5 thoughts on “Canadian Brand Socialism: Failing the Sick and Poor”
While I agree that our Health Care system has failed miserably for some times, the fact remains that we have (still) one of the best in this part of the world. It may not be perfect but when in need of medical services, we are not discriminated against for lack of money. One of the problems, especially here in Quebec is the long waits in hospital emergencies, the reason? – often times people with a simple cold or headache will rush to the emergency, hence clogging the sorting process for those who are in real need of immediate attention. Another problem that adds up to the cost of medicare is those who have moved either to the US or other countries and still keep a “permanent†address in their native land just in case…How can they do that? Simple. They just keep the address of a close relative, come and visit once in a while and voila! They are the ones blowing up the tab.
Another point that Ms. Cook is bringing is about our daycare system. She says that “only one in five Quebec kids has access to spaces because the demand exceeds the supplyâ€. Boo-hoo – so sad… The $7 a day service is offered regardless of one’s income, which allows even a mom in need of time for herself at some point during the week to benefit from it. Better yet, a professional earning enough that there is no need for a supplement – again the kids (or should I say the parents) benefit from it, for the sake of a carreer. The $7 a day is a non taxable benefit (because it is a benefit!! since anyone can enjoy it equally, regardless of their social condition). There’s already been discussion forums about that, that might eventually lead to a taxable benefit which would be entered on your annual income tax report. Private daycare is another story altogether. They have become daytime parking for human beings. It does indeed take a village to bring up a kid but at what cost?, which will probably bring some of us into another discussion about bringing up your kids yourself…
As for Ms. Cook’s seemingly views on our “socialist†system, let’s hope Canadians will never be gullible enough to elect a party like NDP (which has demonstrated already that they have a tendency towards workers unions). It would suffice that we’d become a country such as Russia, Spain or else to put in place a system where everyone is equal, and treated on the same level as one who did not contribute equally.
I do believe that everyone is equal as a persons “worth” cannnot be judged on the contribution they make. An added factor to this is that everyone’s measures contribution differently so how does one gauge these kinds of thing. The contribution someone makes to a society is far broader than simply monetary terms.
I did a research paper on the Canadian health system this summer. Even though Americans whine about health care costs all the time, we should be grateful for what we have.
Maybe it seemed as I would be discriminating against anyone who might be poorer or different. I do not think for a minute that someone with less means would be unworthy of receiving fair treatment from our governmental institutions. To the contrary! My point in all that is the fact that there are those who abuse the system (daycare and medicare for those living abroad) and this should be dealt with accordingly.
Well… I think that any given nation, province, or state can make their own decision about socialized health care, of course. 🙂
Personally, I am always wary of the government taking over in any area. Roads, military, international commerce, internet and things like that are good to have government involvement. In the U.S. I would keep the government out of Education and Medicine. In fact, I would keep the Feds out of everything where Federal Governing wasn’t clearly the best option and where it wasn’t clearly authorized by the Constitution. If it is in doubt in the Constitution, keep the Feds Out.
While I agree that our Health Care system has failed miserably for some times, the fact remains that we have (still) one of the best in this part of the world. It may not be perfect but when in need of medical services, we are not discriminated against for lack of money. One of the problems, especially here in Quebec is the long waits in hospital emergencies, the reason? – often times people with a simple cold or headache will rush to the emergency, hence clogging the sorting process for those who are in real need of immediate attention. Another problem that adds up to the cost of medicare is those who have moved either to the US or other countries and still keep a “permanent†address in their native land just in case…How can they do that? Simple. They just keep the address of a close relative, come and visit once in a while and voila! They are the ones blowing up the tab.
Another point that Ms. Cook is bringing is about our daycare system. She says that “only one in five Quebec kids has access to spaces because the demand exceeds the supplyâ€. Boo-hoo – so sad… The $7 a day service is offered regardless of one’s income, which allows even a mom in need of time for herself at some point during the week to benefit from it. Better yet, a professional earning enough that there is no need for a supplement – again the kids (or should I say the parents) benefit from it, for the sake of a carreer. The $7 a day is a non taxable benefit (because it is a benefit!! since anyone can enjoy it equally, regardless of their social condition). There’s already been discussion forums about that, that might eventually lead to a taxable benefit which would be entered on your annual income tax report. Private daycare is another story altogether. They have become daytime parking for human beings. It does indeed take a village to bring up a kid but at what cost?, which will probably bring some of us into another discussion about bringing up your kids yourself…
As for Ms. Cook’s seemingly views on our “socialist†system, let’s hope Canadians will never be gullible enough to elect a party like NDP (which has demonstrated already that they have a tendency towards workers unions). It would suffice that we’d become a country such as Russia, Spain or else to put in place a system where everyone is equal, and treated on the same level as one who did not contribute equally.
I do believe that everyone is equal as a persons “worth” cannnot be judged on the contribution they make. An added factor to this is that everyone’s measures contribution differently so how does one gauge these kinds of thing. The contribution someone makes to a society is far broader than simply monetary terms.
I did a research paper on the Canadian health system this summer. Even though Americans whine about health care costs all the time, we should be grateful for what we have.
Maybe it seemed as I would be discriminating against anyone who might be poorer or different. I do not think for a minute that someone with less means would be unworthy of receiving fair treatment from our governmental institutions. To the contrary!
My point in all that is the fact that there are those who abuse the system (daycare and medicare for those living abroad) and this should be dealt with accordingly.
Response to all:
Well… I think that any given nation, province, or state can make their own decision about socialized health care, of course. 🙂
Personally, I am always wary of the government taking over in any area. Roads, military, international commerce, internet and things like that are good to have government involvement. In the U.S. I would keep the government out of Education and Medicine. In fact, I would keep the Feds out of everything where Federal Governing wasn’t clearly the best option and where it wasn’t clearly authorized by the Constitution. If it is in doubt in the Constitution, keep the Feds Out.
When in doubt
Keep the Feds Out
🙂
ThirstyJon