Some of our neighbours to the south did everything they could this week to prevent the great republic from being tainted by universal health care.
They forced the closure of parts of the American government, starting with the operation of the national parks. Ha, ha. “America’s greatest idea” will pay the price for those who would tarnish the braintrust of freedom with socialist notions from the north.
Extend medical benefits to everybody! Indeed. From my cold, dead fingers. If you can’t afford medical benefits, then...well...die.
What is it about universal health care that scares politically conservative Americans? Is it such a bad thing? I mean we’re not talking about allowing, well, I don’t even want to say what unsavory behaviours we could draw disturbing comparisons with.
As I understand it...actually, I don’t understand it but if I follow the “logic,” the issue goes something like this. Conservative Republicans – as opposed to, like, regular Republicans, I guess – want to stop President Barrack Obama from introducing a medicare bill so badly, that they’ll hold the operation of the U.S. government for ransom. Drop the healthcare provisions of the budget or the Republicans will shut down major portions of the federal government by refusing to pass the budget bill.
Only in America.
The Republicans have agreed (amongst themselves) to a plan that would fund government operations in return for delaying the healthcare provisions for a year. The president doesn’t want to do this because health care reform is a major component of his legislative plan, a plan which the election campaign was partly fought on. You know, the election that the Republicans lost. It’s not just in Campbell River where the losers of an election think they still have the right to dictate how the city should be run.
So, the Republicans are willing to shut down non-essential services (like national parks because, you know, some people think national parks aren’t essential) in order to prevent healthcare reform.
Okay, I get it that universal health care is expensive. But whenever you discuss government spending in the U.S., you can always fall back on that dependable old saw, “If the U.S. government just gave health care (or insert any program) a portion of the money it spends on the military...”
It’s not the sustainability debate that puzzles me, it’s the vehemence with which opponents in the U.S. view health care. It’s the red scare of the 21st Century, which, of course, has been raging since, well, the red scare. It’s an ideological issue. Why do healthcare opponents not want to offer health services to all or most of its citizens who can’t afford it? Why is that such a bad thing?
Of course, the fear for Canadians about Republican antics is that our Conservatives start to get funny ideas. Luckily of course, we don’t have to shut down the federal government to get our way, the prime minister just has to prorogue Parliament.