American Health Care

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[–]RasputinsDong 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Yeah, but he also didn't HAVE to do it. Gretchen and Elliot offered him any money he might have needed for his treatment. Walter just wanted to feel like a man again.

[–]FediNetizen 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

He didn't have to do it. In normal everyday life, the guy that gets cancer doesn't have ultra-wealthy friends willing to drop five or six figures on his cancer treatment.

[–]One_Jack_Move 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Oh, it's like the meme, except when it's not like the meme. Got it.

[–]FediNetizen 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I really don't think you do get it. Particularly when this show was written (pre-ACA), it was a common reality of American life that you could get cancer, and not have the means to pay for the treatment. The counterpoint RasputinsDong was making is that in Walter's particular case, he had rich friends willing to help, and didn't actually need to do anything desperate to pay for his treatment.

While that is true, it doesn't nullify the sad fact that this plot point only seems normal to an American audience, because in almost every other advanced country this situation isn't even possible.