Person Asks Non-Americans To Share “Scams” That Americans Think Are Normal, And Here Are 39 Of Their Replies
In an attempt to start an interesting discussion, Reddit user tycooperaow posted a question on r/AskReddit: "What is clearly a scam but Americans have been conditioned to believe that it is 'normal?'" And they succeeded. Even though the post has received 4.6K upvotes (far fewer than some of the most popular ones on the subreddit), it has accumulated over 5.5K comments. Non-Americans started sharing their take on the US, testing the definition of the word 'scam', and all the replies paint a pretty good picture of the way the rest of the world sees the country.
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Tipping restaurant servers so the owners of the restaurant don’t have to pay them a living wage.
Decades ago, restaurant workers were paid "regular" wages, and got tips. A single mother could feed 3 kids AND buy a small house with those tips. Greedy restaurant owners hated the idea of their workers getting "money for nothing" (except busting their butts!) and changed the laws so the workers are paid obscenely low wages and then have to share their tips with EVERYONE employed at the restaurant whether they bust tail or not. It's disgusting. Especially because "tipping is optional", but those workers don't get their wages supplemented if diners don't tip!
Tycooperaow came up with the idea for the question after noticing a similar tweet gain decent notoriety on Twitter. "My sister notified me of this by sending me a link to a video on TikTok in which someone did a react video about the subject matter. My sister and I jokingly started talking about this subject and discussed all the things we Americans interact with on a daily basis that is actually pretty scummy," the told Bored Panda. "As I read through the comments on this TikTok video, many people stated their frustration. I proposed the same question again on Reddit for the sole purpose to ignite a thought-provoking discussion where people can share their opinions and give more personal insight on this matter. I knew this was a perfect place to study this situation more and learn from people who experience certain things that I can be aware of in the future. So that's what sparked me to ask the question!"
Megachurches are literal scams. They make a lot of money, saying it's for the church, then they buy 12 mansions.
Once the first couple hundred post replies came in, tycooperaow started reading and responding to as many as they could, asking people to further expand on their ideas to "get an overarching grasp of just how much stuff is wired into our everyday life that takes advantage of people." At that point, tycooperaow began thinking that there are a lot of fundamental problems that the culture of the US has.
"I am a US resident, and reading through the Redditors' comments I could tell that numerous people made it abundantly clear they felt strongly and passionately about these current issues that we have been conditioned into just accepting as normal. The majority of the responses were politically related issues as there's a strong distaste for the current government, but there were other answers that spoke about businesses socially engineering the public to perpetually buy a product that they ultimately have full control over."
As an example, tycooperaow mentioned De Beers and how they own nearly the entire diamond supply and push forth aggressive advertising, telling people they can't start a marriage without a diamond ring.
Americans thinking that medical procedures are actually that expensive. Fun fact: In a normal country, you don't pay tens of thousands of dollars.
Tycooperaow would answer their own question by saying that a 'scam' that affected them personally the most comes from modern-day universities. "Many people in the post already covered everything there is to say about the barrier of entry of schooling and its relation to the future financial sustainability for the average person. It's very dissatisfying that even at the age of 14 public schools practically brainwash students by stating 'if they don't go to college or the military they end up as bums or delinquents.' Why should students get into thousands of dollars of student debt when [so many] of them do not have the right financial literacy to properly manage even $1,000 if it was gifted to them at 18. This issue itself I feel that places our country more at a financial disadvantage than it claims."
"America is the greatest country in the world."
If you've ever traveled outside the United States (and, sadly, only a small percentage have), you will quickly find out that the United States is not the greatest country in the world.
