I'll have to agree, you people in the UK are so lucky to have free healthcare!It really is amazing!

I know exactly what you mean! I couldn't live without the NHS!

Some of my observations from the rants I have witnessed: I think one of the reasons is related to your comment "free healthcare". It's not free - and some Americans seem so objectionable to the idea of paying for healthcare with their taxes, for other (less fortunate, and needy) people to benefit from. They don't want to pay for others. How caring and neighbourly! I have also seen loads of comments about national healthcare systems internationally (hailing from the direction of the Republicans) which is wholly inaccurate at best and complete lies at worse - they believe it. Some people think people will die as a consequence. And... there seems to be so much paranoia about anything that can be vaguely connected to socialism. My goodness - National healthcare is almost bordering on Communism for some of them! =)

because they're sheep who's shepard has told them it's of the devil.

because they are selfish and greedy. they like the sounds of using that extra couple bucks to buy a boat instead of saving them from loss of limbs or covering a kidney replacement or a flesh eating disease or polio or a whole bunch of bees stinging them or trichinosis or falling in a frozen pond. yeah it sucks having to pay for people who smoked themselves into intense care, but now im smoking and saying cheers because one day i wont have to worry about it either.

Free healthcare and low taxes WOULD be amazing...

I was actually wondering about this earlier. Im a brit and i had to use the NHS to have major knee surgery. I might of had to wait many months for it but they did a good job. At a pure guess with only having done a slight bit of research, ive estimated that my knee surgery would of cost around £14,000 in america.. And because of the NHS, it was absolutly free. SO.. i have come to the conclusion that since half of americans dont want a NHS, its obvious that half of america is full of idiots.

Sadly many of the people in influential positions feed off the ignorance of the masses and effectively utilize fear mongering. We are bombarded by horror stories of those left behind, overlooked, or that have come into some other type of difficulty due to big bad social medicine in the UK and Canada. Some of us realize that for most people in countries that offer health care the systems are beneficial and efficient. Unfortunately there are also quite a few people that will believe anything the talking heads tell them and unfortunately the most unreasonable people are the loudest.

because every country thinks they know best and fear change its the same with there gun laws they have about 10,000-15,000 gun murders a year the uk as around 100 they only have around 4x the population of the uk but they still think guns prevent crime the usa lives in the past maybe the black guy will bring them into the 21st centry

To be exact, it's free at the point of use, we do pay for the NHS via our taxes, but it's better than having to constantly pay out to corporations for health insurance!!!! My favourite anti-reform argument was from Sarah Palin, who said that if Professor Stephen Hawking had been English he wouldn't have stood a chance, spot the mistake there!

Yes, it's unaccountable, isn't it?

The reasons for this are manifold and complex. Part of it is racism ("Ooh, the Scary Black Man is proposing health care reform. Stop him!") Part of it is xenophobia ("Can't trust them damn furriners to do nothin' right nowhow") Part of it is the Five Time Loser....er, Objectivist/Libertarian streak in American politics. Part of it is simple politics. The Republicans know that if health care reform passes and is popular, they will be politically wounded for decades. So they're going all out to stop it. Part of it is entrenched economic interests. Health insurance companies and for-profit hospital chains like making tons of money by denying care and overcharging for services. And they have lots of money to throw at our politicians and media. Ultimately, I think America will do the rational thing and turn health care into a public utility. But it will probably take another 2-3 presidential administrations for that to happen. What Obama is proposing is just a step in that direction. . . .

Being an Australian it has me stumped as well... we have Medicare out here and 95% of the time it works very very well

Americans, of course want healthcare. They just don't want corruptible, inept, incompetent, just plain dumb politicians running it. By the way, if what you want requires somebody to help you against their will, then it is not a right that you are exercising.

I agree that the UK system is excellent - it has cured me of cancer twice, without any co-payments. When I was working I paid 5% of my pay into the National Insurance Fund, and now I am retired I pay nothing and recieve an inflation proofed pension to boot. In my opinion the citizens of the USA have bought into their patriotic rhetoric that everything in their country is the biggest and the best, so they are easy meat for the vested interests that want to keep health exenditure for the flashy treatments, expensive liability insurances and lawyers fees, while paying through the nose for it and getting cut off from further treatment if they actually have to claim for anything.

Your question is based on false conclusions. All Americans want healthcare (although I will assume you mean why don’t they want socialized healthcare). And your “free healthcare” is not free. First, some Americans don’t want socialized healthcare because they don’t want to pay tens of thousands of dollars a year for healthcare benefits they will not use. Second, many Americans don’t want to pay more money for less quality of care. Third, many Americans don’t want to lose the freedoms they currently are afforded. If healthcare is paid for by tax dollars, the government now has an interest in regulating lifestyles. Some people like America being a country with vast freedom.

I grew up in Ontario where mandatory health care was insured and managed by the province and was completely free. I was younger then and needed medical attention less frequently, but I don't remember ANY complaints about healthcare. No lines (then) like the U.K. either. . At one point (about 20 - 25 years ago) the cost was 22 cdn $/month. No idea what it is now, but with inflation etc, I would imagine it might be around 100 cdn. . Considering population density etc. is a lot lower than in the states, I can't imagine it would be more expensive there. . Seems Spending 1200$ a year for the peace of mind to know you are covered no matter what shouldn't be a big deal...

Generally, the argument I hear from anti-healthcare people are: 1. They don't want to pay for someone else's broken leg through higher taxes. (Personally, that sounds kind of selfish to me. I wouldn't mind paying a little extra now because I'll probably need it later. Some people are paranoid because they are already having trouble making ends meet. Maybe there can be some kind of tax waiver for low-income families??? I don't know) 2. They don't want to be told what kind of treatment they'll get. I.e. if government health care only covers one type of treatment but you want the other type of treatment that's not covered. (Understandable. Maybe healthcare should just be absolute basic coverage for everyone and you have the option of getting additional insurance.) 3. Also, rumors of cutting down on end-of-life treatment. I.e. Pull the plug on grandma because we can't afford it. (A law like that would never pass through the system because that would get into the issue of having the freedom to live so everyone who is worried about it are just getting themselves fired up for no reason.) 4. They don't want to have to pay for people who got themselves into their own medical problems (Also understandable. Maybe a overhaul on health education is in order too.) Well, there is my two cents.