9 basic concepts Americans fail to grasp

[99th_Monkey]

9 basic concepts Americans fail to grasp
A lack of worldliness is clouding our vision on everything from sex to economics, and the proof is in our policies
by ALEX HENDERSON * ALTERNET/Salon * March 28, 2015

1. Universal Healthcare Is Great for Free Enterprise and Great for Small Businesses

The modern-day Republican Party would have us believe that those who promote universal healthcare are anti-free enterprise or hostile to small businesses. But truth be told, universal healthcare is great for entrepreneurs, small businesses and the self-employed in France, Germany and other developed countries where healthcare is considered a right. The U.S.’ troubled healthcare system has a long history of punishing entrepreneurs with sky-high premiums when they start their own businesses. Prior to the Affordable Care Act of 2010, a.k.a. Obamacare, many small business owners couldn’t even obtain individual health insurance plans if they had a preexisting condition such as heart disease or diabetes—and even with the ACA’s reforms, the high cost of health insurance is still daunting to small business owners. But many Americans fail to realize that healthcare reform is not only a humanitarian issue, it is also vitally important to small businesses and the self-employed.

2. Comprehensive Sex Education Decreases Sexual Problems

3. American Exceptionalism Is Absolute Nonsense in 2015

4. Adequate Mass Transit Is a Huge Convenience

5. The Bible Was Not Written by Billionaire Hedge Fund Managers

6. Learning a Second or Third Language Is a Plus, Not a Character Flaw

7. Union Membership Benefits the Economy

8. Paid Maternity Leave Is the Norm in Most Developed Countries

9. Distrust of Oligarchy Is a Positive
In February, the Emnid Polling Institute in Germany released the results of a poll that addressed economic and political conditions in that country: over 60% of the Germans surveyed believed that large corporations had too much influence on elections. ThE survey demonstrated that most Germans have a healthy distrust of crony capitalists and oligarchs who take much more than they give. Meanwhile, in the U.S., various polls show a growing distrust of oligarchy on the part of many Americans but with less vehemence than in the German Emnid poll. A 2012 poll by the Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research showed that while 62% of American voters opposed the U.S. Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United decision, only 46% strongly opposed it. And in a 2012 poll by the Corporate Reform Coalition, most Americans agreed that there was too much corporate money in U.S. politics—although only 51% strongly agreed.

http://www.salon.com/2015/03/28/9_basic_concepts_americans_fail_to_grasp_partner/

[jwirr]

1. 1 and 3 are issues we pretty much grasp but we just refuse to acknowledge they are true. It

is our stubbornness and false pride that is at work. If it isn't "free market" it isn't true. As to oligarchy - most of us don't even know what it means.

This is a very good list of why things are not getting better.

[It is Tuesday]

2. #6 - my son already knows three languages..

and he's only 6..

[BlueJazz]

3. I only know about 5 people that I would say are Republicans and I believe (from what they have said)

...that they would fail your post BIG time.

[MineralMan]

4. Some Americans only.

I'm an American and I can grasp all of them. I'd guess you are an American, as well.

I think your statement is too broadly stated.

[Telcontar]

5. I disagee with Number 3

American pride is no vice.

[el_bryanto]

8. American exceptionalism and American pride are two different things

American Exceptionalism is the idea that we are the best country - that we have the right to dictate to the rest of the world because we are more moral than they are.

Being proud of our accomplishments is not a bad thing; but being sure that we are the best nation of them all is not great.

Bryant

[Bluenorthwest]

6. Let's look at the languages claim. Is it true? Is this unique to Americans? Does it apply to

Americans as a group? Over all, about 26% of Americans are able to carry on a conversation in a second language. While this is much lower than continental Europe, with rates around 50%, it is in fact better than Australia, and not much worse than the UK, which has about 33% bilingual population.
Within the US, the Western States have a rate of 40% being bilingual, better than the UK. East about 22% and South and Midwest about 19%.
It is very interesting that political ideology associates with a variance in rates of bilingualism in the US, conservatives about 23%, liberals about 33%.
Hence, a group of West Coast liberals is likely to have a rate of bilingualism in the same rate range as various European countries, in spite of the whole 'really big country speaking the world's dominate language' thing. West Coast Americans are far more bilingual than UK citizens.
So I'd have to say that particular point is way, way over the top.

[Yavin4]

7. It's not a "failure to grasp". It's racism.

Americans would embrace all of those concepts wholeheartedly and may be socialism itself if the only recipients of these benefits were White people. If African Americans and Latinos also benefit, then they would rather not have it at all.

Mass transit is a prime example. When African Americans were treated as equal citizens and could ride any where on the bus in the 1960s. The response was to de-fund and eliminate public transportation.

[hifiguy]

9. There is a LOT of truth in that.

But few people are willing to admit that's what underlies their opposition to things that make so much sense.