What New Zealanders Think...

I've been in New Zealand for a little over four months now, and though Bill Maher's comment this morning that "every year 20,000 Americans die because of insufficient healthcare" falls on my ears similar to the way that "do you want fries with that?" it hits my New Zealand boyfriend's ears with the intended effect: horror, disbelief, outrage.

Over time he's asked me to verify a number of the things that he'd heard about America because he'd assumed were made up (or at least exaggerated) by the Simpsons CNN, or Fox News.. things like what churches teach children about Noah being real and Jesus rising from the dead for real, about Monster Trucks (I believe he said "wait, so big trucks run over smaller trucks and people watch?"), 64 ounce cups of Coca Colas, super-sizing, slurpees, healthcare, Ho-Hos. All of which I confirmed.

Now that we're looking into either his moving to the US or my moving to NZ, the fear that every other developed nation has universal healthcare and the US doesn't is something that factors into our decision because he needs to take certain medications and have access to someone who can prescribe them.

On trips I've taken, I've spoken to other travelers (almost always non-Americans no matter where I go.. which I think speaks volumes to differences in standards of living. Maybe it's elitist of me, but I consider the ability to travel a standard of living issue), and their incredulity isn't much different from Sam's.

Every New Zealander I've told of my California residency express jealousy or dreams of someday visiting, but this is in stark contrast to their opinions about our politics, which, frankly, seem to strike them as barbaric.

And - despite my love of saying in GWeese "these colors don't run" - I can't disagree with them.