Sausage Making In America ....

When I was a kid I was growing up in a French farming community way up by the tundra line in Alberta Canada. It is always said to this day that the land my father owned grew far more rocks than it ever did the wheat he planted. It was back breaking and at time heart breaking.

But man did we ever know how to make sausage! You know, the kind from meat either pork or beef which we did have a lot of! It's not really hard to do and there are lots of videos on U-Tube how easy it is to do today. We never had all the gizmo's that are now used to create the perfect sausage back then. Sometimes Mom would cook them in a little bit of maple syrup and there was nothing better in life to eat! Sure beat eating boiled chicken which we also had a lot of!

I have heard a lot this last year about how American politicians described what they do as 'making sausage' when it comes to bills. That confuses me because sausage making back in my day was pure and clean and very good to eat when done right. Anything added was done to make it better but you had to be very careful about what you did and how you did it. Nothing smells better than a pan of good sausage being cooked. But nothing smells worse than a mix of sausage sitting there rotting. Sometimes you added too much of something and the whole thing ended up being food for the pigs.

 I always believed that law makers made law - not sausages. I thought they were responsible for every word they wrote and every idea they had that they initiated and passed and in the end answered to the people. Then again I thought America was a Republic and Owebama himself keeps calling it a Democracy. Seems like he should go back to school. Then again we have only been told that Owebama has a brain. His school records are tied up tighter than Fort Knox and he has spent millions keeping them that way. He was never a 'professor' of anything by the way. That was a lie.

It the sausage making these politicians of both parties refer to is the making of laws for the benefit of the many and not the few then where is the good in what they do? Mr. Stupid held out like a hero to prevent the framework being laid for the takeover of American health care. When all along he was nothing but another lousy sausage maker. On Friday it was disclosed in my Canadian Media that he sold his vote. He would be getting money for his state to help with repairs to several airports there. Politics as usual continues in America and I can smell it all the way from Washington to British Columbia, Canada. Quite the smell America I must say.

So now here you are America. Just more of the same crap different day. Hopeless and changeless in America. More debt added to an already increasing level that continues to climb at a rate that is unbelievable. In Canada this kind of 'sausage making' in government would get you thrown in jail.

I like what Governor Sarah Palin did. All the corrupt politicians in Alaska are wearing orange jumpsuits for trying to make this kind of sausage in Alaska. She was having none of it. How about that. A lady who really knows the value of making really, really good sausage and keeping the rot out of it.

Just a suggestion but perhaps that is something you the people really need to take a serious look at before the next election.

Why the rest of the free world should care about ....

America ....


I am often asked why I care so much about what is taking place in America. Twenty years ago I did not actually give a rats arse what happened there. I loved my neighbour but I was raising a healthy family, living life and had no bloody idea how to turn a computer on let alone use it ....

Calmer days and different priorities, interests but most of all education. It was not until 911 that I really started paying attention to all things American. My heart broke for all free nations in the world that day because so much was lost to all of us even if we did not realize it at the time. Most of all my heart broke for America because the innocent people who died that day did not deserve what happened to them. That was an act of war. That was an act of terrorism. THAT was an act of evil.

If you do not live in North America pehaps you did not feel the pain as deeply as all of those of us who do live here did. Perhaps you did not feel the shock and the disbelief and the pain? Perhaps you did not cry long and hard about the stories of the families who were looking for their loved ones. Perhaps you were so far removed from it you did not have the ability to feel our pain? It is the only explanation I can think of for why I am constantly being questioned about my passion regarding America.

Worse than that perhaps you have been one of those who has been unable to forgive America for past mistakes. Japan has been forgiven. Germany has been forgiven but America remains the scapegoat of everything the world like to hate. They do nothing right. Are the 'EVIL EMPIRE'. Cause all the problems in the world and even though my country is their largest supplier of oil of gas - everything they do is always about oil and gas. Yes folks, CANADA is the biggest supplier to America of what keeps them ticking and we have lots of it. Now, the pipeline that is going to be built, negotiated by Governor Sarah Palin between the state of Alaka and my country will continue to ensure America's independace. Have heard Owebama is trying to stop the whole thing. That could be why my Prime Minister things he is an arse I guess.

It was well after 911 happened that I retired and learned how to use a computer and connect with the world. It was then I started to realized how few people living in free countries actually understand that there is only one reason we are all still 'free' today. That reason is America. Deny it if you like but it is true. England can stand alone - so I congratulate you on that point James but what kind of defense do the rest of us have against the evil that is trying to take over the world? Israel, small as it is also has the ability to mount a good defense. But what about the rest of us?

France? Cyprus? Greece? Canada? Australia? Germany - how about that army of yours eh? Japan? What are your military capabilities like? Do not know about the rest of you but here in Canada we have a great military. Well trained, under equipped and very small in numbers. Eroded at the expense of all of our social programs, our cost of living or things we did in the past that were so damn evil we were disarmed by the rest of the free world.

So here we are. Unable to fight our way out of the weakest paper bag or defend ourselves against the likes of China, Russia and other countries who really hate our democracies (socialized as some of us are). They really hate the freedoms we enjoy, our way of life period.


Like it or not we all have been living under the protective wing of the United States of America for a very long time now. 

As goes America, so goes the rest of the democratic world.

They have been an excellent neighbour and friend to my country and I am talking about the American people. Not necessarily their government. I do not see them as perfect but which of us in our own countries can say that we are?

So why do I care? Because as goes America so goes the rest of the free world. 

That is just my personal opinion but I have to wonder when I read stories like the one I just posted below about what is going on right now in America, I have to wonder what the hell is going to happen to the rest of us if they fall.

America, Sit Down and Shut Up ....

