Olympic Opening Ceremony Celebrates NHS- Americans baffled?

[Symmetry]

Did any of you catch the opening ceremony directed by Danny Boyle? What did you think about the part celebrating the National Health Service?

Reading some of the summaries from the US it seems that a lot of Americans found the sequence celebrating socialized medicine in the UK to be a bit confusing, or even propaganda, while enjoying the rest.

Source

[pmchugh]

I had a wee smile to myself when that came on. We love you NHS.

[MudPuppy]

GOSH... I thought it was pretty cool.

[Dukasaur]

Very nice. I want a trampoline under my mattress! And two nurses to tuck me in...

[Army of GOD]

inb4 saxi makes joke about British healthcare

[saxitoxin]

I didn't see it since it wasn't aired in the U.S. ... I did see on YouTube the clip of the opening part where the head of the ruling family flew around in a luxury helicopter as all citizens froze, and with bizarre rictus smiles affixed to their faces, waved maniacally in unison as she passed by.

However, as I said elsewhere, I thought the '02 Olympics were much better done when George W. Bush and Rambo parachuted into Salt Lake Stadium, or the Nagano games where Emperor Akihito and Pikachu parachuted down.

Oh wait, no, those things never happened.

All in all, Britain turned an international celebration into a tired and sad tribute to militarism. The Sydney opening ceremonies remain the best.

[Symmetry]

I didn't see it since it wasn't aired in the U.S. ... I did see on YouTube the clip of the opening part where the head of the ruling family flew around in a luxury helicopter as all citizens froze, and with bizarre rictus smiles affixed to their faces, waved maniacally in unison as she passed by.

However, as I said elsewhere, I thought the '02 Olympics were much better done when George W. Bush and Rambo parachuted into Salt Lake Stadium, or the Nagano games where Emperor Akihito and Pikachu parachuted down.

Oh wait, no, those things never happened.

All in all, Britain turned an international celebration into a tired and sad tribute to militarism. The Sydney opening ceremonies remain the best.

That wasn't the NHS bit, but I would be interested in hearing how you saw James Bond and the Queen parachuting into the Olympic stadium as an allegory for Socialised Healthcare.

[saxitoxin]

I didn't see it since it wasn't aired in the U.S. ... I did see on YouTube the clip of the opening part where the head of the ruling family flew around in a luxury helicopter as all citizens froze, and with bizarre rictus smiles affixed to their faces, waved maniacally in unison as she passed by.

However, as I said elsewhere, I thought the '02 Olympics were much better done when George W. Bush and Rambo parachuted into Salt Lake Stadium, or the Nagano games where Emperor Akihito and Pikachu parachuted down.

Oh wait, no, those things never happened.

All in all, Britain turned an international celebration into a tired and sad tribute to militarism. The Sydney opening ceremonies remain the best.

That wasn't the NHS bit, but I would be interested in hearing how you saw James Bond and the Queen parachuting into the Olympic stadium as an allegory for Socialised Healthcare.

I didn't - I was redirecting the thread into a more productive and interesting course of discussion than that proffered by the OP.

(FYI - "James Bond" is a make-believe fantasy character, not a real person.)

[Symmetry]

I didn't see it since it wasn't aired in the U.S. ... I did see on YouTube the clip of the opening part where the head of the ruling family flew around in a luxury helicopter as all citizens froze, and with bizarre rictus smiles affixed to their faces, waved maniacally in unison as she passed by.

However, as I said elsewhere, I thought the '02 Olympics were much better done when George W. Bush and Rambo parachuted into Salt Lake Stadium, or the Nagano games where Emperor Akihito and Pikachu parachuted down.

Oh wait, no, those things never happened.

All in all, Britain turned an international celebration into a tired and sad tribute to militarism. The Sydney opening ceremonies remain the best.

That wasn't the NHS bit, but I would be interested in hearing how you saw James Bond and the Queen parachuting into the Olympic stadium as an allegory for Socialised Healthcare.

I didn't - I was redirecting the thread into a more productive and interesting course of discussion than that proffered by the OP.

Have a look at the ceremony- it was definitely on in the US, so I'm sure you can take a look at the NHS bit. There's a thread further down about the other parts:

Favorite Opening Ceremony Event

[saxitoxin]

I didn't see it since it wasn't aired in the U.S. ... I did see on YouTube the clip of the opening part where the head of the ruling family flew around in a luxury helicopter as all citizens froze, and with bizarre rictus smiles affixed to their faces, waved maniacally in unison as she passed by.

However, as I said elsewhere, I thought the '02 Olympics were much better done when George W. Bush and Rambo parachuted into Salt Lake Stadium, or the Nagano games where Emperor Akihito and Pikachu parachuted down.

Oh wait, no, those things never happened.

All in all, Britain turned an international celebration into a tired and sad tribute to militarism. The Sydney opening ceremonies remain the best.

That wasn't the NHS bit, but I would be interested in hearing how you saw James Bond and the Queen parachuting into the Olympic stadium as an allegory for Socialised Healthcare.

I didn't - I was redirecting the thread into a more productive and interesting course of discussion than that proffered by the OP.

Have a look at the ceremony- it was definitely on in the US, so I'm sure you can take a look at the NHS bit. I think there's a thread further down about the other parts.

Well not live ... I believe it was aired on tape delay at some point later in the day, but it was up against the season opener of Cupcake Wars so I think I missed it. I don't believe it's online. I guess I'll just have to wait another 60 years.

[PLAYER57832]

Did any of you catch the opening ceremony directed by Danny Boyle? What did you think about the part celebrating the National Health Service?