It's a chain reaction, the op said. "If you get into debt at 18 and get out of college at 21-22 then you have to put off buying a home, buying a car, and establishing assets. This slows down the economy. Heaven forbids if you have medical problems. If you can't pay, then you to go bankrupt. I can't tell you how many people resort to crowdfunding options just to pay for medical expenses. I don't think people should need to result to use GoFundMe as a health coverage option, nor use lottery tickets as a retirement plan. This is why we see such a transformative push for financial literacy among teens and young adults. It's the reason why eCommerce, Cryptocurrency, Forex, Social Media Marketing, Content Creation, etc.. are so idolized in our generation because the traditional methods essentially disbar proper progression. Sometimes it's not because people do it out of luxury, but do it out of necessity."
Somehow, a person who works 65 hours a week at a minimum-wage job just to pay the rent "isn't working hard enough". At the same time, an executive whose "work" boils down to signing a few forms, making a couple of phone calls, collecting investment payouts, and playing golf is considered "a hardworking American".
Right name, connections, or education and you can get through life with good money and almost no actual work.
"Lastly, the thing I would like to leave off with is that there are a lot of people who face challenges with our (if you live in the US) country and it will take some fixing," tycooperaow added. "I wish and motivate everyone to do not be afraid to speak on troubling topics. We have the power to change the narrative of how things are running regardless of how prominent they may seem. For example, once I started to learn about blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, this fundamentally shifted my view on governance and how something that seems so insignificant can have a huge impact. People have the power to do what is best, it all starts with just asking the right questions."
Healthcare, all the way. All those heartfelt stories on people who raised 100,000 for their neighbors surgery, and it's great, but no one seems to question why that was necessary in the first place. The person in question has insurance and they're still struggling to pay for this procedure?
Even worst if it's life-threatening. People have to make GoFundMe's, petition, all kinds of stuff. To have the basic right to not have to go broke when you see a doctor.
It's working how it's supposed to, it just isn't designed to benefit the patient.
The idea that you need to work endless hours and never have time off.
There are plenty of countries where people work reasonable hours, have five-week summer vacations and the economies don't fall apart.
You are not lazy if you don't eat at your desk or while driving.
I love using the “...other countries manage it though?” argument on businesses. New Zealand has a terrible sick leave allowance so our progressive party poked Jacinda with a stick about it and she agreed to up it. She’s coddling the effing HELL out of the businesses but a bunch of them are still like “How are we supposed to survive if we give our employees a less pitiful amount of sick leave?!?!” And I’m like “the same way companies in other countries do it?”
College Tuition. Being in debt for thousands of dollars as a young adult just starting their life
Any job over minimum wage now requires a college degree. Even for an interview. The exceptions are few.
Getting limited days worth of annual leave per year and then being encouraged not to use it.
Employers like this fail with diminishing returns. Their employees are too exhausted to work efficiently, and unable to come up with good policies to increase efficiency. You end up with people doing four hours worth of work in a twelve hour day because they're just too broken for more.
Millionaires/Billionaires are just like you and me, who just worked harder than everybody else.
"If you're not 15 minutes early, you're late."
B*tch, that adds up to 65 hours a year you should have paid me for. That is 8 full days of work.
The two party system
Its literally only one party at the top of the heirachy, devided in two, to give you the illusion of having a choice
Working 50+ hours a week to barely make ends meet, no health care, and no future but you're 'free' so it's worth it.
Really expensive funerals. People are charged astronomically high prices at a time when grief means they’re not prepared to make sound decisions.
Advertising medicine. Seriously what the hell?
For some reason, New Zealand is the only other country that does it. Even though we have effing public healthcare. For what it’s worth, I always just kind of assumed that everyone finds those ads as boring and annoying as I do.
College text books, you pay $400 for a book because you have to have the newest version that’s rarely changed much, and the school might offer you $40 and sell it for $150 used
The price for healthcare in America. For the love of God just travel overseas and compare, like, to any country in the world... And then realize how big of a rip-off it is in America. And it's all insurance companies fault.
Your cellphone plans. In my country, I pay €20 for unlimited calls, SMS, and data. I work in phone sales, and whenever I speak to an American, they cannot believe how cheap our plans are compared to what they pay
It depends on your provider. I pay $35 for unlimited everything on two devices.