Yesterday, I decided to call Rep. John Garamendi’s (CA-10) office in Washington, D.C. He’s my representative and I wanted to voice my opposition to the Senate Health Care Bill. I spoke with a female staffer and politely told her that, while I support health care reform, I oppose the Senate Bill because it wasn’t true “reform.” She said the Congressman thinks it’s a good bill and that he campaigned on health care reform. I told her I knew that. I also mentioned that I voted for him. When I tried to give her specific reasons why the Senate Bill would harm our system rather than reform it, she refused to listen. She said she was very busy and hung up on me. Being the persistent person that I am, I kept calling back. Each time I tried to finish my point, she hung up.

I called one more time. This time she said, “If you call one more time, we will notify Capital Police.” I asked why my conduct warranted involving federal law enforcement agents. She said I was “harassing” her. I tried to explain that trying to convince a representative to change his or her vote didn’t constitute “harassment.” Before I could fully explain, she hung up again.

I called back. This time, I asked to speak to her supervisor in order to report her repeated hanging up as well as the threat she made. I was placed on hold. Thinking I was holding for her supervisor, I was shocked when a Federal Agent with the Capital Police picked-up the telephone.

At first, the Agent was curt with me. He claimed I was harassing Mr. Garamendi’s staff by continually calling after being told to stop calling. I asked him when it became a federal crime to lobby a congressman. He said that it wasn’t but it was a crime to “harass” congressional members and staff pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 223. I told him I was an attorney (which I am) and that I would research the statute he had cited.

After researching 47 U.S.C. 223, I called Mr. Garamendi’s office again and asked to be transferred back to the Capital Police Agent. The Agent picked up the phone and I explained to him that the statute he cited was not controlling since it only prohibits people from calling with the specific intent to harass. I further explained that I was simply trying to voice my concerns with the intent of getting Mr. Garamendi to change his mind, not to harass his staff. The Agent eventually agreed with my position and said he would call Mr. Garamendi’s office and instruct his staff that I was within my rights to call my congressman and voice my concerns.

After I hung up, I realized that this story should be told. Besides being an attorney, I’ve also had the privilege of serving this great country in the United States Marine Corps. Having seen the ugly legislative process the Senate Bill had been through, I saw this as not just another tactic to pass the Senate Bill at all costs, but also as an affront to our liberties.

While I’m fortunate enough to be able to legally challenge what happened today, others aren’t. The sad part is the democrats know this. They know that Americans unfamiliar with federal jurisprudence can easily be silenced when threats to involve federal agents are made. They know that most Americans don’t want trouble and they’ll go away rather than face the possibility of having to explain themselves to federal agents. That’s why I found this tactic appalling, as a Marine, as an attorney and as a proud American.

During my final contact with Mr. Garamendi’s staff, it was confirmed to me that he would vote for the Senate Bill no matter what. I was told that I was wasting my time by calling. Mr. Garamendi is a junior member of the House of Representatives. He was just elected via a special election last November. He has made it clear that he is willing to forsake his constituents in order to please the Speaker of the House.

Speaker Pelosi has said that she will stop at nothing to get the Senate Bill passed. She publicly stated that she would “ole vault over a wall” if barriers stood in her way. While that may be an amusing spectacle, it is indicative of what happened to me today. Apparently, threatening Americans with federal crimes to silence them is the latest tool in Speaker Pelosi’s dirty bag of tricks.

In the coming days, I’m sure more stories will develop illustrating the “win at all costs” tactics being employed by democrats. It’s these tactics that have appalled a majority of Americans to the point that the Senate Bill has overwhelmingly been rejected by the American people. When we try to explain that to Speaker Pelosi’s Caucus, we are threatened with criminal sanctions. We are told to shut up or face federal agents. Such treatment may be acceptable in the former Soviet Union, but it’s repulsive in the country I love and served. Is this hope and change?

http://biggovernment.com/capitolconfidential/2010/03/19/the-heat-is-on-congressmans-office-says-constituent-calls-are-harassment/

STAND UP AMERICA ....

Am I he or am I she .... well lookie here folks this is me!
This picture was taken last Christmas when we went up a mountain with our grandkids to remember what snow was like! Linda was so stuffed with clothes she fell down so being the gentleman I am I got down to try and help her up. It became a comedy of errors but was a lot of fun!

It was beautiful and brought me back to the days of my childhood.

Maybe you remember those days? When truth was more important than lies? When making back door deals got you thrown in jail? When loving a country meant you stood by your flag and stood for truth and honesty and all things that made it stronger instead of weaker? When you thought for yourself and decided for yourself and knew that if arms had to be twisted or broken you could call the cops for backup?

I got some news today from the doctors that is not very good. Then I came home and heard a nun lamenting the fact that someone she knew had died of prostrate cancer because of faults in your American health care system. I hear Owebama just the other day say again that our Canadian system never happened all in one swoop. I guess the nun figured if you had our system her friend would not have died. That's a laugh. I get the feeling that Owebama things a single payer system like the one we have in Canada is a great idea. That is a joke and a sad statement from someone I now believe had a goal from the very beginning to bankrupt America.

Prince Harry has just promised that single payer Health Care is 'coming to America soon.' I would like to welcome you all to my world but I will pray for you instead because I am walking the walk of this system and it has literally killed me. So much for that idea eh?

So between the laugh and the jokes I find none it funny at all. Not any of it. See my 'great' single payer system culled me to the point I may well now die of something that should have been treated earlier. Why? Because of my age and because of the fact I smoke I was pushed down the list of importance. I was watched well 'to death' actually! See in the end they do start selective care. It is part of the program and if you are close to my age your name is on the list as fast as they can put it there. Might as well just start building ovens and shoving us all into them as soon as they pass it.

There has been a call - a plea put out for all who can to be in Washington tomorrow at noon to let those crooks know what you think about what they are trying to do.

The irony to me of all of this is I finished reading that so called 'bill' about three o'clock in the morning and I was shocked. At the level of corruption, the double talk, the vote buying that is included and expanded in this mess of a bill.

Yet is does not do one thing to stop the biggest problem in America which is torte reform. Not even mentioned so the lawyers won on that one eh? Are the Insurance Companies corporations? Yep - and each and every one of them are backed by corporate lawyers that this White House is standing beside.

