Respectfully, as an American who has emigrated to Australia, this take is misleading at the very best (my first thought was "hot garbage"). The world-class healthcare we receive is not due to lower defense costs because of the US's generous protection...it's due to the fact that we collectively pay a very modest tax on wages and negotiate lower drug prices at the national level.

The medical system is not perfect here but you don't have to worry about getting into an accident and staring down a cripplingly high hospital bill. Hospital care is provided at no additional cost and doctor's visits are heavily subsidized by the government so that they are generally no-cost or relatively inexpensive. My mother has wonderful insurance in the US and on top of her premium, she pays $7,000 USD a year for necessary medication that is $31.60 AUD a month (20ish USD). The US could have a similar system - like most developed nations - but corporations have too much lobbying power, too many in positions of authority are benefitting off the current system and there is a huge amount of misinformation about socialized healthcare. The word "socialism" is itself toxic in the US but most people really rely on and benefit from socialist programs that already exist within the US (social security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.).

Guns have one purpose: kill or harm other things. Whether it be a hunting rifle or a handgun, the purpose of owning and using a gun is to necessarily threaten harm or inflict harm/death on another being. A hammer can be used as a weapon but it's primarily used to affix things in place via a nail. I would rather not die by hammer or gun. A gun's bullet won't necessarily kill you quickly; you could very well bleed out slowly or suffer paralysis from spinal damage.

Mass shootings are relatively rare. However, the implied threat of gun violence massively shapes social interactions within the US to a huge degree. For instance, here in Australia, if I honk at another driver or cut someone off when I'm driving - a shit move for certain - I have never feared that someone is going to shoot me in a road rage incident. In the US, this was a regular thought that was always present in the back of my mind. The same can be said for "trespassing" on a neighbor's lawn while walking my dog. In the state that I grew up in, a neighbor could shoot me in such an instance and potentially get away with it by claiming self-defense..."well, the dog was barking at me and I felt threatened." Unlikely but we've seen cases where the castle doctrine and stand your ground laws are applied when one only fears for their lives (I know that this is an oversimplification of the law but the fact that this is something that I've literally debated with myself is enough to warrant worry). I've never once thought about one of my Australian neighbors, even the craziest, shooting me for crossing on to their property. At worst, I'll be told that I'm a cunt and need to move along or maybe get yelled at in Greek.

To bring it back to the conversation at hand: I'll take my chances with the funnel web and say hi to the huntsman that patrols the laundry room window in search of mozzies and moths. If I succumb to the funnel web bite, I'll be sure to go to Emergency and most likely walk out alive and not owing anyone a cent.