CANADA´S VIEW OF THEIR HEALTH CARE COMPARED TO THE U.S.

Canadians many times feel overwhelmed by the US, but not about their health care for all.

...the former US president speaking in Canada in support of their health care vs the US

In a recent US newspaper article written by a Canadian professor from Canada´s Carleton University, the author stated that; "Canadians love American health-care debates because it means America is noticing us. Your debates allow us to replay our own debates about health care and their relationship to all of the national myths spread by American conservatives."

The professor went on to say about their debates; "Ask a Canadian about differences between our country and the States, and you'll get a threefold answer: One, gun control. Enough on that. Two, much better Super Bowl commercials that are blocked out by Canadian cable regulators. (This is actually discussed seriously.) And three, we have health care for all and you don't."

As the opposite of what the American GOP would like you to believe, Canadians are more than very proud of their health care coverage for all of their citizens.

You might have missed the right-wing "Americans for Prosperity" ads this summer featuring a Canadian woman's allegation that she "would have died waiting for her treatment in Canada". The statements in the ad were totally false and the Canadians didn't like the lies that were being spread by American Republican lobbyists about their health care coverage. The ad received many negative comments from all over Canada as the ad had received Canadian national coverage. It was discussed and rebutted and it boosted the Canadian´s proud sense of difference with, and superiority over the United States lack of a national health care program. As was later stated by a Canadian politician, "An admitting nurse in a Canadian hospital or clinic doesn't check your credit card, she checks your pulse."

In discussing the difference between the Canadian and the American systems, just as a disturbing number of Americans seem to believe Canada has "death panels", most Canadians are convinced that American "emergency room defibrillators" can only be activated by a credit card swipe. In fact, a standard Canadian phrase is, "your health card, not your credit card," in regular Canadian political discussions regarding their health care.

Due to the many lies and myths that have been spread by the GOP about the Canadian and some of the other European health care systems, facts are apparently remarkably "unimportant" in American health-care debates. Since President Harry Truman, every incoming Democratic president has quickly learned this fact about any "real" US health care discussions.

In Canada, the situation is exactly the opposite.

While most conservative Americans politicians loudly proclaim their opposition to the so called "socialist" health care, the "right-wing Canadian politicians" are the quickest to pledge total opposition to any possible "privatization" of their health care program. When American Republican´s do their ranting against Canadian health care, it gets big play in the Canadian media because it reinforces the Canadian´s sense of a positive difference between Canada and the United States.

The recession and all of the bank and Wall Street bail-outs have caused the new US president to use up a significant portion of his vast political capital in the first 6 months of his presidency. Obama is now being left to slug out the health-care debate with nothing but "facts" against a deluge of the GOP´s lies and myths.

A year ago, America had a great appetite for change, and a serious catalyst in a presidential candidate like Barack Obama. Without the economic issues, President Obama might have been able to shift the national myth enough to transform American health care, much like President Lyndon Johnson had established Medicare. Unfortunately the president now needs more than the country´s desire for change to overcome a national Republican myth that denies health care as a public good.

I only hope the president has enough perseverance and that most Americans eventually receive the facts they need to give him the appropriate support. It´s a big task and I and many others will personally try to help, but as he says, any health care bill that finally passes, he will own it, "lock-stock & barrel".

The best of luck Mr. President.

Copy right G.Ater 2009

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