NO ONE IN AMERICA IS EVER DENIED HEALTH CARE! EVER! Insurance coverage? Yes and pre-existing conditions need to be prohibited by the government. High Premiums a problem? Yes and that needs to be better regulated by the government. This can be done by allowing you to purchase coverage based on a country wide premium rate rather than a state to state basis. Many, many things can be done rather than passing this mess of a bill.

Owebama is leading America down a path of destruction. He is marching you down a path towards socialism and is using Chicago style politics to do so. He is the pied piper of doom when it comes to all that the American Republic stands for.

I love my country. I am a proud Canadian. But I love America and Americans as well. I have made many friends and frenemies here at Care 2 and I want you all to know that every thing I have been trying to tell you is from my heart.

YOU MUST STOP THIS BILL. BE IN WASHINGTON IF YOU CAN AT NOON TOMORROW. PLANT YOUR ARSE OUTSIDE OF YOUR REPS OFFICE IF YOU CANNOT BE SO THEY KNOW YOU ARE NOT A DUMB AMERICAN. PHONE, FAX AND E-MAIL THIS MESSAGE TO THEIR OFFICE AT HOME AND IN WASHINGTON.

STAND UP AMERICA AS YOU HAVE NEVER DONE SO BEFORE AND DO ALL YOU CAN TO STOP THIS MONSTER AND STOP THE SOCIALIST TAKE OVER OF AMERICA.

Then in November KICK THOSE OUT THAT YOU CAN. IN 2012 GET RID OF OWEBAMA ....

You are the greatest country on Earth and your lady needs you this weekend. The very existance of your republic depends on it. Even if you lose it is only a small battle and not the war in the end. You will be able to live with the fact you headed the call and stood up against this madness.

See I followed the turnip truck when I was in my younger days. Voted to bring it in! Mark my words when I say it may well be the absolute death of this Canadian.

America must stand tall ....

If there was ever a time in the history of the greatest country of the world to stand tall that time is now. The great Republic of America has been under attack for a great number of years now and things appear to be getting worse every day.

Elected officials are no longer serving the people they are supposed to represent but appear to be worshiping Owebama. What has this pretender done for America but increased the lever of debt at a rate that has never been seen in any country. If one needs to ask why then you have not been following what is going on in America.

There has never been a time when America has needed her people more than she does now to stand up for her Republic. A call has been made to go to Washington this Saturday and meet at noon to protest the bill. For those of you who are discouraged I beg you to reach down into the very depths of your heart and soul and go for the good of your country.

For those who believe it will not make a difference I urge you to know that if the streets are filled with angry protestors YOUR VOICES IN UNISON WILL BE HEARD. They were heard the first time this took place but made light of. You were not considered a serious opposition to what was taking place but you stopped it then in its tracks. You need to go for your lady liberty again.

For those of you who have phoned and faxed and emailed and think it is all for not think again. Every effort made to try and stop this injustice is as good as a bullet shot from a gun. It is a peaceful way of telling those who think they hold all the power that they are wrong. YOU hold the power. YOU the people of America hold all the cards as to what will happen and do not listen to the naysayers. DO NOT GIVE UP.

America is worth everything you can do for it now and it needs you to be there for her. Take from a Canadian who made a mistake many years ago and elected a government who promised real change. We are so screwed now my own grandfather would not recognize a country he helped shape.

Stand tall and stand together for your country America. Do it peacefully but please go to Washington on Saturday. Answer the call once more for your country and tell Owebama what he can do with his attempt to take over one sixth of your country.

THE SURGE IN AFGHANISTAN BEGAN THIS MORNING ....

February 13, 2010

That which should have happened last year has finally started this morning. May God keep all of our soldiers in the palm of his hand and protect the innocent.

War is a sad thing. Our soldiers have done far more good in this world than bad. I believe that and I always will. I supported Bush in both Wars and I always will.

911 was the last wake up call I needed to prove there is real evil in the world and all they want to do is kill Americans. America is my friend and neighbour. In all the years our countries have lived side by side we fought once and Canada won - well okay maybe it was a draw but we burned the White House down. DON'T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE WITH A MATCH AGAIN WASHINGTON!!!!

With all the 'dithering' your POTUS did trying to make up his inexperienced mind last year we lost lives in all our countries. There was no excuse for that. Their deaths are on Obama's hands ....

Obama will try and hide the facts.

FACT = The surge shall be a success.

FACT = Obama will try and take credit for it.

FACT - this administration will attempt to bury facts in the memories of Americans regarding the delay.

FACT - This Canadian hopes he fails to do so.

Yes, I hope he fails to use propaganda to help make Americans forget the actual facts.

I hope he fails and I believe he will fail because Americans are not stupid. This administration is banking on the fact they have short memories and that a victory will lull them back to sleep.

This Canadian will continue to work hard and keep Americans on top of the truth.

Obama is a beginner.

A puppet President and a danger to the free world.

He is a slow learner and he and his Vice President have big mouths.

Duct tape please.

Any questions? ....

