Hi Francis and Mervyn Many thanks for the explanation re Macacas. Strangely, it has never been used here in the UK. And what about the "sandflies" (or something akin) used for South Asians in Boston? Have you come across this usage? I have just seen Sicko. A lot of it is pretty realistic comparing the American, Canadian, UK and French systems of health provision for the respective citizens.My initial reaction is that a rosier picture of the UK and France is provided but I had no criteria to use re the Canadian system. Also, there was no reference to the French system that requires some payment at the point of need but that can be retrieved later by application. Also, there was no reference to the American system that does provide a service to those 50 million without insurance. I also felt that the account of the Firefighters (9/11) being taken to Cuba and receiving excellent treatment because they could not get help from America was perhaps a bit overdone. Overall, the film reinforced my strong belief that private insurance can never do justice to the health of a nation's people. Put simply, private insurance is about profitability and not health provision of a preventative nature nor for a large range of people who require more than minimal help. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Hilary's commitment to a national health system if she becomes President, becomes a reality because for the majority population of the USA he provision is pretty inadequate and pathetic for the only advanced nation without a national health service. I wouldn't trade the UK health service (despite its failures from time to time) for the American version as I understand it. Cornel Francis Rodrigues <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: "Macaca" has been used derogatorily since time immemorial against coloureds (by the fair-skinned), deriding them as 'monkeys'! It's origin is from the Portuguese 'macaco' (monkey), and for example, was a pretty common insult to the locals during the Portuguese occupation of Goa.
FR Cornel, A Macaca is someone who has been arrested and who lies in special jail without being charged. I do not think it refers only to "South Asians." It is also a generic term... Mervyn3.0