The pledge of allegiance was actually an advertisement to sell flags.
Tax Filing
For the majority of wage earners, the IRS can easily determine how much you owe and tell you, or tell you what you're owed in a refund. It's simple.
That they don't do so is only because tax preparation companies lobby lawmakers to keep the system as it is. Tax preparation companies only exist because they are legally allowed, middle men. They are slow, complicated, costly, and the opposite of free market efficiency.
It frustrates the HELL out of me when Americans blame their schools and say “Schools should teach kids how to do taxes!” Or, and hear me out here, the IRS could do what New Zealand does and calculate that stuff themselves. Even as a nonstandard worker who does have to do a tax return, it’s a short process where I just fill in how much money I made that year and set my provisional tax for the following year.
Health insurance. Studied abroad in France for a year. When I went to the hospital for urinary retention due to an infection and had to spend the night. The only thing I had to pay for was the antibiotics they gave me to take home for a week which was about $10 for 7 pills. Ours is a joke.
when you are a foreign student, you pay a fee to your American health provider for overseas care, then the Euro hospitals bill the heck out of it because they love American re-embursments. In fact they jump americans ahead of all the lines and give higher care, especially in places like france, because they want the American Insurance money.
Politicians talk about the need for healthcare, but create legislation for healthcare insurance.
Those are not the same things. In fact, the latter actually is a barrier to the former.
Stop the insurers completely and replace them with Private Healthcare. It's almost the same thing only cheaper, and you're guaranteed to get help paying for your medical costs. Better still, use some of the tax millions being frivolously wasted on falsely overly inflated costs for mundane things, and you could fund a free at access public health service.
'Overdraft protection,' which actually allows the bank to charge you when you use a debit card, instead of just declining the transaction.
Never understood overdraft fees or overdraft protection. Money isn't there, just decline. It is all done electronically, not like they're paying someone to look at each and every transaction to approve or deny. Money there? Transaction goes through. No money, no transaction.
The push that 'college is for everyone!' Also, you aren’t able to default on your student loans, so banks will give them to anyone. Coincidentally, society started telling people that they should all go to college, no matter their situation, right after passing the bill that made student loans impossible to hide from.
I could have started doing the job I do now, 3 years earlier without debt had I not gone to uni. and I have friends who finished school at 18 and now own houses and are very comfortable. Uni is not the only way to succeed.
Rent To Own products. (Rent-A-Center, Aarons, Conns, etc..) You end up paying triple or quadruple the value of the product for virtually no other benefit than you'd get if you just saved a little money and bought the product out-right.
Everyone knows this is a scam. If people are resorting to rent to own, it is generally because they don't have a better option. If it takes you 3 years to save up for a bed, that is three years sleeping on the floor. Not really conducive to getting the sleep needed to work the 3 jobs you need.
Paying thousands of dollars for basic dental work
I paid $10000 for a front tooth implant in Australia. $2k to have the broken tooth removed, $800 for the fake tooth, $5k for the metal implant (surgery, hospital, anesthetist), $700 for the new fake tooth plate, $2k for the new tooth
Identity theft. The bank fails to properly vet someone they gave money to, and now it's your problem.
You did nothing, the bank made a mistake. How is that your problem?
And look at credit monitoring companies, they claim they can detect fraud on your credit report. Yet, credit monitoring companies and credit reporting companies are one and the same -- literally the same company. So the real message is "pay us and we will not make false reports about you in our credit reports, we have the ability to detect falsehoods, but will only do so if you pay us". There should be a clear case of libel here. The credit reporting companies often report things that they reasonably know to be false.
Use credit unions. Don't just use the 1st bank you find. Get the best deal for your life. Every credit union we've used has bent over backwards to help us with fraud.
