8 posts tagged “cnn”

As the US rages over its health care debate, I was inspired by some of the threads on Vox on the subject, in particular the comparison between the US and Australia. The best people to ask in comparing the two would, logically, be those who have experienced both.
   I Googled the term Americans living in Australia health care. None of these show Australia in a totally perfect light, which is what one expects. But on the health care issue, they make some interesting observations. I have skipped sites that are too brochure-like, which formed the majority in the above search.
   The first page that was relevant was this one, stating, inter alia:

They write, “Social democratic migrants focus on attributes of the United States associated with its weak welfare system, inadequate health care violence, and general conservative social and economic structures.” (Note: Health care costs in Australia are only 8% of GDP and everyone is covered. In the U.S., they amount to 15% of GDP and many remain uncovered.)
   Americans who see the U.S. as a society in decline, leaning toward socialism, come to Australia for its safer, drug-free environment. However, they object to Australia’s strong centralized government which they see as being intrusive. They find that Australia has high taxes, strong unions and generous welfare system, also that crime is on the increase.

   The second to give some comparison quoted CNN and linked this video:

   Sadly, after 100 entries I could not find a personal account comparing the systems. So I tried a different term, “American living in Australia” health care blog.
   This was a little more successful. First up was this blog which solicited this comment:

As an [A]merican living in Australia for the last 10 years, with our universal health care coverage (a combination of public and private if you want it), I have been horrified by the stories of my aging parents dealing with healthcare in [A]merica. My mom pays hundreds of dollars for medications she would get here for pennies, and even though she has medicare, she still needs to get approval for alternative therapies her doctor wants to recommend—but never gets the approval because her supplemental insurance company doesn't want to pay.
   I think it’s a little too easy for the young and/or never seriously ill to think that because they’ve never experienced a problem that everything must be ok. If only they would stop and ask: what if it was your mom, or your uncle or your neice [sic] or nephew. Would you care then?
   I am shocked at people I consider friends, who I thought would be intelligent, informed and considered, getting sucked in by the media frenzy. I am horrified at how my parents struggle with healthcare, and I am ashamed of the country of my birth.
   Healthcare is not a traditional good or service. You can’t shop around—when you need it, you need it or you die. Any country that ignores this is simply barbaric.

   I also saw another comment from an American expatriate at this blog:

I am an American living in Australia in my fifties. We have medicare here for all ages so we get universal health care. We can also go private too if we want to. I use the public system right now due to immigrating. It is a great system and I am so happy we are lucky to have universal health care.

   The next was a forum:

As a American living in Australia, and now a Australian Citizen, it is a great place to live. If you are willing to work, there are plenty of good paying jobs. The free medical system is good as well. As long as you are healthy and well off.

   The fourth featured a comment from 2007, long before the most recent debate, with some typos:

I’m an American living in Australia since the mid 70s where we have a good public system which runs for under 10% of GDP. The interesting thing is that we also have a private system of insurance and private hospitals that allows ready access to elective surgery (you have heard about waiting lists in public systems? ) and choice of doctor. I have a heart condition that is controllable with medication and the public system isn’t going to operate on me when there are plenty of people who’s lives depend on bypass surgery. Fine with me. For ideological reasons they have a hard time being blunt about that sort of thing, but as a blunt socialist doctor friend says—‘it’s a bottomless pit—you could spend 150% of GDP and there would still be things you could do.” I like knowing that if I fall over or get run over I will get carted off to hospital and not have to worry about a bill—I already paid it with the separate Australian Medicare tax levy which is how it should be in my opinion. I also like having access to the private system if my doctor and I decide that a particular treatment is the best thing to do. I think eventually countries will end up with universal safety net level health care (that happens informally in the US anyhow.) and a private system on top. Medically I don’t want to be dependent on either the Cuban or the US system. I think ideology is a positive hindrance when it comes to medical systems and that is why I am happy to pay twice for an apparently irrational and wasteful system like we have in Australia. They are actually complementary and each saves the other from its worst features.

That was just from the first results’ page.
  As I have only been a tourist in both countries, I can make no comment from personal experience. The above excerpts have not been edited further in terms of content. For those arguing their merits, I would give some consideration to what people who have experienced both systems have to say.

A very good one found on Snowy’s blog. So, Mr Beck, which is it?

For completeness, here is an analysis of the video, which attempts to give some context to Glenn Beck’s remarks. However, even the writer there feels Beck has fallen short, but for different reasons.