My Canadian Flag

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Firstly, I salute all of the men and women in both my Canadian, your American and other countries who have joined the good fight and put their lives on the line to stand up for our democracies. This is a true story (or as true as a cheeky Canadian can tell it) .... My wife and I were watching a documentary one night and though I did not find it funny then – maybe what we learned that day will demonstrate our outstanding ability here in Canada to defend and protect our northern waters. I have told this in several discussions I joined but thought I would finally put it out here …. We have a very small army in Canada. It used to be a big one before all our social programs came in. We actually had battleships, helicopters that flew and jets with real bullets that were used to protect our northern waters – Because of our social programs one of the first things to be sacrificed at the expense of them was our military. If I really think about it, we here in the north could not fight our way out of a paper bag. Don’t let this give you any ideas America because we are a stubborn bunch and are not to be taken lightly! What some Americans need to know is that these countries do not dare fly or sail anywhere near your borders up in Alaska because they don't mess with Sarah Palin. They take the long way around Alaska but as soon as they can cut back into our waters (America too by the way) they do because like most of us today they cannot afford to waste fuel. When our Inuit people who keep watch see a trespasser they notify our government right away. We were able to give them crank operated radios so they can do this. We can’t afford to put very much of our military up north because the cost of giving them proper cold weather clothes to keep them from freezing to death is far too expensive. My government hears the news and they immediately sound the alarm! My Canada springs into action and our one working helicopter is sent out to defend us no matter what time of night or day! We are able to send them up with flashlights (I think we got a good deal on them and a case of extra batteries!) Have to tell the Russians or whoever is in our waters to get lost ya' know! When they spot the trespassers they are ready to bomb them with the only 'weapon' our government allows them to use - our Canadian Flag! Now I don’t think we should use real bombs but I for one like this flag and I resent the fact that we are giving it to Russia and other countries for free! In the dire economic times my country is suffering I think thrift is a good thing and that we should make recycling a Canadian priority! I think we should start charging those countries for the ones we toss but at the very least demand they send the flags that are a direct hit back to us in appreciation of the fact it was not a real was bomb! There are many countries right now around the world (America included) who are amassing a huge collection of my beautiful flags because of our excellent pitching talents! I really resent that you get them for free and I have to pay for one if I want it. If people around this world like it so much they can buy them too at a slightly marked up price that can then assist us in purchasing new ‘weapons’. If they do not want to pay for them then I want to make an attempt to get them back myself. After giving it great thought I have come up with an idea – please feel free to let me know what you think …. We here in Canada do not have the ability to go and actually retrieve them ourselves (we can’t risk losing that helicopter) but it would be great fun to approach the United Nations and try to get a resolution passed to ‘make those countries surrender my flags – ‘make them’ do it as it were! As we all know the (do-nothing) UN has been so ‘helpful’ these past twenty years or so in maintaining world peace and order. They have obviously enjoyed being walked all over and especially have enjoyed the fact that America has had to do the very job we had formed the UN for in the first place! In fact, maybe it would be a good idea for Britain, Canada, America and all democratic countries who believe the same thing to send the UN letters demanding their flags back too! It would be a flag revolution! Not a shot fired! When your new President came to visit Canada last week darned if the Russians did not try and send out a welcoming committee for him by flying right into our territory (again they went around Alaska air space)! Fear not America, we were on the situation like forty year old gum stuck under a table! Our news stations proudly reported that our three working jets were called up to go and chase them back. I will never really know for sure whether it was the threat of another flag toss - or the fact that one of your fighter jets showed up to assist them. See Russia knows for sure America shoots with real bullets! This message is meant to be a ‘tongue in cheek’ story but the flag toss is true. If you ever come across one of my Canadian flags sent it back will ya! Just mail it to Parliament Hill, Ontario and don't send it collect please. Our social programs are in dire need of assistance. Only in Canada eh? You do not have to like or agree with what I said but I am one of the luckiest people on this planet. I live in a democracy!

ARCHITECT OF CANADIAN HEALTH CARE ADMITS ITS IN RUINS ..

Mar 7, 2009

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Canadian Health Care We So Envy Lies In Ruins, Its Architect Admits By DAVID GRATZER | Posted Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4:30 PM PT   As this presidential campaign continues, the candidates' comments about health care will continue to include stories of their own experiences and anecdotes of people across the country: the uninsured woman in Ohio, the diabetic in Detroit, the overworked doctor in Orlando, to name a few. But no one will mention Claude Castonguay — perhaps not surprising because this statesman isn't an American and hasn't held office in over three decades. Castonguay's evolving view of Canadian health care, however, should weigh heavily on how the candidates think about the issue in this country. Back in the 1960s, Castonguay chaired a Canadian government committee studying health reform and recommended that his home province of Quebec — then the largest and most affluent in the country — adopt government-administered health care, covering all citizens through tax levies.  The government followed his advice, leading to his modern-day moniker: "the father of Quebec medicare." Even this title seems modest; Castonguay's work triggered a domino effect across the country, until eventually his ideas were implemented from coast to coast.  Four decades later, as the chairman of a government committee reviewing Quebec health care this year, Castonguay concluded that the system is in "crisis." "We thought we could resolve the system's problems by rationing services or injecting massive amounts of new money into it," says Castonguay. But now he prescribes a radical overhaul: "We are proposing to give a greater role to the private sector so that people can exercise freedom of choice."  Castonguay advocates contracting out services to the private sector, going so far as suggesting that public hospitals rent space during off-hours to entrepreneurial doctors. He supports co-pays for patients who want to see physicians. Castonguay, the man who championed public health insurance in Canada, now urges for the legalization of private health insurance.  In America, these ideas may not sound shocking. But in Canada, where the private sector has been shunned for decades, these are extraordinary views, especially coming from Castonguay. It's as if John Maynard Keynes, resting on his British death bed in 1946, had declared that his faith in government interventionism was misplaced.  What would drive a man like Castonguay to reconsider his long-held beliefs? Try a health care system so overburdened that hundreds of thousands in need of medical attention wait for care, any care; a system where people in towns like Norwalk, Ontario, participate in lotteries to win appointments with the local family doctor.  Years ago, Canadians touted their health care system as the best in the world; today, Canadian health care stands in ruinous shape. Sick with ovarian cancer, Sylvia de Vires, an Ontario woman afflicted with a 13-inch, fluid-filled tumor weighing 40 pounds, was unable to get timely care in Canada. She crossed the American border to Pontiac, Mich., where a surgeon removed the tumor, estimating she could not have lived longer than a few weeks more. The Canadian government pays for U.S. medical care in some circumstances, but it declined to do so in de Vires' case for a bureaucratically perfect, but inhumane, reason: She hadn't properly filled out a form. At death's door, de Vires should have done her paperwork better. De Vires is far from unusual in seeking medical treatment in the U.S. Even Canadian government officials send patients across the border, increasingly looking to American medicine to deal with their overload of patients and chronic shortage of care.  Since the spring of 2006, Ontario's government has sent at least 164 patients to New York and Michigan for neurosurgery emergencies — defined by the Globe and Mail newspaper as "broken necks, burst aneurysms and other types of bleeding in or around the brain." Other provinces have followed Ontario's example.  Canada isn't the only country facing a government health care crisis. Britain's system, once the postwar inspiration for many Western countries, is similarly plagued. Both countries trail the U.S. in five-year cancer survival rates, transplantation outcomes and other measures.  The problem is that government bureaucrats simply can't centrally plan their way to better health care. A typical example: The Ministry of Health declared that British patients should get ER care within four hours. The result? At some hospitals, seriously ill patients are kept in ambulances for hours so as not to run afoul of the regulation; at other hospitals, patients are admitted to inappropriate wards. Declarations can't solve staffing shortages and the other rationing of care that occurs in government-run systems. Polls show Americans are desperately unhappy with their system and a government solution grows in popularity. Neither Sen. Obama nor Sen. McCain is explicitly pushing for single-payer health care, as the Canadian system is known in America.  "I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer health care program," Obama said back in the 1990s. Last year, Obama told the New Yorker that "if you're starting from scratch, then a single-payer system probably makes sense." As for the Republicans, simply criticizing Democratic health care proposals will not suffice — it's not 1994 anymore. And, while McCain's health care proposals hold promise of putting families in charge of their health care and perhaps even taming costs, McCain, at least so far, doesn't seem terribly interested in discussing health care on the campaign trail.  However the candidates choose to proceed, Americans should know that one of the founding fathers of Canada's government-run health care system has turned against his own creation. If Claude Castonguay is abandoning ship, why should Americans bother climbing on board? Gratzer is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a physician licensed in both the U.S. and Canada, where he received his medical training. His newest book, "The Cure: How Capitalism Can Save American Health Care," is now available in paperback. http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=299282509335931