The war on drugs. Cheap informal pharmacopeia is what's left for anyone who can't afford or access doctors, psychiatric help, or prescription meds. Rehab for the privileged, prison for the rest. Political talking points, to get us riled up. A gray market with selective enforcement, like gambling and prostitution. Employment in the Informal Sector. Employment, asset seizure, bribery, and extortion opportunity for cynical Enforcers. Prohibition 2.0.
New Zealand is godawful about drugs too. Our organisation that helps addicts is absolutely furious about it.
Commercialized medication.
For profit health insurance. We still pay for other people's healthcare, we just do it in a much more bloated and expensive way than universal healthcare.
I have a good friend who works in the insurance industry. Every year their entire work group goes somewhere (Hawaii, Mexico) for a week all paid by the company. I'm guessing for 50 people it probably comes up to $150,000 (airfare, accommodations, etc.). When I explain to her that their trip is paid for on the backs of people/companies paying their insurance coverage premiums. She's adamant that it's paid for out of the her boss' "profit" for the company. There are million examples like this that inflates the cost of health insurance. And, speaking of the boss' profit, he lives in a multi-million dollar home and drives a Maserati. Capitalism is good to point ... until it leads to gross excess and severe income disparity.
Water bottles
Cost less than a cent to fill.
What really needs to be addressed is that not every place in the US has drinkable water. Where I live in Florida, I’m ok. My friends less than a mile away? Their water is so heavily chlorinated that you might as well drink from a swimming pool. No water filter to date has been able to overcome it. Of course, that’s nothing compared to Flint, Michigan.
90% of ads you see in social media. Hair fruit gummies do not help your hair.
First off, that's B12 which does other things, and you do need B vitamins. The one you're thinking of is biotin which has shown mixed results in helping in human bodies.
Prescription eye glasses. They should be maybe $100 tops but we pay multiple times that for them.
Insurance. Sure it works as intended, but it could be non-profit so rates are cheaper and rebates are given, not so someone can get filthy rich. All the unused money at the end of the year should go back to the insured, not the insurer less a fair wage.
I have a good friend who works in the insurance industry. Every year their entire work group goes somewhere (Hawaii, Mexico) for a week all paid by the company. I'm guessing for 50 people it probably comes up to $150,000 (airfare, accommodations, etc.). When I explain to her that their trip is paid for on the backs of people/companies paying their insurance coverage premiums. She's adamant that it's paid for out of the her boss' "profit" for the company. There are million examples like this that inflates the cost of health insurance. And, speaking of the boss' profit, he lives in a multi-million dollar home and drives a Maserati. Capitalism is good to point ... until it leads to gross excess and severe income disparity.
Car dealerships. They're literally just middle-man functions that do nothing more than raise the cost of the 'good' and produce taxation for the government on multiple levels of the transactions involved in purchasing a car through the third party.
the entire human race is doomed unless we can collectively get rid of greed. The USA is one of the worst offenders, but the problem is species-wide.
Living in the US, it's abundantly clear the majority do not.
Load More Replies...Do you ever have the feeling that the entire world isn't normal anymore? That we somehow slipped onto the realm of insanity so gradually that we don't even know it anymore? Yeah, me too.
I can't upvote this twice or I would. This is TRUE!
Load More Replies...A lot of Americans here getting precious about America. I think that's one of the most fked up things of them all...us brits are like this fking country is a fking pile of s**t run by a fking moron. We dont sit here like "can we say some nice things about Great Britain please" ... a lot of Americans remind me of the spoiled kid who's always been told they are beautiful and clever... until the day they leave the nest and they're told the stark truth...that no one gives a s**t
Did it ever occur to anyone that MANY of us Americans do in fact know these things are not normal. A LOT of us want change.
contrary to what a lot of people here think, I believe this kind of posts get americans more involved and aware. how else do people, in general, change if not by facing uncomfortable information or experiences?
Load More Replies...Most of these most Americans do not think are "normal". Any thinking American (yes I know that is a stretch) realize that these things are not "normal" but we are stuck with them until something can be done to change them.
