Healthcare and Welfare

Went with my roommate to the hospital on Friday night. Actually we walked there, it was a nice walk all two miles of it at 12 and then coming back at 5. He wasn't really sick or so I assume: shortness of breath, and poor circulation. The doctors left at him or so he told me, he was quite angry that nobody took him seriously. There was also a kid from catz who had an unfortunate collision with a dance-floor.

Its been a while since I had last been in a hospital, was in one a couple of years back getting an EKG. Before that was there once getting my hand sewn up after it had an unfortunate collision with a pane of glass. The only time I really remember spending time in a hospital is with my grandfather. I never really liked hospitals and after reading Foucault and a book from one of my former professors, "Beyond Caring," I liked them even less. Every-time I walk into a big institution like that I feel a little less human, a little less like an individual. The hospital itself was very clean and modern looking, all besides the elevators, the elevators seemed the most beat up of all.

Waiting there for five hours we got to talking about which is system is better the US or the UK. I generally like the idea of socialized health care. I think everyone should have the ability to receive healthcare and that such a stem may actually save more because it prevents the need for more serious treatment. I do not think that the Uk system is perfect yet and I think that dental service over here is shit. I feel hesitant to conclude that the reason the healthcare system in the uk is generally poorer is because it few people are motivated to become doctors due to the low salaries. The UK imports a lot of its doctors which caused some problems earlier this year. There is a lot of pressure on the NHS to import doctors because there are simply not enough. From what I have heard, actually read, France isn't much better. Perhaps it is not a matter of health care but of culture but I heard that french doctors are more judgmental. No system is perfect but I think the semblance of universal health care is better than what the US has.

Both of my professors last week indicated that I should be evaluated for dyslexia. One told me that his daughter had it, and his wife was a teacher in that area. I am somewhat disgusted by the idea of medicalizing personality traits. If was to be diagnosed as having dyslexia what would that really change? Why can't I just say that I am a horrible speller and have a hard time reading out loud and prefer certain ways of learning. I see no reason this should become part of the socio-medical complex. I am what I am, and that has gotten me this far, there is no reason to apply a name to certain personality traits so that I am to make them more sensical to others and to in some ways excuse what I am.
I am thinking about writing an article for an undergraduate philosophical journal on the research I did this summer. I just don't have very many of my sources with me, but there is a rather nice library here which should provide me with most of the sources. I just need to get my shit together and bite the bullet.
I
am writing a paper today which is reminds me why I started doing this whole philosophy thing. It allows me to see how many things are connected together. I am probably not going to finish the paper in time, I am going to see Il Trovatore with my roommate.