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Sarah Palin crossed border for Canadian health care

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pandabear
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09 Mar 2010, 8:00 pm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/0 ... 90080.html

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Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- who has gone to great lengths to hype the supposed dangers of a big government takeover of American health care -- admitted over the weekend that she used to get her treatment in Canada's single-payer system.

"We used to hustle over the border for health care we received in Canada," Palin said in her first Canadian appearance since stepping down as governor of Alaska. "And I think now, isn't that ironic?"

The irony, one guesses, is that Palin now views Canada's health care system as revolting: with its government-run administration and 'death-panel'-like rationing. Clearly, however, she and her family once found it more alluring than, at the very least, the coverage available in rural Alaska. Up to the age of six, Palin lived in a remote town near the closest Canadian city, Whitehorse.

Officials at several hospitals in that area declined to give out information on patient visits.



Jacoby
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09 Mar 2010, 9:18 pm

Wouldn't that mean she actually experienced the Canadian health care system first hand and might know what she's talking about? :roll: She was under 6 too so I don't think you can really hold her accountable either way. Maybe a nice little talking point I guess.



pandabear
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09 Mar 2010, 10:08 pm

Her family apparently found the Canadian health care system superior to the American, or they wouldn't have snuck across the border for it.



Orwell
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09 Mar 2010, 11:27 pm

Jacoby wrote:
Wouldn't that mean she actually experienced the Canadian health care system first hand and might know what she's talking about? :roll:

The notion that Sarah Palin ever knows what she's talking about is rather amusing, but I don't expect the right wing to abandon this delusion anytime soon.

I am not sure I understand why the right seems willing to defend Palin to the death, no matter how big a fool she repeatedly makes of herself. There are plenty of intelligent, well-informed conservatives in this country, why not rally behind one of them?


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Sand
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10 Mar 2010, 12:09 am

Orwell wrote:
Jacoby wrote:
Wouldn't that mean she actually experienced the Canadian health care system first hand and might know what she's talking about? :roll:

The notion that Sarah Palin ever knows what she's talking about is rather amusing, but I don't expect the right wing to abandon this delusion anytime soon.

I am not sure I understand why the right seems willing to defend Palin to the death, no matter how big a fool she repeatedly makes of herself. There are plenty of intelligent, well-informed conservatives in this country, why not rally behind one of them?


The American public doesn't seem to comprehend that intelligent political contenders have any value. They liked G.W.Bush because he was a congenial beer companion and they like Palin because she is a bit sexier than Karl Rove. Perhaps they instinctively understand that these people are only ventriloquist dummies for secret powers that are the prime movers of the economic system.



ruveyn
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10 Mar 2010, 10:22 am

Jacoby wrote:
Wouldn't that mean she actually experienced the Canadian health care system first hand and might know what she's talking about? :roll: She was under 6 too so I don't think you can really hold her accountable either way. Maybe a nice little talking point I guess.


It is a short trip from Alaska to Canada. It is a long trip from Alaska to the continental United States. The best medical care in the U.S. is generally found in the large cities and on the coasts (Atlantic and Pacific). Alaska is probably a bit backward in terms of medical care quality.

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phil777
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10 Mar 2010, 11:03 am

Probably offtopic, but yesterday while discussing linguistics in class, our teach made mention that the Republicans have such "good" success and support because they know how to use metaphors, mostly those with patriotic themes or that refer to the family. Our teach also told us about a collegue in the USA who specializes on this (metaphors). Apparently the success of the Democrats in the last years of the Bush era were thanks to him collaborating with them. :p



pandabear
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10 Mar 2010, 11:18 am

I wonder if Mrs. Palin will reimburse Canada for the cost of her medical care?

If she had any sibling that were born in Canada, perhaps they would qualify for Canadian citizenship, and could get the Hell out of here.

If rural Alaska is so backward compared to rural Canada for medical care, it might follow that the rest of the USA is also backward compared to Canada.



ruveyn
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10 Mar 2010, 12:18 pm

pandabear wrote:

If rural Alaska is so backward compared to rural Canada for medical care, it might follow that the rest of the USA is also backward compared to Canada.


The U.S. has the highest tech health care in the world. Unfortunately it is not as affordable to many as they would wish.

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Sand
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10 Mar 2010, 12:23 pm

ruveyn wrote:
pandabear wrote:

If rural Alaska is so backward compared to rural Canada for medical care, it might follow that the rest of the USA is also backward compared to Canada.


The U.S. has the highest tech health care in the world. Unfortunately it is not as affordable to many as they would wish.

ruveyn


Like the forty million people who cannot afford health insurance?



ruveyn
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10 Mar 2010, 7:25 pm

Sand wrote:
ruveyn wrote:
pandabear wrote:

If rural Alaska is so backward compared to rural Canada for medical care, it might follow that the rest of the USA is also backward compared to Canada.


The U.S. has the highest tech health care in the world. Unfortunately it is not as affordable to many as they would wish.

ruveyn


Like the forty million people who cannot afford health insurance?


For starters. By the way, these poor sods can be treated in emergency rooms. The law forbids hospitals turning away emergency patients just because they can't pay. Unfortunately this is the most expensive and inefficient way of providing medical care and treatment. I would favor insurance reforms simply because it will be less expensive to go that route.

Even so, getting first line high tech care is expensive and it is unlikely that it will be affordable to the many. On the other hand proper preventative care is much more cost effective than fancy high tech gimmicks. It is cheaper to prevent disease than to cure it.

ruveyn