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The Canadian Geezer

Published Letters: 87
Editor's Choice: 4

Friday, February 29, 2008 03:05 AM

This is the sort of irresponsble reportage that has plagued America and ill-serves its citizens

It is late night (Early morning) here in my remote corner of the Canadian northern hinterland ... I frequently scour the net for succour ... particularly in these times that seem fraught with danger for the species ... I come to Salon expecting to find a mix of journalistic honesty and perhaps an occasionally skewed point of view.

I was appalled to come across the 'header' that jumped off of the page "Canadian healthcare: Not "universal" for single women" ... This sort of 'falsehood' and 'Big-lie' in a time when most working American citizens desperately need to see the introduction of a 'Universal' system of health care such as exists here in Canada is an evil thing that demands a more robust apology/denial ....

I bemoan the ignorance of many employed in the American media and certainly the ignorance of those who definitely should know better if they are Salon writers/Bloggers ....

From Saskatchewan ... the place where the first "Socialist" government in North America was ever elected (We take pride in that and have laughed for 64 years at some Americans fear of the "Socialist Bogeyman") ... Incidentally the likes of Pete Seeger and so many other intelligent Americans have never had that fear ...

Saskatchewan is the "Birthplace" of "Universal Medicare" ... Where my family and friends expounded the 'necessity' and the 'right' of "all" people to have good health ... and where people I was blessed to have personal contact with in my youth brought the greatest piece of legislation to reality despite a total war on our government by all the power that the AMA and CMA could muster ...

We succeeded in 'winning' that war and our federal government introduced the program nationally knowing that it had a moral obligation to do so ...

I suggest you take some time to read up on Thomas Clement Douglas who was the key figure in laying groundwork PS: That's Kiefer Sutherlands Grandfather) ... and also on Woodrow Lloyd who was a friend and neighbour to our family ... You might learn something that would help all Americans in this era of FUD ...

I send you all my best intentions ... Hillary or Obama should do some reading as well (They need a dose of reality) ... either of those candidates in your coming election will still need the blessing of providence to help America with the great crisis that likely lays ahead of you all ... If you continue to support the "Robber Baron" concept as expounded by the Republican right ... well then even the best of intentions will likely see the demise of what my late and blessed father (A Canadian with dual citizenship owing to his American parents) once told me was "the last best hope on earth" (I believe he was quoting Lincoln - but I could be mistaken) ... He passed away back in 99 ... He would have loved to see Barack as a candidate as he told me back in 1959 that if I was fortunate I might live to see a 'Black' President in my old age!

Well Dad if you are listening … maybe I will get to see that great event … and maybe Americans will even get Medicare if miracles do happen … but alas with reportage such as we see that belittles a great example by claiming false inadequacies … it is still a subject of very, very long odds!

From a Geezer ... who wishes well to all Americans ... Men, Women and Children ... who deserve better in life from their country ... Kennedy had it incomplete ....

He should have included "Ask what you can do for your fellow Citizens" ....

Saturday, March 1, 2008 10:12 AM

The terrible truth about the ant colony

Having read the article and all the posts I'm deeply dismayed at the horrendous truth that confronts me.

It is apparent that humanity is doomed to "economic-slavery" by way of global corporate profit margins. The NAFTA was concluded solely to increase the profit taking for the major shareholders of the large trans-national companies.

To say otherwise is a blatant demonstration of ignorance and evidence of a total lack of education and historical perspective.

Obama and Hillary are right .... NAFTA should be renegotiated and totally "Reworked" .... only it must be done for the benefit of the workers in all the countries involved. Corporate board rooms always are ready to re-introduce 'Slavery' in any global location for the advantage of making $$$$ ... ever has this been so ...

We the mass world 'populace' are all in peril to the moneyed minions and evil individuals/forces who believe and practice methods of business that ensure that the "Market" is a salvation in and of itself and who believe that it is self-regulating ....

History has many lessons ... that so few have learned them is all to apparent here ... let us pray ....

From a corner of the north woods of CanadaWhere reading the works of Spinoza, Newton, Hume, Locke, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Mary Wollstonecraft, Henry David Thoreau, Thomas Paine, & John Kenneth Galbraith is still considered by some of us an essential grounding in the basics of global reasoning and citizenship … and an exercise that gives pause and due consideration to avoiding any ill-educated reflection on the human condition….

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