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(As always, China looks at things a teensy bit differently than we do)

I've been working on getting a world overview of the Healthcare situation. Earlier this week I ran a debate over Health Care in Australia, hearing about issues we only hear rumors about. I kept wondering if in fact, the U.S. was the only country in the civilized (or even semi-civilized) world that didn't have some form of National Health, even as an option to private insurance. Hard to believe, but it's true - we are completely backwards in our relationships to health and healthcare.

Thanks to the BBC, I was able to locate a documentary done in 2008 which asked that very question - and did some exploring in Britain, the U.S. and China and came back with some interesting and very informative answers.

John McDonough (Director: Health Care For All): “All of the incentives, right now in our system reward Health Care providers for the volume of services they provide. So you get more money by doing more and more and more at a higher technological level. And we know the real secret comes from doing the lower complexity level of care much better than what’s being now. So all the rewards come from more procedures. And the more talking you do, the more time you waste and the less money you make. The incentives are completely upside down”.

The one thing I have noticed that's most disturbing about the current Health Care debate is the total lack of knowledge of what the issues and what the alternatives are. Clearly, ignorance is far from bliss and finding out how the vast majority of people on this planet handle things like doctor visits and emergencies is absolutely imperative if we're going to make crucial choices. Having ignorant people dangle the fear card in front of you doesn't do you or anyone else any good. Useful, factual information and knowledge of something your life and peace of mind depends on may save your ass in the long run.

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(Sinking of the SS Athenia - just couldn't wait for the shooting to start)

With Britain's declaration of war less than 24 hours old, Germany already set the stage for upcoming events with the sinking of a British passenger ship, the SS Athenia.

BBC Newsreader: “It is not yet known how many lives were lost when the British liner Athenia was torpedoed today without warning in the Atlantic. The Athenia was bound for Montreal from Glasgow with one thousand four hundred passengers. All, except those killed by the explosion, took to the boats and were picked up by various ships. Four hundred and thirty survivors are reported to be on their way to Galway in the Norwegian steamer Knute Nielsen. They are due to arrive tomorrow. It is officially stated in London that this attack, without warning, was in deliberate disregard of the declaration made voluntarily by Germany when she signed the London Navel Treaty in 1930. Germany then renounced, of her own free will, the right to make use of unrestricted submarine warfare in any future campaign. The rules which Germany then undertook to observe, were clearly laid down that no merchant ship may be sunk without warning, or until the safety of all passengers and crew have been assured. Ships boats are not to be considered in a place of safety, unless they are within half an hours rowing to land under favorable conditions. The Athenia was torpedoed two hundred miles from land.”

Things were abundantly clear this was not going to be a conventional war. Not by a long shot.

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(September 2nd - The Poles weren't going to take it lying down)

The invasion of Poland was already a day old. Despite continued efforts to bring the conflict to a close, it was already too late. Great Britain handed Germany the infamous "white paper" and time was about to run out for an answer.

The radio was going into overtime reporting the conflict. BBC ran regular news, while Radio Berlin continued to deny they were acting in anything other than defense.

The series of recordings in this entry begin with the BBC and then followed by French Radio and Radio Warsaw. The French and Polish broadcasts are dim and hard to hear, but have been included because of their historic interest. The last segment is Radio Berlin.

Radio Warsaw Newsreader: “The general atmosphere is that of calm resolve to go through this experience (-----) no matter how long it will take. The general opinion of those everywhere is that odds are against Germany in this war.”

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(And so it all starts)

In the dawn hours of September 1, 1939, the German army and air force launched a full-scale invasion of Poland. Radio Warsaw was quick to tell the world what was happening. And Radio Berlin was quick to deny it and claim it was all Poland's fault.

Radio Warsaw newsreader: “On the first of September 1939 at dawn the Germans crossed into our territory. German air force and regular army unexpectedly invaded Polish territory without a declaration of hostilities. In the early morning the German air crews attacked a number of towns all over Poland . . . .casualties have been reported among the civilian population.”

