From: gld@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Gary L Dare)
Subject: Re: Death of Canada (Was: Death of America)
Reply-To: gld@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Gary L Dare)
Organization: The Bates Motel
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 17:46:24 GMT

cmk@athena.mit.edu (Charles M Kozierok) writes:
>gld@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Gary L Dare) writes:
>>
>>In metro New York, the Bay Area, L.A. and most other well-developed areas
>>you can ring up US$200-300 in tolls a year; I rang up $5 over two days of
>>interviews between NYC and Westchester County just outside city limits.
>
>you've picked the absolute worst example areas in the whole US.

I've also had similiar experiences in California and in the D.C./
Virginia/Maryland area.  After having cruised around Western Canada
in a convertible a few times, I can appreciate the open road ... I'm
not averse to shifting towards a more user-oriented system using high
tech collection systems -- being Canadian, I'm stuck on the idea of
quality of life (-; -- but 'til then, I'll continue to wrinkle my
nose at medieval toll gates.

>the bad tolls are in a few specific areas. the ludicrous gas taxes
>(also very arbitrary, please note) are *everywhere*. the tolls can be
>avoided. the gas tax cannot.

Fine.  See above.  But also remember that the alternative to a toll road
in many areas would be passing through, say, the South Bronx ("Bonfire of
the Vanities" ... need I say more?).

>>We have private businesses, all our doctors are private, we have major
>>corporations, we have major league sports franchises, people work hard
>>and struggle to make a living, and try to get ahead.  What bothers
>>your ideology?  There's too much to point out how Canada is a
>>capitalist country.
>
>compared to the former soviet union it is a capitalist country. compared
>to the US (as i requested) it is a socialist one. i don't know what you
>mean about doctors being private -- they seem pretty government-controlled
>to me. and the fact that people work hard and struggle is irrelevant --
>they do that more in socialist countries than capitalist ones anyway.

By that token, every other G7 country but the U.S. is a sovietic
gulag.  (Okay, just kidding! (-;) In another thread, please tell us
about how our doctors, who have private practices under their own
names listed in the Yellow Pages and bill insurance on a per-procedure
cost-based basis or sign contracts to work in public or private
hospitals, are government controlled.  If anything, they are in the
drivers' seat of that system.  The AMA down here is aware of that, and
they've held their cards very closely 'til now (lest they fall under
the control of HMO corporations who are dying to get themselves into a
pseudo-socialized medicine monopoly).  Other than basic medical
insurance, which is public because none of our private firms can
accept the risks of universal amortization ... they even say so
themselves.  Outside of basic medical care, our "system" is still very
class-oriented (can you afford a private room?  My parents can ...
they've worked hard to be successful in business, can afford it, and
deserve it (-;).  Our doctors are happy (in fact, disturbingly comfort-
able from what I've seen in my circles); they get paid every time they
see someone (not necessarily the case here; if you know doctors, they
are extreme pragmatists and leave ideological arguments to others ...).

Find me a Canadian doctor who says that he/she works for the government.

gld
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Je me souviens ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gary L. Dare
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