EDITORIAL: Obama's America is Canada

As a Canadian, I must (politely) say no to Obama as our leader. We've had him already - Pierre Trudeau - and it took us years to rectify some of the financial damage he wrought. We are still struggling with another legacy - the human rights kangaroo courts. If North America ever becomes a free trade area for people as well as goods, the brain drain flow will become a torrent of Canadians sick and tired of collectivism and comfort.

if John McCain can get people to understand this- he's a winner.

I have to love this editorials, where authors can hide behind the word 'editorial'. Yes, Canada has lower standards of health compared to folks in US who have GOOD INSURANCE... and of course, the authors (who have very good insurance from WashT) don't really care much about the 50 million who don't. That is not something to start worrying about. Dear WashT 'editor': how about some balance? I have asked this before: how about the 50 million, what is your solution for them (or should we just ignore them as usual)

As an answer to steve21a- I love how the "uninsured" number keeps rising despite no evidence for that no. And the 47 mil. which people are always quoting includes 20 million illegal aliens. If we tried to insure all the people that are not citizens we will go broke. My best friend lives in PA. She lives on disability and through medicaid(i.e. government insurance) has had a breast reduction and gastric bypass surgery. She has a daughter who is fully insured by the state until she is 18(She just received a new pair of eyeglasses). Who are these uninsured that people keep screaming about?

Interesting comments, but doesn't seem to recognize the upside of Canada's policies. We are in a recession here in the U.S. Canada's western provinces are booming. The Canadian dollar has made enormous strides. And all Canadians have some health care, as opposed to 50 million Americans who do not. Canada is looked at as a team player and member of the world, not its bully. I don't know about the brain drain either. They are attracting many immigrant groups because they need workers, and from all over the world, including Iraqi, Africans, Indians, Chinese, from doctors to tradespeople. I think this editorial may be citing old facts.

This article is a red herring and inappropriate comparison of Canada. First, Canada is not the only socialized medicine state in the World. Look at England, France and other European countries. The welfare of the people takes precedence over the oligarchies of the insurance companies, who have to charge more to defend themselves from the legal wolves, who so willingly, make everything about their interpretations, to bilk the system in the name of their clients, whether an individual or major insurance company. It is as if the medical field is at the mercy of attorneys and the courts, who do very well in the American environment of pay-for-health. Insurance companies ask for higher premiums, are controlled by HMO's who pay hacks to deny coverage. The Pharmaceutical Companies pay big money to advertise every product they have for libido enhancers, to stroke and whatever the illness du jour is. Entire clinics are devoted to certain compounds, for the kick back and endorsement fees they get, wether the compound is effective or not - Paxil comes to mind. If Obama is elected, and national medicine becomes the law, everyone will at least have access to preventative measures and a social contract that already exists in the Hypocratic Oath, but then, that is too simple and in order to get more money, the lawyers, AMA, Politicians, Insurance Companies and Physicians will have to make the case that it is not as simple as all that, and we need to keep the status quo of a complicated, loosely regulated and expensive system, for the welfare of the people - not the welfare people! I embrace putting a national healthcare system into play, that way, Americans don't have to go to Canada, Mexico and European countries for lower cost alternatives. Like the wealthier people in America do.

Yes, a kinder gentler nation where there is less poverty, more equality, greater fairness, a level playing field - but that really disturbs and intimidates the author who feels this would demean his position and put less distance between himself and the lower rungs of society, reducing his feelings of superiority. Law of the jungle is good for these people who are often brought up in wealth and know they will one day inherit it without having done anything but to have been born at the right place and time to the right parents. Anyone else wanting more should have to struggle with the odds greatly against them. The arrogance of this author should demand they experience the more difficult lives of the millions who earn less in their entire lifetimes than some of the celebrities we worship and the CEOs who drive companies into the ground earn in an hour. I can only imagine he/she is a recent graduate who has visions of grandeur as we are all taught since birth that anyone in this country can rise to the highest levels or become president. Keeps the masses sedated. Anything less is communism, right? And this calleous, uneducated joker gets their views in print to infect millions?

The author shows so much bias. I am not impressed - The Washington Times should do better. Typical way of scaring Americans and making it seem like Obama is unpatriotic as his values "appear" Canadian....ooooh the C word...scaaary. We focus on the wrong things constantly. Also, to DWGTT, you are clearly not used to doing research. Please review the websites of the AMA, CDC and the Census Bureau if you would like to make intellectual comments. The over 47 million uninsured Americans quoted DOES NOT INCLUDE illegal immigrants but DOES INCLUDE several million children. Also, let us not forget the other 20 million Americans with ridiculous coverage that shouldnt even count as having insurance. Wake up and smell the coffee!!! AMERICA IS SUFFERING!!!

