With Canada Day right around the corner, we have a hundred and forty years of rights and freedoms that need to be celebrated!!! And while most of us will be attending parties in honour of our amazing hockey teams, great beer and fantastic cottage country, there are some very significant things worth acknowledging on our big day!! When the anthem is being sung this weekend, we should be sure to recognize that we stand on some of the greatest soil in the world, where its citizens spend each day surrounded with prosperity and justice. For all the complaints that can be made towards our governments over the years, they still ensure that we live lives of freedom and opportunity simply unsurpassed by most parts of the world.
While I'm always very proud to be a Canadian and proud of those that brought us where we are...this Canada Day, I am raising my glass to our nation's greatest Canadian, Mr. Tommy Douglas because thanks to Michael Moore...I will never think of him the same way again!!!!
Last night, Steve and I went to an advanced screening of Michael Moore's new movie, Sicko, a documentary about the American Health Care System. We went into the theatre fully prepared for our fair share of "Moore propoganda" but, came out with a good laugh, a bit of a scare and a new appreciation for how good we have it in our country.
Moore takes a rather indepth, albeit "spun", look at the HMOs in the U.S. and compares it to various other nations around the world (namely, Canada, the U.K., France and Cuba...that's right...Cuba!!) and while I've seen most of Moore's films, this is by far, my favourite. I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't get quite as warm a welcome in the States but, as a Canadian, I found it completely brilliant and I think that every Canadian should be obligated to see this movie in order to have a better understanding of our own system relative to others.
Of course, our universal health care isn't perfect but, it's a hell of a lot better than having to cough up the bill for the ambulance ride when you're in an accident and didn't get the trip "pre-approved" by your insurance company. And it's better than being denied cancer treatment because you're too young to have gotten cancer in the first place. I'd like to think that Tommy Douglas saw this coming when he brought medicare to the masses!!
Steve made a very valid point last night regarding Moore's newest film; he said that it was the most noblest of his projects to date and hence, it's a lot easier to like. Unlike the controversy over the war or gun control, this movie basically supports the idea that all lives are equal and all people should be entitled to the best possible care. Regardless of your feelings towards Michael Moore and his sideways approach to political issues, it's a very moving and inspirational quest.
The movie really brought about many questions regarding why our countries' systems are so different, and it created a great deal of discussion long after the tape stopped rolling. As an observer from one side of the fence, my first thought is that, in the U.S., health care is a business to make money, while in Canada (and many other countries), health care is a right that needs to be paid for. And while we all contribute to a system that we may not all need to the same extent, the bottom line is that we need to be there for each other and help each other...it's simply part of the human condition. This isn't a matter of having the nicest car or the biggest house, this is about the most basic of needs regarding health and well-being, something that shouldn't be determined by economic status.
When Tommy Douglas first introduced our country to a universal health care system, I wonder if he had any idea that he was laying the foundation for the values and beliefs that would set us apart from our neighbors?? It's quite a legacy to leave behind and if anyone out there is on the fence about this issue, I recommend that you see this film sometime before the next election. For those of you who are in favour of privatized health care, just watch the opening segment of the movie as a guy stitches up his own knee because he can't afford the doctor's visit, and let me know if you still think this is the way to go!!!
On November 28th, 2002, the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada, headed up by Roy Romanow, delivered its final report to Canadians with recommendations regarding sustaining publicly-funded health care for the needs of the 21st century. What I loved about this report was its acknowledgement of accountability. The report stated that while it's reasonable for Canadians to expect one of the best health care systems in the world, the health of our citizens is a joint responsibility and each person has to take some role for their own well-being. If you want the system to work...you've got to do your part!
I don't think that our health care system is bogged down due to lack of funding and resources (though it is certainly an on-going issue), the system is bogged down with people who take it for granted. The system is strained because of people who spend their whole lives smoking and then expect to get treated for lung cancer or people who refuse to exercise and eat properly, then expect to get care for heart disease and high blood pressure. Though I'm certainly not in favour of privatization, it does bring up a good question...if the possibility of getting lung cancer doesn't deter people from smoking...would knowing that you could potentially have to dish out $100,000 to pay for that treatment do the trick???
This is just one of the many mind-boggling things that came up from Moore's latest creation and you've got to hand it to him...for someone who's job is to spin things in their favour...he's got his work cut out for him!!
