[quote]feds wrote:
I cannot believe some of the rips being thrown at my country on this thread - especially from those FORTUNATE enough to have been born (and live) in Canada. I’m not ignorant emough to believe that improvements cannot (or should not) be made in many areas, but I am definately very proud of my nation and what the AVERAGE (LIBERAL) Canadian stands for.
Case in point: I just returned from Chicago where I read in bold letters across the back window of one of those pick-up/SUV combos “Gun control is using both hands!” and had one of those novelty license plates that read “I don’t dial 9-1-1, I dial .357”. The average Canadian (while disliking our messed-up inefficient gun registry) believes that this guy is an idiot - this makes me proud (and fortunate) to be surrounded by such level-headed people.
Sure, our Health Care system needs some work, but I REALLY appreciate the fact that I don’t have to worry about: a) the quality of care I receive when I’m forced to go to a certain private clinic (read: profit is their ONLY goal) because my insurance provider (read: profit is their ONLY goal) mandates that is who I have to go to; b) being considered ‘fortunate’ by many people because I can even afford health insurance (as some Americans are); c) encountering Dr. Nick Riviera (for you Simpson’s fans; his ilk is far more likely to be a product of the U.S. Health Care system); d) how much $ I have to pay the hospital for the upcoming delivery of my 2nd child - 2 years ago my wife had a C-section and 4 days stay in a private room…total cost to me: $229 (includes parking onsite). Admittedly, I pay an extra few dollars on my paycheque to help cover a ‘full private room’ for just these occurences, but it’s far better than any similar scenario down south.
I don’t really bitch about my taxes being too high - I see the overall greater Quality of Life in Canada for the average citizen to be a fair trade-off. If everyone has a better social support system then I believe that it’s likely that eveyone will benefit. Judging by the number of very large new houses with pricey SUVs and luxury cars in the driveways that I see going up in my town, I would say that we average Canadians are not overly burdened by our “oppresive” tax system. When you balance out what our Q of L is with most Americans, I don’t necessarily agree that they benefit from having more left over on their paycheque.
Maybe the reason why conservatives have never really been able to gain and hold power and influence in Canada is because the vast majority of Canadians are too smart for that. It’s not all about making enough money that I have to move to a ‘gated community’ in order to feel safe in my neighbouhood - that’s if I CAN make enough to move there. For every American trying to get rich, there are a dozen more trying to step over him in order to do the same - in fact, it’s a requirement. The severe focus on “all things capitalist” in the U.S. means that more and more wealth ends up in fewer hands…and those on the short end of the stick become worse and worse off.
I need to get some sleep, but one final point - JPBear said that Canadians “hate” Americans because they are jealous - with the connotation being that we are envious of all their power, military might, whatever. That’s ridiculous - this is just like the little girl who says that all the other little girls “hate” her because she’s pretty. They don’t…they dislike her because she’s a jerk.
BTW - I don’t hate Americans and find much in common with many. Maybe that’s why some of their ideals and characteristics annoy the hell out of me…because at first they all seem so normal and rational…
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Not that I really want to have a discussion with someone who uses an episode of The Simpsons as evidence, but here are a few thoughts.
Canada spends more on its system than other nations while ranking among the lowest in several key indicators, such as access to physicians, quality of medical equipment, and key health outcomes. But, since you seem to prefer anecdotal evidence, how about this: Ever waited in an emergency room for more than 5 hours? Ever known someone in desperate need of surgery who was placed on an 8 month waiting list? Ever been misdiagnosed, or accidentally given the wrong prescription? Ever had to see four doctors before finding one that can diagnose you? Ever waited 10 months for a specialist to call you to book your appointment for six months down the road? Ever had to pay out of pocket to travel and see that specialist? Ever waited a year for an MRI? Ever had a doctor tell you your broken arm was tennis elbow, refuse to give you an X-Ray, have it heal improperly, be told your arm will need to be opened up and bone fragments ground off in order to relieve the pain, then be placed on a two year waiting list for the surgery? Think about it for a minute, I’m sure you can come up with a bunch of stories just from the people you personally know. How about this one: What is the best way to sell a Critical Illness insurance policy to a Canadian? (The type that will pay you a six digit lump sum amount if you are diagnosed with any of a list of illnesses). Ask them how they would be able to afford to go to the U.S. for treatment if they don’t have the policy. It works like a charm. I know this because I used to work in the business. The funniest thing is, the same person who will pay monthly premiums for this peace of mind will not hesitate to tell you how wonderful Canada is for having universal health care, and how much they disagree with a “two-tier” system.
How much does all this fun cost us? It’s free right? It grows on that big money tree right?
The average province now spends over 50% of its tax revenues just on health care. In most cases, this is just keeping the system above water. Health spending is rising faster than GDP growth. It’s rising faster than tax revenues. It’s rising faster than all other forms of public spending. On top of this, several provinces (including yours and mine) also charge monthly individual health care premiums, which might as well just be a tax as they are not optional. For my husband and myself that is another $100 a month, on top of our taxes. The truth is we pay for service just as Americans do.
And please explain something to me. Let’s say I needed heart surgery. Let’s say that I am willing to pay out of my pocket for surgery at a private clinic, over and above my tax dollars and insurance premiums. Why is this illegal? Wouldn’t it solve two problems, taking me off the waiting list and thereby shortening it for others, and get me treatment faster? Why is this so wrong? The truth is the average liberal Canadian would rather see everyone die on waiting lists than see anything that might be perceived as unfair. This is the Canadian mindset: equal is the same thing as fair, fair is the same thing as equal and if one person is going to suffer and die than we are all going to suffer and die. Gotta be fair. Can’t take care of ourselves right?
As for your ridiculous “profit is their ONLY goal” statements, do you really and truly believe that every American doctor, nurse, health specialist, and pharmaceutical scientist will wake up each morning and go to work motivated strictly by money and nothing else? Do you truly believe their Canadian counterparts do it out of the goodness of their heart? Why do Canadian doctors and nurses routinely go on strike and fight bitterly for wage increases? Above all, why do I have to point this out to you? Do you not see this? I think you need to turn off the CBC for a while and start to think for yourself.