You know, I've been living in US for few years now, and can't see Americans doing anything about it. In other places in the world people protest, in India there were 250 mln people prostesting just few weeks ago, but not here. The only protest were BLM protest and I'm asking why so late? And what about all the other stuff? Americans are so brainwashed that they just can't unite on anything! And that's their doom. McConall just said that Uncle Sam doesn't have money to help Americans, who tf is Uncle Sam? Because what I've been thought is that the money he was reffering to was from taxes from Americans, but IDK maybe there is some ghost being giving US Gov money that I just didn't hear about before. You need to stop waiting for a good time, good moment or whatever else you're waiting for and start acting now. You. Not someone somewhere. You.
Load More Replies...Some things are the same in other countries too.Other countries have their own problems,like women cant drive or vote.Others don't let you speak bad about politics or you'll end up in jail.But bp doesn't give a s**t as long as the article can be #usabaaad..Cant wait for the next "why usa sucks" article tomorrow.I have never been to the usa but according to this articles it is a shithole.But then why do so many people wanna live in this shithole country?Bp please explain...
People fleeing to the US doesn't mean it's the greatest. Just less crappy. Sorta like never having a car, then getting a used, mostly ok car.
Load More Replies...Historically speaking, purely from a factual, and worldwide perspective, the United States is one of the absolute most successfully propaganda based countries to ever exist. Period. The Roman Empire very much used propaganda on every level, governmental, militaristic, and especially in it's ultimately corrupt, corporatist fueled economy, which is why anyone who actually knows anything about history makes comparisons between the two quite often. :D
you forgot the countless wars USA still participates in under false pretence. They're all about selling weapons and getting oil
As the US has been totally self-sufficient with regard to oil for several years, you are going to have to come up with a new faux argument aka propaganda.
Load More Replies...I'm surprised it's not in the list but to me, it would be lobbies. Those are just legalised bribes!
I think the biggest scam of all is the belief that America is the land of the "Free" No one in the world is free. :I
Recycling. we've been sold a bill of goods there, too. most of the things we try to recycle either get incinerated, end up in landfills, or in the oceans, dumped. total bs. and it's heartbreaking.
F*ck this dystopian hellscape. I will get the f*ck out or die trying. I'll die horribly anyway if I don't get out, so what is there to lose?
The major healthcare corporations in America make enough money to buy all the political protection they need to keep the gravy train running.
What's the best country for an American who wants to get out of America?
Most countries will want to know what you bring to them - if you come with skills and money then there are quite a few.
Load More Replies...I got scammed by a guy I met on dating site he made me fall in love then asked for money I lost over $23,000 to him but after I contacted JeffBennett@retrieverfunds.com I was able to recover your funds and found out the scammer was from Africa.
i see so many comments saying that "I'm American and I don't think our country is that great." I'd be willing to bet almost all of you if not all, have never lived in any other country. So wouldn't know a single thing about what its like to live there, you don't know the laws or anything. You just see people who are vacationing and enjoying their time and think that place must be a great place to live.
I pay 2.5 euro and have unlimited calls within the provider, unlimited internet, no sms and 1k of national minutes for the other providers. That's a deal xD
Not surprised they repeat the same 5 things. Expenses, healthcare...
I feel like a lot of these are somewhat overexaggerated. I'm American and I love it here. Of course, I live in a small town and have had fantastic experiences. It is largely the politics and people prioritizing money over other people's lives. But yes, America is not the top of the heap, best country. No WAY!
A great many of these comments about "scams" are totally and completely ignorant about the reality of what is going on.
Heh, how's that exactly? Because they think logically?
Load More Replies...Bored panda certainly is not subtle about pushing their own political agenda.
They originally wanted to pick on Vatican City, but the Pope told them to piss off.
