Welfare?

[Caid Ivik]

Slovakia, despite its turning of last years, still remains a social state, caring for welfare for her citizens. If you feel ill, any doctor MUST help you. But - insurance card is needed, and if you don't have it, you can be there only if you have a really big problem, maybe you can catch some time on emergency. Emergency is stationed in every county, and you can be cured only in county where you do live.

Now to the problem. One homeless came to emergency but was delayed. Doctors ignored him and left him. On the next day he lost control over legs. Doctors said he wasn't in need of hospitalisation. On the second they he was found near hospital by police, which took him to emergency again. After long bureaucratic process (name? where do you live? you don't have home? don't joke!) he wasn't hospitalised because he wasn't citizen of city part Bratislava IV. On the next day he died. Involved doctors may be arrested for ignorance, but that won't return him the life.

Social welfare gives to middle class great things like "free" education and medical care or enormous children and army of unemployed support. All who are in specifical view of state considered as "normal people". Those who have home, pay taxes and work for common good. Those who don't so, are perhaps only deviants. So, the unfitting to equality are worth of death?

Fifty years we were brainwashed to create a perfect society where omnipotent state will give you all you do need. But why it doesn't give it to those, who NEED it?

[Edric O]

I completely agree with you on this. The most important reason for the existence of welfare is to help the poor, the homeless, the unfortunate - those who really NEED it. What kind of "welfare" is the one that is only available to the middle class and to the rich? That is privilege and elitism, not welfare.

As for the incident you described (with the homeless man that was denied medical treatment), the sad fact is that these things happen all across Eastern Europe. We had a similar incident a few months ago in Romania. I suppose it's the legacy of the fascist practices used under stalinism. Some people still can't grasp the concept of social welfare, or the fact that we all have equal rights, including the right to benefit from public services, no matter if we are rich or poor.

[Gobalopper]

Doesn't his problem have more to do with the bureaucracy currently installed in your healthcare system? He wasn't from that part of they country yet he couldn't get healthcare that is paid for by people all over the country? Doesn't make much sense to me.

[Caid Ivik]

Taxes in Slovakia ae strictly centralised. Yes, it is against logic to take all money to centre and then redistribute to for various parts, but whatever. Bureaucracy is one problem, but other one is - for what we have this "equality" system, if it is only for those, who already are "equal"? Due to this forced equality, rich prefer private doctors and poor rather don't waste money on medicine.

[Edric O]

"Rather don't waste money on medicine"? Taking your medication is often a matter of life and death. "Not wasting money on medicine" is an euphemism for suffering and death caused by the lack of proper welfare.

But anyway, you're right about one thing: A welfare system is useless if it's only available to the rich. It's like having no welfare at all.

However, your argument doesn't seem to make any sense. A man died because of the LACK of proper welfare, and you're complaining that welfare is bad? ??? "Forced equality" is what could have saved his life.

[Caid Ivik]

Whole middle class and even poorer people which have enough for life have access to "free" medical care. Rich people simply don't need the system. And poorest are ignored by it... This state still looks on people, which aren't same as others as deviants, unworthy. That's the problem, we demand from crippled same as from healthy.

[Inoculator9]

The problem with modern culture originated with the formation of the middle classes. In America it is the most prevalent social class, so everyone with power here only looks at them. If it helps the rich, what about the working joe, if it helps the poor, what about the people who can really use it? It all comes back to the middle classes, which is among the greatest things western culture can take credit for, but it still prevents other problems from being solved. The poor in most western countries are of course cared for to the best extent current laws can... but as long as there are more people that aren't then are, poverty stricken families and persons wont get any proper attention. So, Slovakia for example, only the rich and middle classes can get welfare... which is fine and dandy, but a welfare system that doesn't help the people that really need to be helped, is not what it's name implies.

[Caid Ivik]

Previous regime was called "dictature of proletariate". Or it was "dictature FOR proletariate"? Communists should stop annoying about exploitation of workers and see what their programs should be for.

[Edric O]

If you want to be accurate, it was a Dictatorship of a Bunch of People who Claimed to Represent the Proletariate but only Looked After Their Own Interests...

But anyway, getting back on topic, I want to say that I share your concerns, Caid. And as I said before, what we need is a proper welfare system, that really benefits the poor. In this respect, we have a lot to learn from West European nations.