Gumby; there is this great fear in the United States with anything that can be construed as the big socialist bogeyman. I can only surmise that this is due to the most excellent propaganda conducted by the elite in both business and politics. After all politicians are to a large degree financed by those very same businesses, more so in the U.S. than in Canada. All economies are Mixed economies the degree of the mix determines whether they can be defined as leaning toward the Capitalist or Socialist end of the spectrum. The banks, car companies, and many others don't seem to have had an aversion to socialist policies when they are bailed out by the taxpayer, even the ordinary joe in the street likes a freebie, (think car clunkers). Give it another name rather than 'socialism at work' and it's okay.

I agree that wait times in our Medical system can on occasion be a problem in Canada and can lead to sad outcomes. There will always be glitches regardless of the system that predominates. It is easy to cherry pick, as the Republicans have done when pointing out so called failures in our system, as the U.S. is roughly 10 times as large, population wise, as Canada I would expect there are at least 10 times the number of screw up's in the U.S. current system. If you care to cherry pick.

As you well know the government has no money except that which it sneaks out of our pockets, I'm no fan of the NDP in Canada, but I thank God for Tommy Douglas, (health care), I was no Chretien fan either, but he kept us out of Iraq. (dead bodies). Of course a public health care system is going to cost each individual through their taxes, but in the long run would it be more expensive than the screwed up system that is current in the U.S. I don't think so. When you think of it, all western countries have public health systems, there are variations, but on the whole they work reasonably well. So are we all wrong and the U.S. right? I guess thats up to the American people to decide. Personally, as someone who is not, (as I keep telling my wife) very wealthy, and having been the recipient of two heart attacks and had excellent care, I am a definite proponent of our system with all its' faults.

Finally; as someone once said, I challenge any Canadian government to introduce legislation that would take the Health system back to being controlled by private insurance companies. It would be a hundred years before they ever got back in power, if ever. (Excuse the ramble).