the habitable zone of Oz is lush and green, and full of ferns that belong in dinosaur documentaries, while the bowl-shaped center is a wasteland of red dirt and rocks, much like Oklahoma, and Mad Max movies.
America has a strange fear of socialism going back to the 50's. in fact, during my wife's green card interview at the Dept. of Homeland Security, the very first question she was asked was "are you a communist?", and the next was "are you a sexual deviant?" (a question my too-expensive lawyer coached me not to explore for further explanation). "why, no and no, sir, or course!" [wink wink]
although I'm loathe to use internet message boards as a means for serious discussion, I have 15 years experience in medical practice management, specializing in billing medical insurance claims, and I'm sad to say that America got played right into the abyssal pockets of Big Insurance. it's easy to fear the pharmaceutical companies, but at least they are (relatively) up front about what it is they have to offer (even if it's mostly in small-print).
I voted for Obama (twice), and had great hopes that he might bring about the change that was needed to fix the system. a one-payor system, like they have in the Commonwealths should have been what we got. it works. instead, the people who were least likely to be able to afford insurance in the first place (take service industry folks, for example), are now subject to taxation should they fail to secure a plan. even the apparent boon of not being denied for pre-existing conditions is offset by the fact that you'll be placed into a "high-risk pool" (read: $$$$$ premium costs).
if it wasn't for the red scare, people might have been really able to rely on medical care not driving them to the poor house, a job at which I was often made to play the conductor.
[/rant]
so, are you a pisces, or into kinky fish?
(protip: don't answer if you have a pending US immigration case)