Why Canadians, and much of the world, finds Dubya & the American "Right Wing" insane
Courtesy of economist Greg Mankiw's blog is this excerpt from the office of the President of the United States:
We believe this is a step toward a
government-run system for all Americans. The President has made clear
that he believes this is the wrong direction. He prefers a system in
which the patient (and consumer) is at the center of decisions about
his own health care. Moving toward more government financing, and more
people in health plans chosen by the government, means less control for
the patient, and more decisions made in Washington and in State
capitals. This is bad.
My jaw just dropped when I saw that. As would that of anyone who lives in a country like Canada where we're doing rather well for ourselves with a government-funded health care system.
Yes, it's not perfect, but I'm happy to know that should I, God forbid, fall ill and lose my job, at least I don't have to worry about finding cash to get treatment for my illness. This is Good, Mr. President. The ideological opposition to helping everyone in trouble is both baffling and sickening - I really feel sick to my stomach having just looked at those words above!
I know the American private system isn't going to go away anytime soon - and even with increased government support that isn't going to change. I think the fearmongers know that too, but they're being financed way too lavishly by lobbyists to prevent the current level of killer profits from being nibbled away by those wanting to help the less fortunate in society. And by "less fortuante" I don't mean that as a pat euphemism about the poor. I mean it in relation to simply everybody in trouble.
The more sinister-minded people out there will also see another theory behind why the system operates the way it does right now: it keeps the American people in a permanently fearful position, not wanting to risk losing any job because of the attendant risk of losing health coverage.
Although you may need to be more conspiracy-minded to subscribe to this theory, it does carry a lot of anecdotal weight as a side effect of the current system in the US, doesn't it?