Load More Replies...Since there are so many posts about the health care system, I wanted to share some numbers from Central Europe. I make pretty much an average income for my country. I pay about €86 ($105) per month for my mandatory health insurance which is income dependent. Additionally, I pay for a private health care insurance for €40 ($49) per month that covers outpatient treatments at private clinics, medical aids such as glasses and refunds the co-pays. That adds up to €126 ($154) per month or €1512 ($1848) per year for health insurance. I should add that the additional private insurance is a personal choice. The mandatory insurance perfectly covers all health care needs. Since I am sometimes visiting private practices, I have to pay for the medical bills out of pocket and have it then reimbursed by my mandatory insurance. My private insurance then covers the rest.
Not every implementation of a health care system is going to be fair in every country. But a privatized, unregulated, oh and it is effectively unregulated in reality, health care system is not as good.
Load More Replies...You may have crossed your wires there, Santa/saint nick/Pierre Noel etc has existed a lot longer than that; however Yes, due to a coca cola campaign showing Santa wearing red and white, this became the accepted way Santa is represented. Before that, he wore white furs (at least he did in the old story books I have seen)
Load More Replies...But its also important to talk about it so the us can change
Load More Replies...Because if you sweep the bad things under the carpet, you don't try to fix them. "focus on good things for once"... for once? The US has had over 200 years of chanting "we are the best! USA! USA!"... and as a result completely refused to acknowledge any faults.
Load More Replies...But if we don't talk about it, how will the us change for the better.
Load More Replies...the entire human race is doomed unless we can collectively get rid of greed. The USA is one of the worst offenders, but the problem is species-wide.
Living in the US, it's abundantly clear the majority do not.
Load More Replies...Do you ever have the feeling that the entire world isn't normal anymore? That we somehow slipped onto the realm of insanity so gradually that we don't even know it anymore? Yeah, me too.
I can't upvote this twice or I would. This is TRUE!
Load More Replies...A lot of Americans here getting precious about America. I think that's one of the most fked up things of them all...us brits are like this fking country is a fking pile of s**t run by a fking moron. We dont sit here like "can we say some nice things about Great Britain please" ... a lot of Americans remind me of the spoiled kid who's always been told they are beautiful and clever... until the day they leave the nest and they're told the stark truth...that no one gives a s**t
Did it ever occur to anyone that MANY of us Americans do in fact know these things are not normal. A LOT of us want change.
contrary to what a lot of people here think, I believe this kind of posts get americans more involved and aware. how else do people, in general, change if not by facing uncomfortable information or experiences?
Load More Replies...Most of these most Americans do not think are "normal". Any thinking American (yes I know that is a stretch) realize that these things are not "normal" but we are stuck with them until something can be done to change them.
You know, I've been living in US for few years now, and can't see Americans doing anything about it. In other places in the world people protest, in India there were 250 mln people prostesting just few weeks ago, but not here. The only protest were BLM protest and I'm asking why so late? And what about all the other stuff? Americans are so brainwashed that they just can't unite on anything! And that's their doom. McConall just said that Uncle Sam doesn't have money to help Americans, who tf is Uncle Sam? Because what I've been thought is that the money he was reffering to was from taxes from Americans, but IDK maybe there is some ghost being giving US Gov money that I just didn't hear about before. You need to stop waiting for a good time, good moment or whatever else you're waiting for and start acting now. You. Not someone somewhere. You.
Load More Replies...Some things are the same in other countries too.Other countries have their own problems,like women cant drive or vote.Others don't let you speak bad about politics or you'll end up in jail.But bp doesn't give a s**t as long as the article can be #usabaaad..Cant wait for the next "why usa sucks" article tomorrow.I have never been to the usa but according to this articles it is a shithole.But then why do so many people wanna live in this shithole country?Bp please explain...
People fleeing to the US doesn't mean it's the greatest. Just less crappy. Sorta like never having a car, then getting a used, mostly ok car.