Canada's Obama ....

I am often asked why I involved myself so passionately in American politics. As goes America so goes the rest of the free world. There were many, many reasons but this was the biggest one:

Our Obama AKA Pierre Elliot Trudeau burst on to our political scene in Canada in the late 1960's. There were things we did and did not know about this man but I believe that if we would have had the internet – and learned about his associations and where his base of beliefs came from he would not have gone very far. He was a very good orator. Could talk the birds out of the tree and was our pied piper of social programs .……

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Trudeau

'Trudeau was a charismatic figure who, from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s, dominated the Canadian political scene and aroused passionate reactions.'

Trudeau was interested in Marxist ideas in the 1940s and his Harvard dissertation was on the topic of Communism and Christianity. At Harvard Trudeau found himself profoundly challenged as he discovered that his "... legal training was deficient, [and] his knowledge of economics was pathetic. Thanks to the great intellectual migration away from Europe's fascism, Harvard had become a major intellectual centre in which Trudeau profoundly changed. Despite this, Trudeau found himself an outsider - a French Catholic living for the first time outside of Quebec in the predominantly Protestant American Harvard University. This isolation deepened finally into despair and led to his decision to continue his Harvard studies abroad.

In 1947 he travelled to Paris to continue his dissertation work. Over a five week period he attended many lectures and became a follower of personalism after being influenced most notably by Emmanuel Mounier. [18] The Harvard dissertation remained undone when Trudeau entered a doctoral program to study under the renowned socialist economist Harold Laski in the London School of Economics.[19] This cemented Trudeau's belief that Keynesian economics and social science were essential to the creation of the "good life" in democratic society.”

His socialist values and his close ties with Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) intellectuals (including Frank Scott, Eugene Forsey, Michael Oliver and Charles Taylor) led to his support and membership in that federal social democratic party throughout the 1950s (after taking over our Liberal party) Trudeau soon called an election, for June 25, 1968. His election campaign benefited from an unprecedented wave of personal popularity called "Trudeaumania" which saw Trudeau mobbed by throngs of youths. (I was a youth back then and part of that mob! First time I ever voted!).

So this was our Obama – our pied piper of socialism and social programs. If the majority of Canadians had been informed on what his political background was – or had been able to find out about it – this man never would have made it past the front doors of our parliament. But we did not know – and so here we are today. Sure was a lot about Obama no one knew about.

When Trudeau (Liberal = Democrats) took office in 1968 Canada had a debt of $18 billion (24% of GDP) which was largely left over from World War II but when he left office in 1984, that debt stood at $200 billion (46% of GDP), an increase of 83%. He promised us that the rich would pay but the majority population in any country is the middle class. It is where most of the money to keep our governments running comes from because we are the majority of the population. We were so taken with his ideals and his charisma we lost our common sense!

Our politics are complicated here – we do not elect our ‘President’ as you do there – the party who wins the majority of seats in our Parliament becomes the government and the leader of that party our ‘President’. Unfortunately this does not always give them a majority of members to hang on to power in the government.

Those of us who finally found our common sense knew we were getting into trouble here with the social programs that had been brought in. We had one chance to turn the tide. In 1979 we managed to elect a fellow by the name of Joe Clark (Conservative = Republican) and his party into government kicking Trudeau out. Clark was not a very good speech maker and was kind of a homely little guy but he loved our country enough to base his campaign on truth. He told us what we needed to hear. Said we had to stop what was happening to the social program ideas being tried and our economy or the cost of what we were doing would catch up to our children.

Well he got kicked out when the other parties ganged up on his minority and you would have thought Joe would have won again but Trudeau was French – pandered to Quebec. (Quebec is a beautiful Province in our country that is full of history and wonderful people but what happened there is another long story) Trudeau won votes in that Province by promising them many things and one of them was that Canada would become bilingual! Great idea! Another social program! Most of us spoke English but it was a promise he kept, Quebec gave him the votes. He won a majority government so now all of our Federal and Provincial government levels right across Canada had to become bilingual. Still are - once you bring it in you are screwed. Now we have to pander to all languages because social programs are a right once given to one - has to be given to all. By the way … my family is from Quebec, very French and they agree 100% with me.

