Hey Deathers - Keep up the good work. Seriously.

As a Canadian, it boggles my mind that once again you "real Americans" are being duped into supporting something that runs so blatantly against your own self-interests. I guess when you were voting for Bush/Cheney, and then McCain/Palin, you may not have been voting for tax cuts for the rich, but rather for something else. Your position on health care reform, though.... Frankly I'm stumped.

All I can say is "KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!

Why do I say that as a Canadian? I've got no dog in your fight. You would be wrong, neighbour. As a Canadian, and unlike you, I actually benefit from the status quo being maintained on U.S. health care.

How so, you ask:

1. Following NAFTA, which you no doubt support wholeheartedly, an increased level of competition arose between Canada and the US economically. When 16% of your GDP is siphoned off to health care under the status quo, versus only 10% of mine, the status quo works great for me!. When decisions are made by multinational corporations in where to invest or set up shop, the cost of providing health care to employees is a significant factor. So the status quo works great for me!
   
   
2. Your current laws preventing Medicare from negotiating drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies has created a cottage industry where I live. Drug tourism. And it's got nothing to do with our high quality weed! American senior, in increasing numbers, travel to Canada, enjoy the sights, and get their prescriptions filled at a much lower cost. Perhaps saving enough to pay for their whole trip. So the status quo works great for me! And when you continue to pay those exorbitant prices to the pharmaceutical companies, you're funding the innovation that I'll benefit from in the future. So the status quo works great for me!
   
   
3. Canada has what's known as a "single tier" health care system. Everyone gets the same care, regardless of their ability to pay. But there are some here in Canada that push for establishing a "second" tier. These people want the ability to obtain medical care on demand, if they can afford to pay. "I want my liposuction NOW!". The argument against establishing a second tier, is that it will undermine the quality of our single tier system. Lucky for us, there is the USA. Your system is nothing but a second tier! And we can say to these people, "You want your liposuction now, go to LA". So you can see, the status quo works great for me!
   

So even though I fully support health care reform in the U.S., and think you'd be nuts not to establish some kind of single-payer system, I should really thank you for being such vocal supporters of the status quo. If all your heavy lifting on behalf of the private health care industry pays off, and health care reform is killed, you can put me down in the winners' column.

.... this weekend about some friends of mine, the man in the US and the woman in Canada who, after they get married, the man is moving to Canada in part BECAUSE of the superior health care system.

That shut my friend up REAL fast.