This is a topic that needs to be addressed.While Canada lags the US in many metrics, including the wealth of its citizens, Canada obviously leaves the US far behind in the sphere of what we might wish to refer to as social capital.
Given the recent health care debate in the US, it seems worth mentioning, "Hey, we have a health care system here in Canada that has worked well now for several generations! What are you arguing about down there?"
Why can relatively poor Canada outperform the relatively wealthy United States in providing health care and social services generally to its citizens?
I've been thinking about this lately, and I think the answer is fairly simple.
Canada has a broad centrist political consensus, whereas the United States is polarized, with ugly and accusatory disputes characterizing the extreme positions on the right and the left (with the right arguing more or less for corporate welfare if you will, while the left argues for benefits for the disenfranchised and for special interest groups).
While the Americans have been arguing, the Canadians have forged a system that more or less works.Lesson?
If you cooperate, it doesn't matter that much HOW you do it - what matters is that you get it done.
My message to the US?
"Hey America, stop arguing and start cooperating! Begin with health care for everybody. And don't forget responsibility and accountability for everybody too. Cooperation works. Get off your soapbox. Do more listening and less shouting. Help each other. Work together!"
There, I've said it. Enough for now....
Canada works. Think about it.
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