Re: Digest Number 2710

[Guest guest]

I'm such a slow learner that it actually took me until today to realize that

Americans do consider Canada to be socialistic!! Dah, I'd just never thought of

that before. We don't think about it because this is the way it's been for many

decades. Yes, I would imagine that our system runs very closely with England,

Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden and all the many other countries that

have the social systems regulated. But, thank heavens they are regulated!!! At

least for awhile yet, we are guaranteed our pensions, disability, medical and

prescription care without it costing more than the mortgage. Oh, the taxes

could kill; but, at least we have to believe that the money is used for the good

of all the citizens (in your dreams).

A few years ago, I was having a dispute with an acquaintance over the changes

that were being made to our Welfare system. Of course, like we all do, she

wanted to blame everything on the current (provincial) government. Well, it was

also a time when big changes were starting to be made in the Logging Industry,

especially out here on the coast of British Columbia, land of the biguns!! It

was all political on both sides of the border and hurt each side as much as the

other. Anyway, thousands and thousands of people suddenly found themselves with

no job. My husband happened to be one of them!! So, I was pointing out to this

woman, where does the money come from that keeps her at home looking after her

children?? I said, it's from the paycheques of all those people that are now

out of work!!! If nothing is going into the bucket, how does it come back out??

Numerous years of hubby's working life, the income tax deducted from his

paycheque would be

enough to house and feed three single mothers and their children!! Mutiply

that by the 20,000 to 40,000 that are now out of work and tell me again who's

putting into the system for them to take it out??

However, even though we have some socialistic programs in place, Canada is still

the land of the free. Big business and small businesses alike abound here!! As

we all say - and the rich get richer and the poor get poorer; but, whatever

happened to the middle???

Gloria

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I am glad if it helped make some aspects clearer. I like hearing about Canada

also and would really like to see some sort of document sorting out the

differences in medical care in various countries - compare/contrast. Australia

is one that sounds a little different.

I can see that Canada has some problems with their system, as we certainly do

and I suspect all systems do. Whatever the USA comes up with will be in for

years of tweeking, if it comes up with anything.

I would consider Canada's system a socialist system in health care and have

always heard England referred to a socialist state going back as far as the end

of WWII. I think Americans' often overreact to the term socialist, socialism

and equate it with Stalin and Communism. That is a gross overreaction and

oversimplication, imo.

In my mind the largest function that a government has is to provide those things

to their citizens as a group cannot achieve individually. That would include

military protection, infrastructure, intrastate commerce regulations, exporting

and importing regulations, and many other things that take a group as a whole to

accomplish. Without that kind of government, well the South would have won the

civil war and it would all be up to the states, who would have never

accomplished some of the things that the federal government has. In my mind as

the forms and means of health care have changed it is no longer very possible to

negotiate reasonable rates or regulate huge corporate conglomerates in health

care, so I am hoping the government will come up with a solution. However if it

isn't a solution for all and only some I'm not to interested in it. If we paid

more in taxes for it, as you do in Canada, it should be, if done right, still

less expensive than

what we are paying on our own as individuals or small businesses.

Back to socialism and capitalism, I have no wish to elimate the capitalist roots

of our business society. I think it is the competition and ambition in that

system that underlies our drive to succeed and improve. But truth be known,

capitalism also has its ugly parts, greed and selfishness pervade and rule if it

were to go unchecked by at least some regulation to insure fair and honest

business practices. Our recent Wall Street problems that have tanked not only

our economy but the whole worlds to some extent, is an example of what happens

when regulations (government) are removed and the capitalist system operates

unregulated. And worse, we should have known that because it was the 1929 crash

of Wall Street that caused the first regulations to be put in place. Then a few

years ago it was all about favoring business and we removed many of the safety

nets from stock trading and .. here we crashed again.

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox and be done with what is going on in this country

for now or at least my opinion of it. Hope it gives some of the history for

those in other countries to understand better our current situation. Back to my

hole:)

>

> Thank you very much for a clear picture of what could and could not happen.

It's very informative! !

>

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