Well since the standard of living in Canada was the highest in the world 7 out of the last 14 years and rated 4th in 2007. The US has never had the highest standard of living since 1980 and in 2007 was rated 12th. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index Would it really be that bad if we were more like Canada?

McCain desire to continue transforming America into Iran which has been underway since the stolen 2000 election. Corporate welfare, the massacre of a million civilian in Irak, the real estate market manioulation, the dollar dive, the million of citizens and none-legal human without adequate healthcare, the unreported explosion of inflation, the staggering 5 trillions increase of the national debt, the evaporation of democracy in daily life and on and on. A friend on mine, Canadian millionaire is laughing when he reads editorials like this one. Canadians would not take the american healthcare system if you were to pay them to do so. The "US- editorials" are so disconnected from reality, so ideologically-driven that they either do not known, or can not comprehend that a better system more effective more human exist in many other countries which have a higher life expectancy than the us. Why is it that there is no American Nobel Price who has been been educated in a private school. Why does the average American pay more taxes for the services they received than the citizens of other develop countries. Why is the dollar is diving to 50% of the euro when the europeans have 5 weeks of mandated paid vacations, free education and health services, and real living wages and retirement. Republicans have cannibalized this country. Of course they need a God to salvage them. Liberal&independant

Who let all the liberal nuts out of the cage today? When, no longer if, the socialist FREE police state takes over in the USA, folks like the ones who represent Moveon.org will be your MASTERS. Step out of line and you will wind up in a re-education class where the instructors carry bamboo canes with which to get and keep your attention focused on the good of THE STATE..... After all, as Frank Burns once said" Individuality is fine, as long as we all do it together".

I don't have time to pick on all the paragraphs so I will choose the one on health care. I love seeing the same tired health care argument. "The wealthiest Canadians travel to the United States for medical care to avoid long waiting periods for tests and operations." Duh, people with money want faster service. The obvious question becomes is it better to have 300 million Americans wait for coverage or 250 million Americans get faster service and 50 million Americans get no coverage at all. Do we as a society want to ration health care based on money or resources? Another issue of our health care system is it's operated by private companies. Private companies need to earn a profit and treating patients lowers the profit margin. This conflict in interest causes the thing that matters the most in a health care system, people, to lose out. I bet this is why America is the only idustrialized western nation with a private health care system. I would love to see a commentator like this just come out and say they don't care about the 50 million uninsured and it's ok for them (and their children) to live in poverty and with the disabilities of not having health care. As for dwgtt having the audacity to ask who these uninsured people are, I would like to point him to my 59 year old mom. She is uneducated and works for call service centers. She had to quit her last job as she got sick and they wouldn't giver her time off to recover. After losing her job (and health insurance), her son (17) dislocated his finger. She got a $3000 bill from the hospital for that. She is already poor and the system we have keeps her that way. Put a little effort into it and I'm sure you can find countless examples. I hope you never lose your job and can always find another.

I, too, expected a well-written editorial from this newspaper. Instead, I read a watered down, bogus, incoherent rambling of unsupported opinion. I could rebut this editorial point for point, but that would take all day. I've read better high school essays.

Silly you. States facts and expects us to believe the false arguments that follow. A false argument tactic that is often fallen for. The Times should be more cognizant of such editorial tactics. And other arguments such as "railing against overpaid CEOs" and attaching that to higher taxes for those who "soar" is laughable. Ex CEO Carly Fiorina failed at Hewlett Packard after the purchase of Compaq and departed with a 21 million severance package. Some things do need changing.

I live in Canada, and everything said here is true, and worse. It's something like 90% of the people here that cannot find a family physician. There literally are NO doctors left. There is no disputing this fact. The equipment is old, or does not exist. Many clinics do not have the machines that Americans take for granted, and have for years. Any surgery, or any procedure requiring a specialist of any kind is scheduled a minimum 3-6 months out, some need to wait years. A girlfriend of mine was told to wait in the emergency room while her water broke, because there was no one to help deliver her baby. She was in line with other mothers about to deliver. A neighbor was told she couldn't have the knee surgery she needed for at least another year, because they didn't want to pay for the surgery more than once in her lifetime, and expected the procedure to last 10 years, and this woman was more elderly. Can you imagine this? People aren't going to the US for help just because they can afford it. It is because they need it; want to stop the suffering, or simply do not want to die. Canada keeps statistics on how many people die waiting for medical help in this country. And the system is not completely free. I have to pay a percentage of my prescription drugs, just like in the US. I have a separate insurance, just like in the US. Dental and Vision require insurance, just like in the US. That is just the health care system. The taxes are insane and the majority of the money goes to the collapsed health care system and the propoganda machine, the public CBC. That is where the taxes go. There is no return on investment. Canada is truly a joke. As is Obama.