenda in putting us down while he is our guest?

[Bluenorthwest]

65. You make it sound as if Fance has that system due to nature

The French have that system because they made that system, with laws. It did not occur naturally, or come with the geographic territory. They have a better system than ours because they made a better system than ours.
His point is that we are a backward and heartless nation that constantly carries pretense of being the best of all things. His point is that they've had a better system for a long time. And we are fighting over tiny changes.

[Laughing Mirror]

97. That's a very good point

What is his agenda? I don't know. Trying to win back some of the voters who abandoned him back home in France, may be one reason. His popularity is at an all-time low. Down around where Bush's was.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

29. I just assume FOX News won't be covering this.

[geckosfeet]

31. Great. Once the tea-partier crowd hears that the french have endorsed

our welfare plan for health insurance companies they will get even more furiously fanatical.

[FlaGranny]

33. About 15% Canadian

snowbirds live in my HMO (where I work in the office) and one said something similar to me a few weeks ago - how the Canadians are incredulous about the health care opposition. Of course, I only meet well-to-do Canadians because they must be able to afford the health insurance policies they have to buy in case they become ill while here. A handful just recently had to sell their winter homes here and stop coming south for the winter because after retiring they could no longer afford health insurance policies in the US. My neighbor recently drove all the way home to Quebec and back again to have a myelogram. My impression - they pity us.

Edit to add: I get the impression Canadians feel the same way about the US as US citizens feel about Mexico when they travel. They are both traveling to a more backward country.

[Ineeda]

40. Canadian Snowbirds

I'm in Florida too, and live near a small municipal airport. Occasionally I am awoken by a small jet taking off before dawn. It's annoying as hell, but it's a charter taking a day trip, carrying a few Canadians back home for tests or treatment. That tells you something -- that it's cheaper for a Canadian to charter a plane than to have the same tests or treatment here. BTW, this used to be a weekly event, now not as frequent - we have fewer foreign snowbirds this year - the economy, I assume.

[OnionPatch]

124. I definitely sense an air of sympathy from Europeans when talking about healthcare.

I work with people from all around the world. I've asked a lot of them about the health care in their country. To date I haven't found a single European or Canadian who didn't like their health care system. Without exception, they've expressed sympathy that we don't have a better system here and the same disbelief that there would even be a debate on this. American Conservatives have to be some of the most selfish, mean-spirited people on the planet.

[democrank]

35. Sarkozy is right about this.

It is astonishing.

[passy]

37. Just my two cents on Sarkozy and the French health care system.

To start with, Sarkozy is a right wing politician who often uses the language of the extreme right in order to get public support, as was the case when he was elected president and before that as minister of the interior under Chirac. He is an opportunist who would gladly dismantle the French health care system if the political environment allowed it and if his friends in the media supported it. His mockery of the state of health care in the U.S. is rather ironic as he would probably personally prefer a system closer to the American one if he could implement it in France. Having supplementary private health insurance in France is quite common and even though health care is cheap and subsidized, middle class families are still left with sometimes substantial medical bills to pay if they don't have a "mutuelle" (supplementary private health insurance).
Of course the poor are well looked after and in that respect France will always be ahead of the U.S. But one reason for looking after them like the farmers is that they are often easily convinced to vote one way or another. Scare them enough and they will vote for the right or the extreme right, inspire them and reassure them that they will be looked after and that they can make a difference and they will vote for the left or the communists. The election of Sarkozy was achieved by exacerbating the general feeling of insecurity people experienced, due to economic instability, social unrest or plain xenophobia. The propaganda like exposure of Sarkozy as a man of change and reform by the friendly national media helped him get elected. It was at the time inconvenient to mention his previous roles as budget minister, minister for the economy and minister of the interior, positions that would have allowed him over several years to implement the changes he was now crying out for. In order to galvanize the populace around his candidacy he borrowed the rhetoric of the extreme right and spoke of the threat to the French republic and what it stands for from outside elements.
Such language can be traced back to the Vichy government where patriotism was exploited in order to implement sweeping changes in French society following the defeat of the French forces and the signing of the armistice. And to get back to the French health care system, it was the Vichy government whose slogan was "Travail, Famille, Patrie" (work, family, fatherland) which implemented as part of their "Révolution nationale" the changes that the modern French health care system is based on. The government's social and medical safety nets expansions and the reform of hospitals are all policies which were allowed to continue after the war.
The beginnings of the modern French health care system owe a lot to a regime which was borderline fascist, corporatist and at the same time displayed such interest in the welfare of its people it could almost be called socialist. However the primary drive of the Vichy regime was patriotism and they saw it as their patriotic duty to look after the people who were therefore more productive and more likely to support the government. Of course one should not forget the unforgettable, and that is the murderous treatment of Jews, foreigners and political opponents during that period.
I am surprised that the Obama administration and the democrats do not use the "patriotic duty" or even "Christian values" cards when talking about reforming the current health care system. What would be more inspiring to hear that health care reform is needed for the good of the country, to allow workers to be more productive, to eliminate some of the enormous social cost sickness and poverty places on the country, to help one's fellow man so that in turn he can help you etc...
But then again that is just hippie, left-wing, liberal, baby and grandma killer talk.

