MAMEWorld Forums - Welcome to the War Room - Re: As of this past Monday I'm now a permanent resident of Sweden.

> And yet people like you
> seem to steadfastly vote for them, despite the fact that their policies objectively
> fuck over people exactly like you. They've somehow convinced all of you to vote
> against your own self-interest.

More and more, I think I'm moving over to the Libertarian side. I've long done away with the "Republican" label thanks to Dubya and 9/11. In other words, I don't think I can trust any politician. But, there are still a few I like (Rand Paul for instance). The main issue I have with Libertarianism is its stance on substance abuse.

> > But seriously... I guess I can ask this... What's the healthcare system like?
>
> Pretty alright, actually. I've only had to make use of it twice. The first time, I
> felt like I was getting the flu, so I phoned up a local doctor's office, and their
> response was, "Oh, you want an appointment? What time tomorrow would you like the
> appointment?" The other time was when I injured my back, and in that case it was only
> a 2-3 day wait. EDIT: And it was only a 2-3 day wait because I explicitly said that,
> no, I'm not in a critical situation, it just hurts a bunch when I sit up straight or
> try to walk in a completely natural way. Imagine an arthritic 50-year-old.
>

I contracted JRA when I was in 6th grade. Had it in both of my knees, and had a Knee Joint Replacement (Right Knee) in my early 20's. My father, at the time, worked for the State. It just so happened that his insurance would also cover any child still living at home up to the age of... (whatever it was -- early 20's, which I fell under). So, I will always be thankful for that.

> Frankly, I'm baffled as to where these reports are coming from that it's some sort of
> apocalyptic hellscape where people are lucky to so much as get a splint for their
> broken limbs. I've never had the slightest issue with either getting a doctor's
> appointment, or getting a referral to a specialist for mental-related issues.
>
> Don't get me wrong, though, I'll be the first to admit that the cream-of-the-crop
> specialist medical care here is probably not quite as great as it is in the USA.
> Having said that, you probably couldn't afford said specialist care in the USA, and
> neither could I if I still lived there. At the end of the day, the USA's healthcare
> system favors those who can buy their way to the front of the queue, whereas the
> healthcare system here in Sweden is a pretty reasonable middle-ground that covers all
> of us who aren't millionaires.

Last month, I had this persistent pain in my right side just below my rib-cage. That went on for like 4 or 5 days. Almost everybody told me that it was probably an Appendicitis. So, off the hospital I went. A couple weeks later I get a bill in the mail. I owed a little under $950.00 (and already paid $250 up front). My insurance paid the rest of it, which was like 7 or 9 thousand.

They never found anything wrong with me, and the pains went away a couple days afterwards. I guess next time I'll wait till any pains get excruciating before I go to the Dr.

> I hope that you can, to an extent, understand where I'm coming from. I actually
> appreciate the questions that you posed. If you have any other questions, I'm more
> than happy to answer them from my perspective. I'm grateful that you're willing to
> give me a conservative viewpoint without just telling me to fuck right off.

I can't recall when I've ever told anyone on here to "fuck off". Yeah, yeah. That Ear gauging topic, but that was only in response to your (measure) of response towards me. Honestly, I just don't find myself getting bent out of shape like I used to when it comes to things on the internet. Used to be, when I'd make a combative reply, it'd weigh on my mind for while, thinking of how so-&-so would reply, how I'd reply to that, or how could I have replied differently... And in the end, I've found it's just not worth the headaches. If people are gunna hate or dislike me for my opinion, that's their problem.

In other words, life is just a bit easier when you don't carry the burden of anger.

LEVEL-4