Apaul, I think you are confusing the USA with many European countries and Australia. In our countries we do have good social services,basic medical and education services are free.I am not sure this applies to the USA although I am sure there are some social services .

As I explain in another post ,China looks after the aged better than most countries. We do have an old age pension but most of the old are either hidden away in their homes or are put into nursing homes. From what I saw in my last visit to Beijing this is not the case in your country. The old were in the parks dancing and enjoying themselves. I am not sure this aplies to all old people but I do know Chinese respect the old.

Of course everthing is not perfect. As you said

Those who are very poor or in rural areas can not afford even the 20% needed. In a unversal system like Australia, basic medical services are available to all. However better service can be provided in private hospitals which are only available to the rich.
Also of course theses social services have to be paid by higher taxation than in your country or the USA.

Anit,I didn't mean to be sarcastic.Honestly I know little about your country.
Certainly I know that not everyone in America owe $8000 or $9500 to the credit cards,that's impossible.I pretty well understand what liz said,and I can imagine the fact in America that many people use credit cards as it is the same in other countries.

I'd rather pay higher tax than carry this burden of medical care and education,but China has a large amount of population,our country can not fully pay for everyone's medical care and education.

I think on average we owe that much to the credit card companies but, because of people like me, some actually owe more than that. I'm just not able to contribute to my share of the credit liability. Sorry, whoever you are.

Cy_Click,Are you and Aint both average Americans??

Maybe he is but I'm not. Just a joke.

Actually the average American is a myth. I'm not sure Aint's answer is the way the numbers came about but saying it is would seem to say the average debtor owes much more than the numbers. Even so, this number wouldn't really seem to be of concern. Unless all the debtors lost thier jobs.

I'm not what I would consider average on any economic measure. But I'm single without children so I've not needed to become average.

Sitting down watching CNN and what do I see the American cycling team turns up at the Olympics with black masks on.I will be watching with baited breath to see what kind of performance the American cycling team is going to put in.

I ask is the smog that bad that the American cycling team had to turn up wearing blaack masks?Why can't the Americans just say that "we allowed the mask protest to take place,because it's our way of protesting over China's human rights or the lack of it".

Perhaps our cycling team is made up of Muslim women.

I know this is really off the wall, but maybe they were protesting smog. OK, OK. Not very likely, but it was just a thought.

Cassiel, in Australia there are many cylists wearing masks. Our pollution is not that bad but combine with fog it still hard to breath. I am sure some cylist do the same in the USA. It is also common in SE Asia.

I agree with Ray it may be about smog for protection from it not protresting.
To make sure perhaps it would be better that the masks not be black.