Reading some of the summaries from the US it seems that a lot of Americans found the sequence celebrating socialized medicine in the UK to be a bit confusing, or even propaganda, while enjoying the rest.

Source

I believe those "summaries" are rather biased. The propaganda machine in the US is fully vested in assuring people that socialized medicine is horrible... never mind any facts in the matter.

[Frigidus]

Are Americans actually watching the olympics?

[saxitoxin]

BTW - where was Prince Philip when the Queen was palling around with the world's poster boy for STDs and Lurch, the inbred footman?

[Symmetry]

Did any of you catch the opening ceremony directed by Danny Boyle? What did you think about the part celebrating the National Health Service?

Reading some of the summaries from the US it seems that a lot of Americans found the sequence celebrating socialized medicine in the UK to be a bit confusing, or even propaganda, while enjoying the rest.

Source

I believe those "summaries" are rather biased. The propaganda machine in the US is fully vested in assuring people that socialized medicine is horrible... never mind any facts in the matter.

It was that they seemed generally positive, but confused about that bit. I wouldn't go so far as to say propaganda on the US side, but that a genuine outright celebration seemed so alien that it was confusing.

[saxitoxin]

Did any of you catch the opening ceremony directed by Danny Boyle? What did you think about the part celebrating the National Health Service?

Reading some of the summaries from the US it seems that a lot of Americans found the sequence celebrating socialized medicine in the UK to be a bit confusing, or even propaganda, while enjoying the rest.

Source

I believe those "summaries" are rather biased. The propaganda machine in the US is fully vested in assuring people that socialized medicine is horrible... never mind any facts in the matter.

It was that they seemed generally positive, but confused about that bit. I wouldn't go so far as to say propaganda on the US side, but that a genuine outright celebration seemed so alien that it was confusing.

I think it's genuinely confusing when a nation unashamedly airs a 6-minute puff piece showing their citizenry waving maniacally in a forced, robotic spectacle with bizarre rictus grins on their faces at The Leader - then turns around and tit-tits the DPRK without missing a beat.

It sounds like there were other elements of this Bread & Circuses carnival designed to rally people behind the State as a way of staving-off this summer's annual riots, though. I'm sorry I missed those elements.

[Symmetry]

Are Americans actually watching the olympics?

I would hope so, at least for the basketball.

[saxitoxin]

Are Americans actually watching the olympics?

I would hope so, at least for the basketball.

Why, did the Soviet Union reform to field a team this year? Or has Lithuania been looking pretty competitive?

[Symmetry]

Ah, found a more right wing British source for the OP for balance:

Americans baffled by 'left-wing tribute' to free healthcare during Opening Ceremonies (and what was with those flying Mary Poppinses defeating Lord Voldemort?)

Americans have reacted with confusion to the glorification of free universal health care in the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony as the country continues to be divided by the debate over its own healthcare system.
Last night's spectacular $42million, the brainchild of Oscar-winning British director Danny Boyle, included a segment where dozens of skipping nurses and children in pajamas leaping acrobatically on massive hospital beds, with a large 'NHS' displayed.
It was a celebration of Britain's national health service, which has provided free taxpayer-funded health care to everyone in the country since its foundation after the Second World War.
But some commentators, including the Mark Sappenfield of the Christian Science Monitor, have suggested that the Opening Ceremony director Danny Boyle may have been sending a coded message to American voters.

Hope that brings it back on topic so I'm not just posting left-wing stuff.

[GreecePwns]

Awwwwww, c'mon saxi! You could've done so much better with this healthcare thing, especially with this at your disposal.

[bigimg]http://web1.globalpost.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/gp3_full_article/weird_moments_olympic_opening_ceremony_1_0.jpg[/bigimg]

[Royal Panda]

Just come out of surgery this week and I'm absolutely converted into an NHS lover. They were awesome from start to finish!

Timeline:
19:00 - accident playing soccer/football
20:00 - arrive at A&E (after much time wasted by my team assuring me I could wait until the game had finished)
20:15 - xray confirms wrist not just broken but completely f*cked up, knee also f*cked but not broken
20:45 - into cast, booked for next day surgery
--
14:00 - under knife, plates/pins inserted, wrist on the mend

Can't moan at that!

[saxitoxin]

wrist on the mend

Just in time that you can obediently line the streets for the closing ceremonies to engage in robotic-like waving as the ruling family jets past in a luxury helicopter! Have you practiced your weird rictus grin yet? HAPPINESS IS MANDATORY

I really wish I could find the footage of that as it was so off-putting. But it looks like they've removed it all from the internet, and only left the actual helicopter jump. I guess it sent a kind of bizarre message. Some of the scenes they were flashing seriously reminded me of moments from Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun video.

[saxitoxin]

Also, I do feel embarrassed for UK that they're highlighting to the world their pinnacle of national achievement is a government programme long surpassed by most of the world in quality and outcomes. They do realize opening ceremonies is playing to more than just the yobs hanging out at the McDs in Milton-Keynes, right?

It's like the Anchorage Downtown Art Museum. Guys - I'm sure it's the pinnacle of culture for Alaska but maybe don't talk up how great it is when you're touring The Louvre. Right? I mean, you end up looking a bit like provincial slackjaws.

http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/overv ... rview.aspx

[pmchugh]

Shall we start talking about the fallibility of ranking systems again (especially those produced by canadians) or should I just point out that our system is still ranked higher than some people with money only please systems?

14. UK
15. Denmark
16. USA

I don't believe the ranking system took morality into account or the amount spent per capita.

[GreecePwns]

What is immoral about the systems ahead of the UK?

More empirically, which of those systems does the UK spend less per capita?

[pmchugh]

What is immoral about the systems ahead of the UK?

My comment was aimed at private health care systems.