Our news stations have to give equal representation to all parties who are running in our elections. If you smear one side you better be able to smear the other … equal rights and all. Our government controls some of them (same way Hollywood controlled yours) and the list of things they slowly have to take over now because of our social programs continues to grow – as does the debt. Trudeau did a lot of good things for our country on the world level for sure – but his ideals he flaunted and we followed in a herd because of the excitement he stirred in us all those years ago has trapped my country in a never ending circle of more restrictions, bigger social programs more and more debt and higher and higher taxes that everyone of us in the middle class here pays the bulk of. I don't know about America but millionaires are not the MAJORITY of the population here. Common sense alone should have told us that years ago.

I used to think there was nothing Canada could ever teach America. When I went to school the only history I really learned about was yours. But I was one of the herd who blindly followed our Obama. Even though we have lost a great deal over the years I am going to heard now. I am going to keep trying to reach out to every American (especially the young) who stands where I stood all those years ago. Just as the Obama train used this media to spread this garbage of an ideal around your country I am going to try and speak from experience.  I and many Canadians were you now. College & university students, young parents with children looking for a better future for our children, every other person who took something that appeared out of nowhere with everything wrapped up in a big red bow. We were looking in the wrong direction. We made a terrible mistake and we continue to pay for it in spades.

There is something we could teach America – if people would only listen.

Share the wealth! Yeah right!

A View From The North ....

I have never involved myself in politics before. Certainly never American politics as I am Canadian.  Born, raised and will die a proud Canadian. However what happens in America affects the whole free world. Deny this if you want to but it is done at the peril of all the freedoms we enjoy.

Peace on earth and good will towards men is a Christian concept and I am not a Christian. I am an atheist. I am a fiscal conservative who supports gay marriage, pro choice, live and let live kind of guy who wishes we could all get along. But at my age it is a dream that I see in the play of my grandchildren. Because of all the evil that exists in the world today it is not a reality. I fear it will never be one.

The letter I posted below was sent by my wife and I to all the newspapers we could find in America during your last election. Had to get the truth out about what is and is not real regarding our personal experience with Canadian Health Care. It is not a system any country should use as an example of what to copy but rather an example of what NOT to do.

We were concerned about what we heard Obama say regarding this issue. He was saying it was a good idea to bring our Canadian health care system into America. It made me wonder what turnip truck he fell off of because it is the system I live and it is not a good one.

This is my story ....

I am a proud Canadian. I would die for my country and I have always had the greatest of respect for my neighbour. Canada and America have lived side by side in peace for almost 200 years. The last fight we had was in 1812 when we burned down the White House. Sorry about that eh? No worries about that anymore because they took away our guns a long time ago. Not that I am a fan of them but .....

Our systems are governing are very different. We use the Parliamentary system here which means we get dictated to all the time. We let our Liberal (Dem) government bring a framework into our country in the late 1960's that gave us "free" heath care, social service programs that are extremely generous (we pay immigrants more money to come here than we do to support our senior citizens), turned our government into one of our biggest employers, the list is endless .... it is the framework they have slowly been introducing into America for quite a long time now.

It turned so ugly that our parties fractured and new parties grew out of that making it impossible for us to get a majority government elected so we can start turning things around. All they can do is keep raising taxes to try and hold up a collapsing system. Pay attention to the word 'FRAMEWORK' - I am hearing it a lot from your side of the border my friends and it is a dangerous word.

It is full of hand outs, creates a dependancy on the government that is dangerous for a free society and one day you wake up and realize Grandma was right - FREE IS NEVER FREE!

The rich get richer, the poor get richer and the middle class is slowly squeezed to death because we are the majority population so we are the ones who 'give' the most. The worker bees who are the easiest to tax because there is no one else to turn to. When they cannot tax us outright, they do it in hidden taxes and most Canadians have no real idea how much tax they really give to the Government because it floats away in bits and pieces.

I am told that our personal income tax level is about twenty-two percent. But that is a joke. That is what our government takes off the top. You know at tax time when all honest hard working people own up or Johnny Law comes a callin'! unless you are part of the underground society (yes, we have one here as well) though most people believe Canada is a refrigerator so not as many. That misconception about my country is both a blessing and a curse.

We are the second largest land mass country in the world. Every once in a while when Russia has a seizure we move to number one but then they pull their tanks out and move into the lead again. Our population is about 32 million people and it is not big enough to support our social programs so we go out in the world and 'purchase' new Canadians. Support them to move here. May sound like a plan but we can't pay for what we have now.

Abuse of our system is rampant and hard to control. They have found as many as ten "Canadians" using one "free" medical card (which we call a Care Card). I hear you told all the time about how preventitive medicine will be good for your country. How your medicare and medicade is already a form of 'socialized' care so how is expanding it going to hurt? REALLY!

They must think you all fell off the same turnip truck we did back in the late 1960's? They want you to believe that those who cannot even get a damn letter from door A to door B correctly can run your whole social system?

My mother, my aunt and I ....

The first clue I had that there was a problem in our system was about five years ago when our family doctor retired and we could not find another one. Clinics had been springing up all over the place but we never took notice of them because we had our own, personal doctor. Had been with him for about 15 years. We had to start going to a clinic where they did not take appointments because of a severe shortage of doctors right across Canada.

At the clinicc, you have to be there at the time the doctor started his shift and were then told what time to come back or you could wait. Hours ... sometimes we returned to our alloted time to find out he had left. Our government has a strict limit on the number of people a Doc can see in a day. At times, we have to start all over again the next day and never knew who we were going to see. I retired a couple of years ago so though it is a pain in the arse it does not matter I guess .... our time is worth nothing to the government. All they want are taxes ....