Berlin Radio newsreader: “These reports assert that German air planes have dropped gas and incendiary bombs in the vicinity of Poznan. For the sake of history however, the fact must be nailed down that the numerous border incidents in Silesia and East Prussia, and especially the Polish bombardment of Voyten created a situation which made it incompatible with the . . . power to let that series of military transgressions go by unpunished. Germany’s action is an act of defense.”

Soon after the BBC went on the air, reporting at length what was going on.

The war, nonetheless, had started.

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(Berlin - chafing at the bit for the catastrophe to start)

The last diplomatic gestures exhausted, and Germany issuing a sixteen point list of demands for Poland, the evacuation from major cities of children and invalids began, with an estimated 3 million slated to evacuate London alone.

BBC Newsreader: “The German wireless tonight issued a sixteen point program, which it described as Germany’s reply to the latest British note. At what stage this sixteen point plan was advanced is not at present clear, because as of a short time ago it was known that the German government had sent to London no official reply to the note which was received in Berlin last night. Nor had Poland sent any reply to a British note informing her of the previous communication from Herr Hitler. Germany demanded One: that the free city of Danzig, on account of its purely German character and the unanimous will of its population, should return to the Reich unconditionally and forthwith. Two: that the corridor shall decide itself whether it shall belong to Germany or to Poland, and for this purpose a plebiscite shall be held. Three: That all Germans and Poles who have been resident in the corridor since the first of January 1918, or have been born there shall be entitled to vote in the plebiscite, and that all Germans who have been expelled from the corridor, or were forced to leave, shall return there in order to cast their votes.”

A list of impossible demands, making it clear that Germany was determined to go to war and invade Poland as quickly as possible. August 31st would be the last good day in Europe for a while.

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(In Warsaw an eerie and perplexing calm)

As diplomatic attempts kept going up to the eleventh hour, preparations were being made for the eventuality of war.

The news was filled with precaution and speculation. The broadcasts on this entry start with BBC World Service news, followed by a report from commentator Arthur Mann for Mutual and then Sigrid Schultz reporting from Berlin and finally a newscast from the North American service of Radio Berlin.

As it happened on August 28, 1939.

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John McCain embraces his former running mate Sarah Palin's "death panel" rhetoric on Sean Hannity's show last night and throws in a little fear mongering about socialized medicine for good measure. I want to know when McCain is going to give up his government health care since he thinks it's so scary.

HANNITY: Senator, your running mate, Governor Sarah Palin, came out with a very hard-hitting posting on Facebook, which I agreed with especially in light of what we've seen in Great Britain and Canada and elsewhere.

And then we had the Obama administration that brought back this book that the Bush administration had gotten rid of, "Your Life, Your Choices." They go through a series of scenarios with veterans at VA hospitals and nursing homes, which basically says, well, you know, you don't want to be a burden to society, to your family.

Is that the kind of death panel that maybe people were afraid of when they read pages 425 to 430 of the House bill?

MCCAIN: Yes, but I think they're also concerned because they're well read, they're well informed, they're knowledgeable. They know what's happening in other countries where basically there is a rationing of health care particularly when people reach a certain age as to what kind of treatment they can and if they can get it.

The incredible delays in acquiring that kind of care, so I think it's and not just that, I think it's the example of government-run health care in other countries which is not — America is not ready for that.

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(Overheard singing "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" as they sailed off)

From April 2 to June 13, 1982 Britain and Argentina had something of a face-off over a tiny group of islands off the Argentine coast. Argentina, under the recently installed Military government of Leopoldo Galtieri, claimed it belonged to them, while Britain maintained it was part of the British Empire for the past 149 years. On the morning of April 2nd, Argentine troops invaded the islands and overran the 84 British Marines stationed there. The political storm that followed saw the resignation of Thatcher's Foreign Secretary Lord Carrington and an effort on the part of the U.S. to broker some peace settlement. In the end, Thatcher rejected a peace initiative and sent troops to force a confrontation. As of April 24th, the British fleet was 1,000 miles away from The Falklands and in a matter of days a full-on shooting war would break out.

Here is a BBC World Service news report on the days activities. Before the advent of streaming audio and 24 hour satellite broadcasts, most overseas radio came by way of Shortwave - distant voices that faded in and out and sounded ominous.

Maybe it added to the drama, but it kept a lot of fingers glued to the dial during that month.