I do not know the exact source of this letter written to Larry Elder and it
could be made up, but a good read none the less.
JD
Moore and Canadian health care
A letter from a listener
Dear Larry:
I'm writing to you about the Michael Moore interview on the Phil
Donahue
show. I would like to clarify a few things about what he had to say
regarding the Canadian health care system. I grew up in Canada, and have
been a recipient of the Canadian socialized health care system up until I
left the socialist country (it is a socialist country) to come and live
here
in a free market society (unless Hillary becomes President)
My seventy years old mother, who still lives in Canada, had surgery on
October 18th 2002. She had been on a waiting list since May of 2000.
Twice,
she was called in the course of those 2 plus years, and told that within a
few weeks she should expect a call from the hospital to come in to get her
surgery. But each time she was left hanging. On the third time (2 years
and
4 months later), she was finally admitted to the hospital. Because of her
advanced age she had taken a private supplemental insurance to cover for a
private room, and other things that aren't cover by the Canadian health
care
system (they don't cover everything). When they called her to come in
she's
put a request for a private room, and told the hospital that she would pay
for it and have her insurance reimburse her later. They told her that it
wouldn't be a problem. That's until she show up at the hospital, and was
put
in a room with another patient A MAN. When she told the nurse that she had
requested a private room, the nurse told her; " you should feel lucky you
could have been put in a room with 3 other patients" my Mom hesitated for
a
moment then the nurse told her; " if you don't like it there are 200
people
on the waiting list, they'd be happy to take your spot, but you'll have to
wait another 2 years." What were her options? Going to a different
hospital?
She didn't have a choice all hospitals are owned by the government, all
nurses and doctors are hired by the government. My mother's experience is
not a horror story, nor the exception, but the norm up there.
For people who think that socialize health care means we all have
access
to Cedar Sinai are being mislead. What it means is that we all have access
to County USC. It also means that all hospitals will be reduced to county
USC service and standard, including Cedar Sinai. In a socialist country
doctors have to go and practice medicine wherever the government sees fit.
Doctors who have refused assignments have been subpoena and brought to
justice. Three doctors in the province of Quebec have pending cases,
because
they refused to do double ****ft. Not only were they asked to do a double
****ft, they were ask to do it at a different hospital than the one they
are
based at.
For people who think that socialized health care means FREE health
care,
I've got some news for you. It cost money, and you pay for it. First of
all
the income tax rates are much higher than what we pay here in the US, on
top
of it everybody has to pay a 15.5% sales tax whenever they shop for goods
and services. That includes going to the restaurant, renting a car,
renting
a hotel rooms, getting your car fixed, getting your haircut, buying
clothes,
going to a baseball game etc. Beside the taxes on gasoline is through the
roof. A gallon of gas cost about $3.00 (for people who don't know Canada
pay
the same price for a barrel of oil as the US do, taxes makes the price of
gas so high). Canadians have almost no disposable income at all, that
compare to Americans people. Because too much money goes to taxes. The
other
perk that comes with the Canadian health care system is cheap medicine.
Sometime it is
as much as 70% cheaper to buy medicine in Canada than it is in the US
The reason for it is explained by the fact that Americans people pay for
it.
We pay an extra 70% here, so that the Pharmaceutical companies can sell
their products to Canadian for 70% less. In order words American people
subsidize the cheap medicine for Canadians, otherwise Canadians would not
have access to cheap medicine. We also do it with the European countries,
because in Europe they wont pay more than a certain amount for a specific
medicine, so the cost is passed on to the consumers in the US.
How long can the system hold? That's a question the Canadian
government
asked itself a few years ago. Because the retired population is increasing
rapidly due to the baby boomers, the Liberal Canadian government had to
find
a solution to keep the flow of income tax coming, so they found a very
clever way to increase revenues. Let in more young immigrants so they can
bring more revenue for the Federal government, and pay for the retired
baby
boomers. Not only that at the moment they are talking about raise the
goods
and services tax to 16%.
Are Canadians fed up with this? Some are. After 30 years of socialized
health care, parties like the Canadian Alliance, and the Action
Democratique
du Quebec are becoming very popular. First item on their agenda
privatizing
the health care system. If there was a provincial race today in Quebec The
ADQ (Action Democratique du Quebec), would get between 60% and 70% of the
vote in a three party race. I know they'll get my mother's vote. I know
that
here in the US we do have problems with our health care system, but it not
going to be solve by having less choice, and by surrendering the power of
choice to the government. When people like Hillary Clinton are telling
American people that they have the solution to solve health care system,
and
it's to socialize it, I find it anti-American. America is about making
your
own choice. Maybe one day they'll tell us that we should all drive the
same
car,
all wear the same clothes, all watch the same TV station. For once we
should learn something from a foreign country. Socialism doesn't not work.
And for people who do not think that it's here at our doorstep beware.
Socialism doesn't happen through a revolution or a coup. It creeps up on
you
little by little. The more the government gets involve in private
enterprises, the more you become socialist. One day you wake up and it too
late, the bureaucrats control most of your money therefore most of your
choices, most of your life. Only the well connected make it, because so
much
goes through the government that contracts are awarded to friends, and
large
contributors. That's why it's im****tant to leave as much money as possible
in the hands of individuals. Strangely enough, in a socialist country, the
rich get richer. The highest average worth of billionaires in the world,
is
in Sweden. That should tell you something.
Thanks for your time Larry.
Sincerely,
Ben
--
Let the name calling begin!!! (its all you libs have)
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