So this Sunday, as we celebrate our nation's greatness...I will propose a toast to you, Mr. Douglas, for having a vision that would ensure that life, all life, would be valued equally. And I will propose a toast to you too, Mr. Moore, for reminding me that when I make my toast, I should do it with red wine instead of beer because it has less calories and it's easier on the liver!!!
While I'm always very proud to be a Canadian and proud of those that brought us where we are...this Canada Day, I am raising my glass to our nation's greatest Canadian, Mr. Tommy Douglas because thanks to Michael Moore...I will never think of him the same way again!!!!
Last night, Steve and I went to an advanced screening of Michael Moore's new movie, Sicko, a documentary about the American Health Care System. We went into the theatre fully prepared for our fair share of "Moore propoganda" but, came out with a good laugh, a bit of a scare and a new appreciation for how good we have it in our country.
Moore takes a rather indepth, albeit "spun", look at the HMOs in the U.S. and compares it to various other nations around the world (namely, Canada, the U.K., France and Cuba...that's right...Cuba!!) and while I've seen most of Moore's films, this is by far, my favourite. I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't get quite as warm a welcome in the States but, as a Canadian, I found it completely brilliant and I think that every Canadian should be obligated to see this movie in order to have a better understanding of our own system relative to others.
Of course, our universal health care isn't perfect but, it's a hell of a lot better than having to cough up the bill for the ambulance ride when you're in an accident and didn't get the trip "pre-approved" by your insurance company. And it's better than being denied cancer treatment because you're too young to have gotten cancer in the first place. I'd like to think that Tommy Douglas saw this coming when he brought medicare to the masses!!
Steve made a very valid point last night regarding Moore's newest film; he said that it was the most noblest of his projects to date and hence, it's a lot easier to like. Unlike the controversy over the war or gun control, this movie basically supports the idea that all lives are equal and all people should be entitled to the best possible care. Regardless of your feelings towards Michael Moore and his sideways approach to political issues, it's a very moving and inspirational quest.
The movie really brought about many questions regarding why our countries' systems are so different, and it created a great deal of discussion long after the tape stopped rolling. As an observer from one side of the fence, my first thought is that, in the U.S., health care is a business to make money, while in Canada (and many other countries), health care is a right that needs to be paid for. And while we all contribute to a system that we may not all need to the same extent, the bottom line is that we need to be there for each other and help each other...it's simply part of the human condition. This isn't a matter of having the nicest car or the biggest house, this is about the most basic of needs regarding health and well-being, something that shouldn't be determined by economic status.
When Tommy Douglas first introduced our country to a universal health care system, I wonder if he had any idea that he was laying the foundation for the values and beliefs that would set us apart from our neighbors?? It's quite a legacy to leave behind and if anyone out there is on the fence about this issue, I recommend that you see this film sometime before the next election. For those of you who are in favour of privatized health care, just watch the opening segment of the movie as a guy stitches up his own knee because he can't afford the doctor's visit, and let me know if you still think this is the way to go!!!
On November 28th, 2002, the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada, headed up by Roy Romanow, delivered its final report to Canadians with recommendations regarding sustaining publicly-funded health care for the needs of the 21st century. What I loved about this report was its acknowledgement of accountability. The report stated that while it's reasonable for Canadians to expect one of the best health care systems in the world, the health of our citizens is a joint responsibility and each person has to take some role for their own well-being. If you want the system to work...you've got to do your part!
I don't think that our health care system is bogged down due to lack of funding and resources (though it is certainly an on-going issue), the system is bogged down with people who take it for granted. The system is strained because of people who spend their whole lives smoking and then expect to get treated for lung cancer or people who refuse to exercise and eat properly, then expect to get care for heart disease and high blood pressure. Though I'm certainly not in favour of privatization, it does bring up a good question...if the possibility of getting lung cancer doesn't deter people from smoking...would knowing that you could potentially have to dish out $100,000 to pay for that treatment do the trick???
This is just one of the many mind-boggling things that came up from Moore's latest creation and you've got to hand it to him...for someone who's job is to spin things in their favour...he's got his work cut out for him!!
So this Sunday, as we celebrate our nation's greatness...I will propose a toast to you, Mr. Douglas, for having a vision that would ensure that life, all life, would be valued equally. And I will propose a toast to you too, Mr. Moore, for reminding me that when I make my toast, I should do it with red wine instead of beer because it has less calories and it's easier on the liver!!!
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