When my 83 year old mother became ill in early 2009. She was in fairly good health but had picked up a virus - ended up for a few days in the hospital.

Not really a place I hung out at much. At my age you never know when your numbers up, your ticker stops, your drum has drummed its last beat - so I try to avoid those places. Every day above ground is a good day right!

Our government had privatized the cleaning staff which were top notch a few years ago to try and save money so a private company had taken it over. The difference was huge and not good! I was surprised at how dirty the place was!

Low wages are not an incentive for workers to take pride in their job. The nursing staff were excellent but were obviously overwhelmed. No slow motion out of any of the gals. Doctors were good but my mom saw a different person every day. Family docs are no longer allowed visits to the hosp even if you are lucky enough to still have one. Complete strangers take care of you. At least in the day your Doc came to see you there there was some comfort in the familiarity of that visit. Does not happen here anymore.

Anyway they send my mom home and four days later we rush her back with a raging infection. My mother almost died. It was days until they told us she had got an infection in her blood and probably got it when she was in hospital the first time. Their fault? It was a bad infection and when I took a look on the net I found stories of hospitals right across Canada having the same problem.

My mother did have one problem she was born with. She only has one kidney. Well all the antibiotics they gave her to cure the infection she got from them has pretty well destoryed that kidney. As she fought her way back to health we were told that she would probably need dialysis within the year. Problem is there is a list - and because of her age she would not be a priority patient. In the end she may die before her name comes up. We could however pay cash and that will put her right at the front of the list. As a family we will do this when the time comes if she has not been called. She is my mother and her life has meaning to my family. The whole ordeal weakened her but she has fought back like a trooper. She is my mother and we will take care of her. Maybe she has no worth in our health care system but she has great value to my family and I and there is nothing we will not do to keep her with us.

So that was the first kick in the pants .... the second is I got cancer. I am in my 60's, fairly active, trim (okay skinny!) - waterski every summer and love to curl in the winter. Not my hair by the way (lost most of that a long time ago) but with a rock and a broom on real ice. So I saw a specialist. Biggest count against me is that I have been a smoker all my life. They did a test to confirm I had cancer and then determined they will watch what it does.

I thought to myself 'wait a minute! I have cancer and all your gonna do is watch it?' Yep, I am being watched. I do not know what they figure its going to do I mean in my mind if you have cancer it usually gets worse right? Don't have to be a doctor to figure that out and if I was given a choice I want it out! It has taken months but with some arm twisting by some doctor friends of my wife I am seeing someone else for a second opinion. She was ready to pack me up and take me to the states. It was nice I had value to my wife and kids but kind of disappointing that my government placed no value on me.

I was a hard working man all my life. Thirty odd years working a blue collar job. Paid my taxes, raised my beautiful family just like my parents did. But now we are being given selective care. Not a very nice feeling.

My wife had a favorite Aunt who got very ill. Every test they did showed nothing. She would not eat. They asked her to but she just would not eat. Very depressed. But in her 80's again so she shipped her into the hospice ward and let her die. All she needed was help but at her age I guess she was just not worth helping. She was worth something to me and my family and the government as long as she paid taxes for care she never got at the end of her life. It was easier just to let her die. I know all about selective care because I am part of the system. Is that what they are going to do to me I wonder?

My wife ....

I always thought things happened in threes and then you were done with bad luck. But I guess God decided I needed one more example.

My wife became very ill on Christmas night and I had to rush her to emergency. They were over run there as usual but things seemed to be moving along. I think I took her there about ten o'clock. I sat with her and I am glad I did. See my government had a great idea. They are so short of staff that they hired students to work the Christmas holidays. Sixteen months was all they need to be designated as 'Grad' Nurses even though they were in a four year nursing program. None of them were even half way through it.

About four in the morning I called a Registered Nurse over and told her something was wrong with my wife. Her breathing was really slow. I never saw people move so fast in all my life. FYI apparently breathing only 8 times in a minute means you could die - soon. I found out later that one RN had four patients to care for and four students working under her. But those students were also responsible for four patients meaning the RN was actually in charge of 20 people. Very sick people.

Had the staff not moved in to take care of my wife she would be dead right now. One of the students had given her a huge overdose of morphine. If I had not been there with her - she would probably be dead because they were run off their feet as always.

When I hear Obama say you needed a health care system like ours I had to get the word out. I am a proud Canadian but we have made huge mistakes here over the years and this health care system is one of them. It is falling in on itself and people are dying in the hallways because of it. If you are like me who never needed it until now - then you don't know. By the time you find out its too late.

I have heard Americans thinking we get lots of free stuff and the answer is we pay for our meds ourself, we pay to get our eyes checked, buy glasses, chiro, massage, physio all come out of pocket here in BC. Dentist treatment - we pay so what do we really get that is free? I could tell your more but I will only make a difference to those of you who want to hear what I am saying and believe what I am saying. You may get good stories (and Michael Moore DID NOT tell you the truth - he told you the truth he wanted you to hear).

My wife and I have family right across Canada and in some cases it is a little better though the doctors shortage is bad right across the country. By the way our coverage used to be good Province to Province but now anymore. You get tested or treated for anything immediately if you pay cash. I know a lot of Canadians who are so pissed off they take their money to America where the hospitals are clean.

You need health care reform America but you must get it right. To get this wrong will destroy your country. You have buffoons in government trying to take control of the largest part of your economy. They can't even run the post office and you want to turn health care over to them?

Change your system but do it right. Make them take the time to search out what works and what does not work. What will help every American and what will not. Demand they get it right.

Any questions?

Just ask.

Mom appeals to Canadian government: Don't pull plug on my baby

By Drew Zahn
© 2010 WorldNetDaily


Isaiah May


Isaiah James May was born a little after 5 p.m. on Oct. 24, 2009, and was scheduled to die this past week – on Wednesday, Jan. 20 – just short of his three-month birthday.


That was the day chosen by Canada's publicly funded, government health service as the deadline for Isaiah to recover from his traumatic birth or be taken off life-support.