[Laughing Mirror]

51. You are absolutely correct, every word you said

I hope everybody stops and reads your little history lesson.

Sarkozy, no more popular in France than his idol George Bush was in the U.S., the same Sarkozy now cozying up to the hopeful Americans completely ignorant as to who this obnoxious jerk is and what he is about. Sarkozy, with ever-present trophy wife at his side, his transparent strategy to get people unfamiliar with him to look on him more favorably, now being cheered at Columbia University. What a fucking travesty.

And posters on DU comparing him to Kucinich. Ha! Good god in heaven what next.

[Riverman]

80. Wow, thank you for providing that historical perspective. Why I go

to DU everyday first, before I go read a few other sites - my daily newspaper!

[Cass]

41. I like his comments a lot. He's considered right wing in France.

I wish our right-wingers were so level-headed.

[SkyDaddy7]

42. How embarrassing...But!

What is with the matching podium & rug!?!? LOL! :rofl:

[SkyDaddy7]

43. How embarrassing...But!

What is with the matching podium & rug!?!? LOL! :rofl:

[AnneD]

45. When we were on tour in Europe....

one of our band members got sick. She was taken care of promptly and we were shocked that we were not billed despite our efforts to pay. This has occurred in England and France. When we were in India, my daughter got sick. We had a London trained pediatrician make a house call and he sent a runner from the pharmacy with our meds. It cost us all of $3.50 USD.

We are so poorly served here in this country by our health care, and I say that as a Nurse. Despite what they try to brainwash you into thinking, we are not the best. We are cutting edge technology but we have a sorry health care delivery system (thank you insurance industry). What is the benefit in that?

[Lars77]

47. Exactly!

When the right wingers say that America is great when it comes to health care and that Europeans are "flocking" over there to get treated, they're not actually talking about normal health care. They are talking about cutting edge research, experimental procedures etc. Stuff you do because you have some of the worlds best universities in this field.

If i had a weird condition that no-one could figure out i might fly to Johns Hopkins or something like that (probably payed for by my government) for them to have a look. But if i need to get treated for normal things, i'll stay right here at home thank you very much!

[tavalon]

50. I second that. As nurses, we see it front line

It's fucked up beyond words and despite the flag waving that happened here this week, only very weak strides were made toward a more fair system.

[NewJeffCT]

58. When I was in Italy almost exactly a year ago

I got sick with a cold that I get once or twice a year that will normaly require me to get an antibiotic. I walked into a doctor and spoke to some sort of assistant (in English) and a few minutes later, I saw a doctor, who started speaking to me in a language that was not English or Italian... when i said, "excuse me, but I don't understand..." he apologized and said his assistant said I spoke German. So, he spoke Italian, German and English at least...

But, he checked me out and gave me amoxicillen (sp). Total cost was 4 euros, which was a little over $5 at the time, which I believe was for the medication.

My father had a similar experience the year before when he visited Italy. However, his 4 Euro bill was over $6 because the dollar was weak when they went.

Meanwhile, my mom later had to go to a doctor when she got back to the US and she was talking to the doctor about the trip to Italy and said how my dad got good care there, and the doctor replied, "Maybe when compared to the 3rd world..." :crazy:

[Dulcinea]

72. Well said.

We are cutting edge technology but we have a sorry health care delivery system (thank you insurance industry). What is the benefit in that?

There is no benefit in that...for the insurance companies, that is. Insurance companies aren't in business to pay medical bills; they're in business to MAKE MONEY. Patients aren't their problem.

[eagertolearn]

85. Same positive experience. While in Germany one daughter fell off her

bike on a gravel road and needed 25 stiches to her knee and many wounds cleaned out. She also got a tetnaus shot, antibiotics pain pills and extra dressing supplies. After all of that and two hours of first rate immediate care the bill was $75 US dollars (two years ago when our dollar had its worst value). Last summer my oldest daughter walked into a wall by accident (not drunk just a clutz!) and after a 6 hours wait in the Eugene, Oregon ER she got 6 stiches on her eye brow with little novicaine and a bill for over $1,000 which included a return to the ER a week later with a 3 hour wait to get stiches removed (they tried to charge $400 for the second trip but we protested that). Friends in Norway, Germany and Canada are very happy with there health care. Nothing is perfect but they feel there's is so much better than ours!