Load More Replies...Historically speaking, purely from a factual, and worldwide perspective, the United States is one of the absolute most successfully propaganda based countries to ever exist. Period. The Roman Empire very much used propaganda on every level, governmental, militaristic, and especially in it's ultimately corrupt, corporatist fueled economy, which is why anyone who actually knows anything about history makes comparisons between the two quite often. :D
you forgot the countless wars USA still participates in under false pretence. They're all about selling weapons and getting oil
As the US has been totally self-sufficient with regard to oil for several years, you are going to have to come up with a new faux argument aka propaganda.
Load More Replies...I'm surprised it's not in the list but to me, it would be lobbies. Those are just legalised bribes!
I think the biggest scam of all is the belief that America is the land of the "Free" No one in the world is free. :I
Recycling. we've been sold a bill of goods there, too. most of the things we try to recycle either get incinerated, end up in landfills, or in the oceans, dumped. total bs. and it's heartbreaking.
F*ck this dystopian hellscape. I will get the f*ck out or die trying. I'll die horribly anyway if I don't get out, so what is there to lose?
The major healthcare corporations in America make enough money to buy all the political protection they need to keep the gravy train running.
What's the best country for an American who wants to get out of America?
Most countries will want to know what you bring to them - if you come with skills and money then there are quite a few.
Load More Replies...I got scammed by a guy I met on dating site he made me fall in love then asked for money I lost over $23,000 to him but after I contacted JeffBennett@retrieverfunds.com I was able to recover your funds and found out the scammer was from Africa.
i see so many comments saying that "I'm American and I don't think our country is that great." I'd be willing to bet almost all of you if not all, have never lived in any other country. So wouldn't know a single thing about what its like to live there, you don't know the laws or anything. You just see people who are vacationing and enjoying their time and think that place must be a great place to live.
I pay 2.5 euro and have unlimited calls within the provider, unlimited internet, no sms and 1k of national minutes for the other providers. That's a deal xD
Not surprised they repeat the same 5 things. Expenses, healthcare...
I feel like a lot of these are somewhat overexaggerated. I'm American and I love it here. Of course, I live in a small town and have had fantastic experiences. It is largely the politics and people prioritizing money over other people's lives. But yes, America is not the top of the heap, best country. No WAY!
A great many of these comments about "scams" are totally and completely ignorant about the reality of what is going on.
Heh, how's that exactly? Because they think logically?
Load More Replies...Bored panda certainly is not subtle about pushing their own political agenda.
They originally wanted to pick on Vatican City, but the Pope told them to piss off.
Load More Replies...Since there are so many posts about the health care system, I wanted to share some numbers from Central Europe. I make pretty much an average income for my country. I pay about €86 ($105) per month for my mandatory health insurance which is income dependent. Additionally, I pay for a private health care insurance for €40 ($49) per month that covers outpatient treatments at private clinics, medical aids such as glasses and refunds the co-pays. That adds up to €126 ($154) per month or €1512 ($1848) per year for health insurance. I should add that the additional private insurance is a personal choice. The mandatory insurance perfectly covers all health care needs. Since I am sometimes visiting private practices, I have to pay for the medical bills out of pocket and have it then reimbursed by my mandatory insurance. My private insurance then covers the rest.
Not every implementation of a health care system is going to be fair in every country. But a privatized, unregulated, oh and it is effectively unregulated in reality, health care system is not as good.
Load More Replies...You may have crossed your wires there, Santa/saint nick/Pierre Noel etc has existed a lot longer than that; however Yes, due to a coca cola campaign showing Santa wearing red and white, this became the accepted way Santa is represented. Before that, he wore white furs (at least he did in the old story books I have seen)
Load More Replies...But its also important to talk about it so the us can change
Load More Replies...Because if you sweep the bad things under the carpet, you don't try to fix them. "focus on good things for once"... for once? The US has had over 200 years of chanting "we are the best! USA! USA!"... and as a result completely refused to acknowledge any faults.
Load More Replies...But if we don't talk about it, how will the us change for the better.
Load More Replies...