Obama's opponents on Health Care Reform

Patients United Now, an advocacy group opposed to the reforms to healthcare envisioned by Obama, has enlisted the help of a Canadian in one of their ads that greatly distorts the issue.

Shona Holmes, who had an unusual brain tumor, was told that she would have to wait 6 months in the Canadian system before she would see a specialist. She decided instead to go to the US, while mortgaging her house to pay the $100 000 to see the American specialist. Now she is speaking out in a Patients United Now ad claiming that if Healthcare a la Canadian were attempted in the US, "deadly" waiting lists would ensue.

What people like Shona Holmes and the good ol' conservatives at Patients United Now don't seem to want to understand is that it is equally deadly to not have proper healthcare that is available to all, regardless of financial situation. How are people in the lower classes to get access to even simple healthcare, let alone treatment for brain tumors when they cannot pay the prices demanded in the US without seriously compromising their already precarious situations?

This is not to say that there are not problems with the Canadian system, but it is considerably superior to that in the US. In Canada, medical setbacks do not mean that your whole life is setback. In the US, you have to be quite wealthy to escaped unscathed financially.

The problems brought up by these ads, notably the long waiting lists, need to be addressed, and all parties in Canada recognize that (although I doubt the Conservatives track record). Proposals have been put forward for more doctors and nurses to reduce severe shortages in the sector, and thus reduce waiting times.

However, in the grand scheme of things, I would much rather have the Healthcare system we enjoy in Canada than the mess in the United States. Our system benefits more people, harming less than the American one does with its deadly prices to the average citizen.

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Wish I worked for AIG

On quite a posting spree since I just started this blog. XD

So, you may be wondering: why does a sixteen year old want to work for AIG? I mean, sure they're a successful bank, but don't I have more lofty ambitions in life?

Well, you see, if I worked for AIG, after a while, I'd be able to go and do whatever I want. All I need to do is to work for them, collect all those bonuses they're giving out, and TADA!!!!!!!!!, I'm rich.

That's probably what the AIG executives were thinking when they collected that bailout that the US government handed out to them recently. Why not take a perfect opportunity? The taxpayers won't miss the money will they? It's only 165 million dollars. What's the big deal?

First of all, it might not seem like much to them, but it's worth quite a bit to the average household. In addition, it's a principle they are breaking. There is a trust between them and the government representing all Americans in relation to this money. They have abused that trust, and now they should owe up to the consequences.

In times of such economic turmoil, you would think that they would do away with such over the top bonuses. They are just that: bonuses. They are not salaries that are owed to the employees. If AIG needs such huge loans because of their inability to steer themselves clear of bankruptcy, perhaps they should consider why they ended up with this problem. Using bailout money they were desperate to obtain to pay hefty bonuses to a select group of executives does not sound like a proper strategy to deal with this problem.

Obama is furious about this. Good, now let's see what he does.

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