This past Tuesday night Intelligence Squared US hosted a live debate at The Rockefeller University on health care. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman was among the participants and, not surprisingly he took the position that socialized medicine was awesome. Being in Manhattan, Krugman figured he probably had a sympathetic audience to help prove his point. Hilarity ensued:
PAUL KRUGMAN:
Actually, can I just — I wanted to ask a question. And—JOHN DONVAN:
Please—please do—PAUL KRUGMAN:
—and I wanted to ask, actually two questions, to the audience. First, how many Canadians, would Canadians in the room please raise your hands. [ONE PERSON APPLAUDS, LAUGHTER]JOHN DONVAN:
We have about seven hands going up—PAUL KRUGMAN:
Okay, not as many as I thought. Okay, of those of you who are not on the panel who are Canadians, how many of you think you have a terrible health care system. [PAUSE] One, two—JOHN DONVAN:
We see—almost all of the same hands going up. [LAUGHTER]PAUL KRUGMAN:
Bad move on my part. [APPLAUSE]
Thanks to the Club for finding this gem.
I was in the audience and can confirm that is what happened, and it briefly removed the usual Krugman smirk.
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I was in Montreal one time and trying to be friendly, I said I thought the health care system was good, the guy I said it to looked like he was going to burst a vein, then he muttered, "well, maybe, but we should have a choice about it."
I'd say go rent _The Barbarian Invasions_.. Where the marxist professor dying of cancer tries to go thru the regular system, but ends up relying on his "venal" capitalist son to pay off hospital workers to take extra care of him.. As well as cancer treatments in the USA..
Granted, it's in French with subtitles, but still worth it IMO.
Also, take a look at this..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Wilson#Illness
One wonders if he would have been able to afford private health insurance that would cover his cancer medication, but at least he died a principled socialist :/
Maybe this anecdote tells more about the social class of the audience than the benefits of a privatized health care system?
I read the London ,Ontario Free press (sister-in-law lives in Canada, my wife was Canadian) I have a story from Manitoba concerning
"MAN DIES WAITING IN ER" he was there for 34 hours before anyone noticed him. This is not the first time. In another case A hospital found that the ER people were not attending to patients soon after arrival in ER so they made a rule the person must be seen with-in four fours, The EMTs figured out a way to beat the rule, they kept the person in the Ambulance until the ER asked for them. Anyone still want "National Health care ??
Howard R. Roby
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We just lost our 9 year old to cancer. What we learned and saw is so disheartening. We were at Seattle Childrens, they would prescribe all kinds of treatments…as long as it came from a Pharmaceutical company….they charged us out ragous amounts…for ancient AMA approved proceedures….then the insurance company would pay about 10 to 20%.
the only real good insurance was, was getting in the door. so now we have a dead child..debt up the wazzoo and piles and piles of bills and other bs…its just nuts. so when they talk about insuring everyone…I LAUGH …because they do not care about our health…it is rigged to make a lot of money for mega corporations.
On a positive note ….the nurses that helped us were absolutely the heart and soul of that hospital.
I kinda kept a journal blog..here is the link/adress
http://tumortown.blogspot.com
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Speaking as one of those "socialist" Canadians I'd like to tell you how wonderful our health care system is. On welfare? Don't worry, you can still have an operation. Too poor to pay taxes? Cheer up, your cancer treatments are still free. Waiting times? Not really; if your need is more desperate, you'll be bumped to the front of the line. Can't afford health care premiums? No problem, your government looks after you.
The guy who died waiting for care in Manitoba? Guess what, that was a monstrous oversight that rarely happens. That's why it was in the news. It's not typical. An investigation is taking place.
Hey USA, wake up. Every other developed country has free universal health care. The British managed it after World War Two when they were bankrupt. There are Third World countries that provide better access to health care than you do. Amazing how you can afford the space programme and the world's largest military but can't afford health care.
Come on, people, stop listening to right wing rhetoric and demand better from your government. March on Washington.