3 ms·

I know it sounds insane, but the average American's idea of nationalized healthcare is something akin to waiting in Soviet Union breadlines just to get an aspir

by bconway 13y ago

I know it sounds insane, but the average American's idea of nationalized healthcare is something akin to waiting in Soviet Union breadlines just to get an aspirin. There's a whole cadre of talking heads employed full-time to make the rounds on Fox News et al promoting this sort of willfully ignorant line of thought. Not at all. We've seen it first-hand and up-close with our neighbors to the north. Taxes through the roof, and the only way to get good care is to "go private."

Cushman 13y ago
I severely doubt the average American has any sort of experience with the Canadian health care system whatsoever, let alone "first-hand" or "up-close". The average American probably didn't even know Canada had universal health care before 2009. Shoot, the average American might still not know that.
- mgkimsal 13y ago
  Some Americans can't even find Canada on a map. http://www.pajamadeen.com/world-news/canada/why-americans-cant-find-canada http://www.pajamadeen.com/world-news/canada/why-americans-ca...
wnight 13y ago
Man-on-the-street interviews show a depressing inability to point to Canada on a globe. Whose hand does your first-hand experience come from?
kareemm 13y ago
> Taxes through the roof The highest federal marginal tax rate in Canada is 29%[1], kicking in at taxable income over $135,054. The highest federal marginal tax rate in the US is 39.6%[2], kicking in at $400,001. At 135,054 of income, you're in the $87,851 – $183,250 tax bracket, and paying 28%. Provincial / state taxes can ratchet those numbers up depending on where you live. > the only way to get good care is to "go private." Have you ever had medical care in Canada? There are situations where going private will get you much speedier care (for an MRI for a non-life threatening injury, for example, could take you months to get). But generally speaking, going public will get you high quality care delivered on an appropriate schedule (life threatening: right away... not life threatening: appropriately quick). [1] - http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/fq/txrts-eng.html http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/fq/txrts-eng.html [2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_States#Marginal_tax_rates_for_2013 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_State... [3] - http://www.tax-services.ca/canadian-tax-calculator/income-tax-calculator-canada.html http://www.tax-services.ca/canadian-tax-calculator/income-ta... [4] - http://www.tax-brackets.org/californiataxtable http://www.tax-brackets.org/californiataxtable
dasil003 13y ago
As an American living in the UK, I have actually seen it first-hand. This belief that because we border Canada that we somehow have first-hand experience of their medical system is exactly the type of willful ignorance that I was calling out.

by bconway 13y ago

Cushman 13y ago

I severely doubt the average American has any sort of experience with the Canadian health care system whatsoever, let alone "first-hand" or "up-close". The average American probably didn't even know Canada had universal health care before 2009. Shoot, the average American might still not know that.

mgkimsal 13y ago
Some Americans can't even find Canada on a map. http://www.pajamadeen.com/world-news/canada/why-americans-cant-find-canada http://www.pajamadeen.com/world-news/canada/why-americans-ca...

wnight 13y ago

Man-on-the-street interviews show a depressing inability to point to Canada on a globe. Whose hand does your first-hand experience come from?

kareemm 13y ago

> Taxes through the roof The highest federal marginal tax rate in Canada is 29%[1], kicking in at taxable income over $135,054. The highest federal marginal tax rate in the US is 39.6%[2], kicking in at $400,001. At 135,054 of income, you're in the $87,851 – $183,250 tax bracket, and paying 28%. Provincial / state taxes can ratchet those numbers up depending on where you live. > the only way to get good care is to "go private." Have you ever had medical care in Canada? There are situations where going private will get you much speedier care (for an MRI for a non-life threatening injury, for example, could take you months to get). But generally speaking, going public will get you high quality care delivered on an appropriate schedule (life threatening: right away... not life threatening: appropriately quick). [1] - http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/fq/txrts-eng.html http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/fq/txrts-eng.html [2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_States#Marginal_tax_rates_for_2013 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_State... [3] - http://www.tax-services.ca/canadian-tax-calculator/income-tax-calculator-canada.html http://www.tax-services.ca/canadian-tax-calculator/income-ta... [4] - http://www.tax-brackets.org/californiataxtable http://www.tax-brackets.org/californiataxtable

dasil003 13y ago

As an American living in the UK, I have actually seen it first-hand. This belief that because we border Canada that we somehow have first-hand experience of their medical system is exactly the type of willful ignorance that I was calling out.