Anglo-American Tensions on Twitter

As a nation we generally tend to go for the glass half empty view; inwardly criticising the country’s infrastructure, governance and weather is one thing, but when the attack is from overseas, we Brits aren’t shy in responding.

Humorists on both side of the pond will no doubt enjoy the increasingly personal (and patently ridiculous) attacks from right-wing supporters in the US on our NHS. Our “Orwellian” system of deciding who gains free medical help is indicative of a socialist society, putting the UK in league with Soviet Russia, apparently.

The criticisms have come as a result of President Obama’s radical new healthcare policy, which will effectively provide a far fairer means of providing healthcare support regardless of financial standing or insurance. It sounds good on paper, but of course the financing is going to require wider public funding, something that the right wing supporters see as unconstitutional – amongst other excuses.

Of course this doesn’t have all that much to do with the Internet; well, not until you take a quick look at Twitter. Yes, the parable of modern society has a new chapter with thousands of Britons defending the NHS all the way to the top of the Twitter Trends.

With diplomats unable to provide a voice, the general public has taken umbrage at the misinterpretation of our health system and are sharing it with the world. Twitter is drowning in a sea of emotional patriotism to an oft derided health service; however, this does show how quickly you can turn ideas into reality and let the whole world know about it.

So if you want to show the Americans what you think out our health service, don’t write a letter to the ambassador, don’t protest outside the embassy, get on Twitter. #welovetheNHS.

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