Whatever: Being Poor

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No, I'm not poor, I don't know what it's like to be poor... partially because in Australia, there are a hell of a lot less people at this kinda poverty level.

But this is the reason why I support free healthcare and government support for those struck by poverty. Did you know that the American health system costs, on average, about $5,000/year per American, where as the Canadian system costs about $2,000/year per Canadian, and it provides health care to *all*, not just those who can afford it. What *constantly* struck me when in America was the amount of people with bad teeth, because they couldn't or once couldn't afford the dentist. In Australia, we don't have that. That's because we have government funded healtcare. In America, you go north of the 49th parallel and suddenly you're suprised when everyone has a bright white smile.

So, if you want to condemn people to misery because they can't afford to pay $5,000 a year in health insurance, you should rethink your position. It's not a rhetorical question. This isn't a philosophical debate about whether government is good or bad in abstact situations. This is about people's lives.