[Lars77]

46. Sarkozy is one of a new breed of right-leaning populists in Europe

Same type as Silvio Berlusconi and a few others. Authoritarian, anti-immigration and "pro business". They often like to take a hard stand against Moslems while pretending to be the protector of the (mostly white) middle class, and Sarkozy is no different even with his mixed ethic background.

I'm no conspiracy nut, but it is worth noting that Sarkozy is a Bilderberger, and that his half-brother is an executive with the Carlyle Group.

One of the first bills he tried to pass when he became President was to ban internet users who had been caught downloading copyrighted material from using the internet period. I wonder how much campaign funding he got from the film and recording industry..

It's very difficult to compare American and European politics, but on many issues Sarkozy could be seen as quite far to the left of Obama, especially on social (what you call moral) issues. That says something about how far the political center in American politics has shifted since the 80s.

[h9socialist]

48. But, here in Indiana

We have the STUPIDEST, MOST WRETCHED EXCUSE FOR A GOVERNOR, who has ordered his Attorney General to file in this ridiculous law suit.

I wonder if Mitch Daniels understands what a cruel asshole he is in the eyes of the rest of the world. Of course that rotten little shit doesn't care. But in Europe, right-wingers sound like
Sarkozy! This is so unfair!

[butterfly77]

53. Kick &Recommended!!!

[Vogon_Glory]

59. Thank you, I found this article useful. n/t

[newtothegame]

60. ...

"The very fact that there should have been such a violent debate simply on the fact that the poorest of Americans should not be left out in the streets without a cent to look after them... is something astonishing to us."

Not really a very good argument. I've heard people say the same thing about abortion, how our forefathers would be astonished that we're even debating whether a baby is a person. This doesn't mean we should ban abortion though...

Simply put, if you're not in the debate, I don't really care if you're astonished.

[BeyondGeography]

61. I love this; we deserve a good trash talking to after the way this "debate" was conducted

The fact that it comes from a conservative Frenchman makes it all the better.

[Jefferson23]

68. Well stated!! 5 stars for you Sarkozy.

[DirtyDawg]

71. It's the selfish....

...unbridled GREED, stupid!

[earcandle]

74. I love the French!

[SlingBlade]

78. K & R I

[ProSense]

81. "Welcome to the club of states who don't turn their back on the sick and the poor"

He's absolutely right.

[4lbs]

82. What do the French know? They only have the #1 ranked healthcare system in the world.

It's not like they should be a model to emulate or anything...

;)

[davidwparker]

84. Vive la France!

Power to its people!

[Mme. Defarge]

86. Vive la France! n/t

[colsohlibgal]

87. Oui!

They get it! Scandinavia gets it! I see WWJD emblems all over the place, often on wing nut cars, and I highly doubt that Jesus ever asked for a co pay.

I got a call to give to the democratic senate committee and did I give that guy an earful. I donate, but only to true progressives, not to an organization that might funnel my funds to DINO's like Blanche Lincoln or Max Baucus or whoever.

[defendandprotect]

89. Good for Sarkozy . . . via la France!

[LeftishBrit]

90. All those evil Europaean socialists...

(not to mention Europaean Conservatives.)


'From the European perspective, he said, "when we look at the American debate on reforming health care, it's difficult to believe".'

Indeed.

[samsingh]

93. wow - and he's a conservative in Europe

what the fuck is wrong with repugs?

[liberation]

113. ... the same thing which is wrong with the Dems?

That they keep going further and further to the insane spectrum of the right?

[samsingh]

127. true of some dems - but we are much better than the repugs

i trust this country in the hands of dems not REPUGs

[Yavin4]

98. Sarkozy Proves That We Don't Have Conservatives in America

We have fascists.

[closeupready]

101. You may not be asked for a credit card, but you will be asked for insurance papers.

I know that for a fact, because it happened to my roommate. Granted, this was about 20 years ago, in France.

[bvar22]

103. "you won't be asked for your credit card before you're rushed to the hospital."

But here in the good ole USA, even AFTER the HCR, you will STILL be asked for your credit card...to meet Co-Pays and Deductibles.

To fully realize how BAD our system is, even with the modest "reforms", simply compare it to what is taken for granted is every civilized country in the World.
The term "Medical Bankruptcy" is NOT heard in the rest of the civilized World.
It will STILL be with us for a long time.

[PeaceNikki]

104. beautiful

[harun]

108. This "Conservative" is farther left than our Dem's. God bless him.

99% of them won't even state the facts like that. Grayson and Kucinich will though.

[Quantess]

114. The opposition to health care reform is the USA's own unique brand of crazy.

It's pretty embarrassing, really.

[EVDebs]

123. Love this quote...

"Welcome to the club of states who don't turn their back on the sick and
the poor," Sarkozy said, referring to the US health care overhaul
signed by President Barack Obama last week.

[hulka38]

125. He's right. It's so apparent.