Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by point78 2423 days ago
Those are ages 15 - 24 and the numbers are a little better now. Cost of living is so low where unemployment is highest that it's not the end of the world. Still free health care and education.
1 comments

Pedantic point I know - but it's only 'free' at the point of access, it still has to be paid for by the taxpayer.
You're right, it is pedantic, it goes without saying that nobody is suggesting that Europeans have figured out how to bypass the laws of thermodynamics to generate free healthcare in the most literal sense.
Well, it isn't paid by the unemployed, and it doesn't impose exorbitant costs to unlucky people.
Or bankrupt anyone.
Well if you want to get more pedantic it's free for the unemployed since they are not paying taxes.
Heh, Ben Shapiro likes to make a point of "liberals" expecting his wife to work for free.

Yes, in the majority of societies "free" healthcare is free at point of access and subsidised by taxes. Much like trash collection or road renovations. It's underlying infrastructure for a healthy society.

FWIW the US actually pays more taxes towards healthcare than europe, but that's because your medical industry is price fixing and gauging.[0]

[0]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/10/16/americans...