This has got to be one of those bad journalism moments:

Specifically, the report states (sic):

Analysts say its small-car technology can help Chrysler, known for its minivans and Hummer line. In the past five years, Fiat has been able to regain market share in Europe with its economy fuel-saving cars as well as its luxury line, Alpha Romero.

   I’m sure Chrysler would love to know it owns Hummer and have extra headaches about what to do with that brand, and do Alpha Romeros have anything to do with actor Cesar Romero?

Show us your favourite news anchor.

Soledad O’Brien has to be one of the most generous, decent people I have met in the news business, and we share a birthday. I remember having a long conversation with her just before she gave birth to her twins and thought to myself that the intelligent, kind image she has on television is so very true to life.

   In comparison, other talking heads are, well, talking heads. They read from teleprompters and often get it wrong (in New Zealand, Simon Dallow’s ‘last bitch did’, or Carly Kirkwood’s ‘US Marine Corpse’).

I see from Deutsche Welle and al-Jazeera that Sen. Barack Obama’s overseas trip has received huge coverage, including a big interview on CBS’s Meet the Press.
   So, where were all these networks when Sens. John McCain and Joe Lieberman went to Iraq and Europe?
   Do most Americans even know they went?
   Some Americans talk about their big three networks plus CNN providing more favourable coverage of Democratic presidential candidates—on this alone I’m inclined to believe them.

I didn’t even hear about this bad news till I read it on Zak’s blog, then hunted for a piece on the wires. Journalism has lost one of its classiest, most decent practitioners. Whether you agreed with his politics or not, Tony Snow had decency.

Washington, DC, July 12 Former White House spokesman, journalist and broadcaster Tony Snow succumbed to colon cancer today, aged 53.
   Snow had passed away at 2 a.m. at Georgetown University Hospital.
   While known to news watchers in the US for his work on Fox News properties, Snow came to international notice when he replaced Scott McClellan as White House spokesman in May 2006.
   Unfortunately, Snow, who had already fought cancer in 2005, served only 17 months in the role. In March 2007, he was admitted for surgery to have a cancerous growth removed from his abdominal area.
   He resigned in September 2007, joining CNN as a commentator.
   Robert Anthony Snow was born in Berea, Ky., on June 1, 1955. He graduated from Davidson College in North Carolina in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. While studying economics and philosophy at the University of Chicago, he wrote for The Greensboro Record and The Virginian–Pilot.
   He rose to editorial positions The Newport News, The Detroit News and The Washington Times.
   In 1991, Snow joined President George Bush’s team as a speechwriter and media assistant. During the Clinton administration, he returned to journalism, writing columns for The Detroit News and USA Today.
   He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Jill, and their children Kendall, Robbie, and Kristi.

White House statement from the President
‘Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of our dear friend, Tony Snow. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Jill, and their children, Kendall, Robbie, and Kristi. The Snow family has lost a beloved husband and father. And America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character.
   ‘Tony was one of our nation’s finest writers and commentators. He earned a loyal following with incisive radio and television broadcasts. He was a gifted speechwriter who served in my father’s administration. And I was thrilled when he agreed to return to the White House to serve as my Press Secretary. It was a joy to watch Tony at the podium each day. He brought wit, grace, and a great love of country to his work. His colleagues will cherish memories of his energetic personality and relentless good humour.
   ‘All of us here at the White House will miss Tony, as will the millions of Americans he inspired with his brave struggle against cancer. One of the things that sustained Tony Snow was his faith—and Laura and I join people across our country in praying that this good man has now found comfort in the arms of his Creator.’

How popular was Benazir Bhutto? In November, CNN ran a story on its blog and the comments, many from Pakistanis, tell an interesting story, with numerous folks in support of President Musharraf.

http://edition.cnn.com/exchange/blogs/in.the.field/2007/11/pakistans-unanswered-question-how.html

   In any case, I believe they paint a more accurate picture of her popularity, or lack thereof, than what the MSM can muster. Certainly Pakistanis are better equipped to talk about their own nation than bloggers like me.

The very lovely Meenakshi Ravi, associate producer on Listening Post, invited me to contribute to the next edition of the al-Jazeera show reporting on the media. I am not sure of the air date but I’ll be watching this week’s to see if I made the cut.
   The strange thing is the reaction I get from other Kiwis—they still look puzzled when I tell them that I am occasionally on Listening Post (three times so far in 2007). This includes cities which get al-Jazeera. Yet they would not think it were odd if I said it was the BBC or CNN—so why is being part of another global news network so strange? It’s not as though we have our own global news network here in New Zealand, so we are not exactly in a position to judge.
   Still, I’m proud to be on the show and to offer sometimes an alternative viewpoint.