Anne M.

Since everyone is talking about healthcare right now, let me tell you this. The US health system is a deadly catastrophe… but it doesn’t have to be this way. It is 100% possible to have world-class public healthcare for all, completely free at the point of use. The data on this is extremely impressive. Take Spain for example. Spains’ public healthcare system was established in 1986 by the Socialist Workers Party government, and it's a brilliant example of what universal public services can be. It delivers world-leading outcomes and it is extremely efficient. -Spain scores 90 on the Healthcare Access and Quality index, ranking among the best in the world (compared to 85 for the UK and 80 for the US… which is one of the lowest in the developed world). -Spain’s life expectancy is one of the highest in the world at 84 years... that's 2 years higher than the UK and 4 years higher than the US. -And yet Spain spends only $3,200 per capita on healthcare. By contrast, the UK spends $5,700 but gets worse outcomes. And the US spends a staggering $12,700 and, well, it's an obvious disaster. -Spain’s healthcare system is also extremely energy efficient. It uses 75% less energy (and a lot less carbon) than the US system does. Barcelona's main public hospital is built on prime beachfront property with beautiful views of the sea (picture below). There are similar examples all over Spain. This is unthinkable in the US, and even in the UK these days, where public services are purposefully sabotaged to make them shitty. Spain shows what socialist policy can deliver. Public services can be high-quality, beautiful, and form the basis of a caring, solidary society.