News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on How Teachers Came to Be So Underpaid in America. Parent comment

Re:How Teachers Came to Be So Underpaid in America by simonh on Friday September 14, 2018 @05:54AM (#17985962)
Over here (UK) we don't see it as socialism, we just see it as good management. The consensus that we needed a national health service came after WW1 when it was found that a large section of the conscription age work force were not fit for service and were too sickly to work effectively in factories. Improving health provision became a national security issue. Also government services don't have to be costly and ineffectual. Just compare US health provision with pretty much any western European health system, inflated legal and insurance costs are crippling the US health system. I don't speak as a socialist. I'm a lifelong conservative voter. An efficient labour force that's fit for purpose needs to be healthy and well educated.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:How Teachers Came to Be So Underpaid in America by keithpeter on Friday September 14, 2018 @07:23AM (#17986347)
UK geezer again: and reading about various things in the US, I've realised what a drag on business health benefits are. In UK, you just don't need to think about that.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:How Teachers Came to Be So Underpaid in America by simonh on Friday September 14, 2018 @08:34AM (#17986723)
Corporate health benefits in the US are a racket. They are not subject to tax, while personal private health insurance is taxed. So it's basically a huge corporate subsidy, while small companies and private individuals get shafted.

It's really weird. Here in the UK I'm distinctly right of centre, but in US terms I'm a proper leftie. I don't see it as socialism though, it's just pragmatism. Certain ways of doing things, like centralising and consolidating some service provision, just provably and demonstrably from considerable practical experience in many countries over a long period of time works better that way. For other things, most things actually, markets, capitalism and private enterprise work best.

[ Parent | on HN ]
[dead]
Re:How Teachers Came to Be So Underpaid in America by simonh on Friday September 14, 2018 @09:06AM (#17986895)
I don't see any change in the consensus view on education and health care in this country, as a result of immigration or even at all. The political divisions on how these services should be operated and funded have always been there, but there is no appetite to de-socialise either.
[ Parent | on HN ]