In the news....
I liked Nicholas Kristoff's op-ed in the NY Times this morning on health care in the US and why our system isn't the greatest: Unhealthy America . I am always a fan of reading/ seeing how the US's ridiculous health care system does not work. I guess it may work for about half the population who have jobs and those who care afford expensive premiums, but for the other half, the answer is usually going without insurance, meaning without treatment usually- is it right that the US government willingly allows its own citizens to be sick and even die in some cases? I have always thought that the system was ridiculous and needed reform way back from my college days, I think its just interesting now because its become such a big news item that people are finally paying attention to it. It really amazes me how many small minded people there are in my own country, arguing that reforming health care is going to destroy its good aspects. Do you think that all the people in the US struggling to find work- esp. new college grads (of which I was one, uninsured and looking for work)- deserve to be without healthcare? To me it makes no sense. And after living in England for over a year I would most definitely say I prefer the NHS to our privatised b.s. healthcare system.
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Ny Times article today describing protests occurring in Tehran on Wednesday- the 30th anniversary of the takeover of the US Embassy in Iran. Yesterday the government sponsored Anti- American protests, but at the same time, the strong Iranian opposition movement- which saw a huge defeat in the last election- held their own protests against the government ones. It's obvious to see why they protest- even taking religion culture etc out of the picture, the Iranian government is working towards nuclear deals with the US and West, yet at the same time still holds Anti- American protests? Not making much sense to this small-town Americano.
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Also, in both the Evening Standard and NY Times I read articles on the 'Rogue' Afghan police officer who shot and killed five British military officials the other day, while they were having their tea within a military compound in the Helmland province in Afghanistan. The E.S. said authorities have said that the officer was probably high on heroin and went on a shooting rampage or he may have been an undercover Taliban. Hmm. Moving on, but the bigger issue here is that the British are now properly freaking out about more of their troops being killed- this year sees the highest UK death toll in Afghanistan since the first year of fighting. But unfort for the Brits, they don't exactly have the option of pulling out and leaving the war to the Americans because the Afghan/ Pakistan area issues are as much of their problems as it is the US's problem, if not more. I would go on a limb and say that much of Pakistan's political structural problems began with England's map-drawing of India and Pakistan (former Muslim League) back in the first half of the twentieth century. Since then, Pakistan has been a volatile place- whose volatility has infected its neighbors quite a bit- namely Afghanistan (and India). Anyways, I may be wrong and on a limb but just my opinion. I just don't see the British as pulling out troops before Americans do.
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The end for now....
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