Ouch

British troops prefer American hospitals to their own:

Soldiers on operations say they would rather receive a more serious injury and go to the top American military hospital in Ramstein, Germany, than end up in a NHS hospital.

They now half jokingly refer to getting "a Boche rather than a Blighty" in reference to the wounds that would send them home. Ramstein has an outstanding unit for brain surgery, and neurological intensive care beds in Britain are in short supply. "The blokes see it that if you are unlucky you get wounded and go to the UK at the mercy of the NHS, but if you get a head wound you get sent to Ramstein in Germany where the US has an outstanding medical facility," said an officer serving in Afghanistan.

"It also does not do morale much good knowing that within 18 hours of being wounded you could wake up in a NHS hospital with a mental health patient on one side and an incontinent geriatric on the other."

That's a damning take on the British National Health Service. I'm very glad we're taking care of the Brits who need the better attention. Taking care of our allies is another area where I'm not impressed with our current Administration.

[I was tempted to use this as an example of why government monopolies on health care are bad, until I realized the squaddies are so eager for the American-government-run hospitals. So yet another case of it being more complicated.]

Texas Blogger

For anyone following Texas politics, dfw_labbe is worth checking out. She just liveblogged the gubernatorial debate tonight with some tart comments on candidates and organizers.