"There is no hope of recovery for Isaiah," reads a letter from Alberta Health Services delivered to Isaiah's parents and dated one week before the health care system intended to pull the plug on the baby it has determined irreparably brain damaged.


"Your treating physicians regretfully have come to the conclusion that withdrawal of active treatment is medically reasonable, ethically responsible and appropriate," the letter states. "We must put the interests of your son foremost, and it is in his best interests to discontinue mechanical ventilation support."
Parents Isaac and Rebecka May, however, immediately appealed to the courts for more time, encouraged by signs that their boy was growing and moving, pointing to instance after instance where Isaiah had already proven the doctors wrong.


"He is doing everything they said that he would not do. Every day he does something new. So that helps us to fight," the baby's 23-year-old mother told CBC News. "His eyes dilate. He opens his eyes. He moves his limbs. He's growing. He's gaining weight. He's living. They told us he would never do any of that."


Then, the day before the hospital planned to allow Isaiah to die, a judge granted Isaiah a few more days of life.


Court of Queen's Bench Justice Michelle Crighton gave Isaiah's parents one week, until Jan. 27, to find an independent expert – to determine if or when the baby should be taken off life-support


Isaiah was born after a difficult 40 hours of labor, but the umbilical cord had wrapped itself around the baby's neck and deprived the newborn of oxygen. Isaiah was immediately taken by air ambulance to Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, where he has survived with the help of a ventilator and feedings through an IV tube.


But through his three months of care, his doctors believe Isaiah has suffered irreversible brain damage and have offered his young parents no hope for the boy's recovery.


After Isaac and Rebecka May received the letter informing them life-support would be terminated on their son, they turned to the courts, seeking a 90-day window for continued observation of the progress they believe their son is making in spite of the doctor's predictions.


According to court documents reported by the Calgary Herald, the baby's mother claims doctors said Isaiah wouldn't live past three days, wouldn't grow, wouldn't be able to urinate or move. May says the doctors told her brain death would cause Isaiah's head to shrink and his brain to turn to "mush."


Instead, she says, not only has Isaiah's head grown, but he has also gained more than three pounds, wets his diaper, moves his hands, feet and arms and opens his eyes every day, according to court documents.


"It's pretty cool seeing little changes every day," his 22-year-old father told the Herald. "Of course, it's not easy, being there watching him on the bed like that, but we're just doing everything we can right now to know we've done everything we can do."


The couple's attorney told Edmonton's CTV News, "The family has asked for 90 days in order to see how the child will develop, if the child will grow, if there's any improvement in the child's condition."


Brent Windwick, the lawyer representing Alberta Health Services and the Stollery Children's Hospital, has asked the court to allow no more than 30 days before making its decision.


Alberta Health Services, in turn, released a statement: "The medical and ethical discussions for this family and care providers are the most difficult imaginable. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the family. Our medical, nursing and allied health teams have and will continue to support this family in every way possible. It is appropriate to turn now to the courts for direction."


The court, however, granted the family only seven days to find an independent expert to evaluate their son and determine a future course of action.


Reported friends of the family have established a Facebook page for prayers and support for the May family. The page includes photos and videos of Isaiah, telephone numbers for complaints registered to Alberta Health Services, a mailing address for the Mays, who are currently staying at an Edmonton Ronald McDonald House, and links for financial donations through PayPal.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=122934

Dear America

Oct 25, 2008

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We have watched with great interest over the past year the on going election process in your beautiful country. We have the social health care system that is being batted around by your Democratic Party and thought you might be interested to hear from someone in British Columbia, Canada ... Our health care system in Canada began under the best of intentions ... "Health Care for All" and we have heard  many times that most Americans believe our system is an excellent one.  DON'T BELIEVE IT AMERICA!!!!  Our health care system is collapsing. We are a country of about 30 million people and have a national debt of 720 billion dollars. The growth of this debt has slowed but only at the expense of our health care system, schools, social programs and our military. In many cases we have to wait up to a year or longer for  CAT Scans, up to a year for a specialist appointment and more than a year for surgery.  If you are lucky enough to be able to afford it and smart enough to do it you take your problem across the border into the USA and pay for what you need there to ensure you will at least live.  Lots of Canadians are doing just that. Our hospitals in British Columbia are dirty, over crowded, understaffed and they can't keep up with the load of patients they have to see.  Our Doctors and nurses are worked to the bone and stretched to the limits.  You think you are finally going to have that surgery you waited so long for and you get to the hospital only to find out that it was cancelled because the operating rooms could not be staffed.  Wards are being closed because of personnel shortages and patients are sleeping in the hallways. We have the finest doctors and nurses in the world but we are losing more and more of them to other countries where they can receive better pay, be appreciated for their work and have a life with their own families. A lot of them are in America. Family doctors are a rarity here in Canada now.  Clinics are the only way most of us can get care and we often see a different doctor every time.  Our school systems have suffered greatly as well over the years.  If you think you have problems with your public school systems in America just add health care to the list of things that need to be paid for and see what happens.  Good programs that we did have are being cut left right and center because of the drain ... our schools are bulging at the seams ... they are overcrowded and under funded ... we simply do not have the money to sustain our social programs. One of our daughters is a special education teachers assistant trained to work in the school systems here. She has four children and is so discouraged by the failing of the system she home schools all of them. When we started hearing about the social health care system that has been suggested to you in America we decided to warn you all about what the cost will be. If you go down the same road we have here in Canada ALL of you will pay and pay dearly no matter what income level you are. Once you are on the road and like us find it is the hugest money pit ever, how do you try and turn around again? Taxes, taxes and more taxes that never work. No matter who wins your election America, your country has come a long way. It is an exciting time in your history but remember that voting with your heart is going to hit your wallet hard! If you want to go the road of public health care and be one of the highest taxed country in the world we will be more than happy to pass that title on to you but you won't like it. Just a view from a Canadian neighbour!