In my previous post, I discussed a few of the differences with the U.S. that make Canada the country it is. I contrasted our more welcoming natures with the increasing suspicion of 'the other' in the U.S., currently reflected in that its efforts to drive foreign students from Harvard and other universities.
Canadians have often been pilloried for allegedly having a weak sense of national identity, frquently defining ourselves only as "not American". It almost implies that if our foes friends to the south ceased to exist, we would be condemned to a cultural void, having lost any basis for identity.
But what does 'not being American' really mean? I'll return to that question in a moment, but please first watch the following video about one man's experience with American healthcare.
Interesting, isn't it, that the only real criticism here is not the massive cost for a six-day hospital stay but only understanding the charges. Perhaps that is what comes from growing up in a culture where the idea of 'socialized medicine' is anathema, and that paying through the nose for medical treatment is 'the American way'.
So yes, we are not American in that we have public healthcare. Despite complaints about long wait-times for elective procedures, it is obviously far superior to the private model. But looking beneath the surface, consider what it really means. Our public system, funded by all taxpayers, represents a value system whereby we look after each other, rather than consign a person's fate to either the good fortune of having a private insurance plan, paying out of pocket, or quietly expiring from a lack of timely medical intervention.
We purposely sacrifice a little more take-home pay, paying the taxes that make the common good a priority. Obviously, there are many other examples of our "not being American," but healthcare is one of the touchstones of those differences.
Prizing the collective good or extolling rugged individualism? For me, and for most Canadians, the choice is clear.
Yes, most Canadians want a fully functional public health system. So, why do we have so many politicians and bureaucrats fronting for private health care schemes?
ReplyDeletePoliticians often say what they pretend to hear from those they represent, Toby, not what the voters actually say. In Ontario, Doug Ford likes to present private schemes as a means of reducing wait times and supplementing the public system. In my view, that thin edge of the wedge can be very, very sharp.
DeleteHow many bankruptcies have been avoided, how many family homes are saved due to our healthcare system. We may pay a higher tax rate. But how many families have stayed together because the healthcare system has paid thus creating a more stable society. This is only one example of our country Canada and its citizens benefiting from our Canadian way of living. I love Canada and our success.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you 100%, Anon.
DeleteThought I was in for a rap about deefeences , golden domes and such. Can we be the Switzerland of the americas?
ReplyDeleteTruth is not a political option when you can just tell them what they want to hear.
We perhaps tread too lightly with our American 'friends', lungta, but with such an unstable 'genius' in power there, perhaps some of that caution is understandable.
DeleteI have always suspected that Americans don't trust the idea of a public health care system because "some people" would get care who "don't deserve it" and "other people" would have to pay for it.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt that is the calculus for some., Anon, but it really is akin to cutting off one's nose to spite one's face, isn't it?
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