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Can I assume that the author of this ransomware is American or at least is very immersed in American culture? Because the activities listed sound very America-c

by Hamuko 4y ago

Can I assume that the author of this ransomware is American or at least is very immersed in American culture? Because the activities listed sound very America-centric. I've never seen someone actually sleeping roadside in the cold, and since we have universal healthcare, I've also not heard of someone dying in the hospital because their loved ones couldn't gather up enough money. I guess I might as well just smash my hard drive with a hammer if I get this.

BrianOnHN 4y ago
> I've also not heard of someone dying in the hospital because their loved ones couldn't gather up enough money. It's more like "having to postpone treatment so long that it doesn't work." The same also applies if you have to fight with scheming insurance companies. The government, all of us, have most to gain from a healthy society. And a dead person couldn't care less about their health. It's about time our systems reflect that!
- Hamuko 4y ago
  Well, the way that "activity" here is phrased, they kinda expect you to lurk in the nearest hospital for some kind of a medical emergency that can be solved with a bank transfer. The people postponing treatment probably aren't loitering in the hospital.
boomboomsubban 4y ago
It seems to come from India, though the only identifiers seem rather weak. I'll admit I know little about poverty in India, but all three seem possible there.
- Hamuko 4y ago
  Doesn't India still have universal healthcare?
  - boomboomsubban 4y ago
    Again, I'll admit I know little, but the answer seems like "sort of." Wikipedia says 23% of people can't afford treatment, and hospitalization forces many of people into poverty or lifelong debt.
nisegami 4y ago
>I've also not heard of someone dying in the hospital because their loved ones couldn't gather up enough money Am from a country with universal health care. It's not uncommon to die waiting for treatment or there simply not being any way to get the treatment in my country. Raising money to visit the US for treatment is a pretty common thing here as a result.
- nemo44x 4y ago
  And in the USA if you don’t have insurance and are dying you’ll be treated. They act like dead poor people are piled up outside of hospitals. They’ll even discount you to 0 if they see you’re really poor.
  - nisegami 4y ago
    I wanted to mention something like this, but I felt like my experience is too limited to be sure. My impression is that in the US, the cost of care will lead to people avoiding seeking treatment for things that don't appear urgent. Sometimes, those things are actually urgent and they'll be worse off for waiting. But in cases where there's a clear, urgent need for care, they'll rarely be denied treatment outright. Instead, they'll be burdened with debt afterwards.
    - hnal943 4y ago
      Which is better in most cases than the rationed care of government healthcare, where people die waiting for "free" healthcare.
  - pempem 4y ago
    Here's the missing words: 'well funded and well implemented' universal healthcare. It is possible as the stories listed here indicate, and it works when done right. Blaming poor implementation is throwing out the baby with the bathwater. What does not work is a system where all things are private and everyone is at the hands of the market. That is something one of the richest countries in the world has shown us over and over and over again.
  - 4y ago
seoaeu 4y ago
> Can I assume that the author of this ransomware is American or at least is very immersed in American culture? No, they sound like someone who learned about the US from internet memes, but doesn’t have firsthand experience. For example, hospitals in the US do not generally collect payment at the time of treatment so it wouldn’t really make much sense to show up to one and try to pay for someone needing urgent medical care
- code_duck 4y ago
  Urgent Care facilities do. One time I badly needed a minor surgery. I went to an urgent care and was told they could see me immediately, but didn't accept my insurance and would charge $450. My other option was to go to the hospital across the street which did take my insurance, but I had to wait 8 hours and be treated like I was an opiate addict with a self inflicted or imaginary condition. So, that would have been great if someone somehow showed up and paid the first clinic.
drstewart 4y ago
Can I ask why you need permission or care about assigning a nationality in the first place? Also, the opposite of your country is not America. Aka just because you don't observe something in your country doesn't make it automatically American.

by Hamuko 4y ago

BrianOnHN 4y ago

> I've also not heard of someone dying in the hospital because their loved ones couldn't gather up enough money. It's more like "having to postpone treatment so long that it doesn't work." The same also applies if you have to fight with scheming insurance companies. The government, all of us, have most to gain from a healthy society. And a dead person couldn't care less about their health. It's about time our systems reflect that!

Hamuko 4y ago
Well, the way that "activity" here is phrased, they kinda expect you to lurk in the nearest hospital for some kind of a medical emergency that can be solved with a bank transfer. The people postponing treatment probably aren't loitering in the hospital.

boomboomsubban 4y ago

It seems to come from India, though the only identifiers seem rather weak. I'll admit I know little about poverty in India, but all three seem possible there.

Hamuko 4y ago
Doesn't India still have universal healthcare?
- boomboomsubban 4y ago
  Again, I'll admit I know little, but the answer seems like "sort of." Wikipedia says 23% of people can't afford treatment, and hospitalization forces many of people into poverty or lifelong debt.

nisegami 4y ago

>I've also not heard of someone dying in the hospital because their loved ones couldn't gather up enough money Am from a country with universal health care. It's not uncommon to die waiting for treatment or there simply not being any way to get the treatment in my country. Raising money to visit the US for treatment is a pretty common thing here as a result.

nemo44x 4y ago
And in the USA if you don’t have insurance and are dying you’ll be treated. They act like dead poor people are piled up outside of hospitals. They’ll even discount you to 0 if they see you’re really poor.
- nisegami 4y ago
  I wanted to mention something like this, but I felt like my experience is too limited to be sure. My impression is that in the US, the cost of care will lead to people avoiding seeking treatment for things that don't appear urgent. Sometimes, those things are actually urgent and they'll be worse off for waiting. But in cases where there's a clear, urgent need for care, they'll rarely be denied treatment outright. Instead, they'll be burdened with debt afterwards.
  - hnal943 4y ago
    Which is better in most cases than the rationed care of government healthcare, where people die waiting for "free" healthcare.
- pempem 4y ago
  Here's the missing words: 'well funded and well implemented' universal healthcare. It is possible as the stories listed here indicate, and it works when done right. Blaming poor implementation is throwing out the baby with the bathwater. What does not work is a system where all things are private and everyone is at the hands of the market. That is something one of the richest countries in the world has shown us over and over and over again.
- 4y ago

seoaeu 4y ago

> Can I assume that the author of this ransomware is American or at least is very immersed in American culture? No, they sound like someone who learned about the US from internet memes, but doesn’t have firsthand experience. For example, hospitals in the US do not generally collect payment at the time of treatment so it wouldn’t really make much sense to show up to one and try to pay for someone needing urgent medical care

code_duck 4y ago
Urgent Care facilities do. One time I badly needed a minor surgery. I went to an urgent care and was told they could see me immediately, but didn't accept my insurance and would charge $450. My other option was to go to the hospital across the street which did take my insurance, but I had to wait 8 hours and be treated like I was an opiate addict with a self inflicted or imaginary condition. So, that would have been great if someone somehow showed up and paid the first clinic.

drstewart 4y ago

Can I ask why you need permission or care about assigning a nationality in the first place? Also, the opposite of your country is not America. Aka just because you don't observe something in your country doesn't make it automatically American.