I happened to make a comment on a blog he wrote about the Canadian Medical system.
This is the comment I made:
" as much as you might dis the Canadian system...the fact is - Canadians will give up everything else before they will give up their health care. Recent polls show this."
And then - to the next comment he made about meeting a couple hockey players and one or two other canadians that may have complained about the Canadian healthcare system, I replied:
"I live in Canada and the majority of people I come across (and since I live in Canada, that would be more than anyone else here on your blog) are satisfied with the care they get. Your reasoning is flawed - your opinion is based on meeting a couple hockey players not trusting canadian system to "fix" them -( because you obviously only take care of the ones you meet) - not the majority of canadians. If my opinion of the USA went by the few americans I meet where I live, I really would have a narrow view of what americans think.
You will only believe what is within your own belief system, not any of the facts so no point in continuing any convo here."
I obviously found the wild hare. And we know where it went. This doc's response?
"A NURSE:
Your Country Sucks, only reason you got your independence is the Red Coats got tired defending your sorry asses and they can brew better Beer in England. When Castro needed open Heart Surgey [sic] where did he go??? Toronto? Montreal? Nope, the Big Apple. Only reason people go to Canada is to dodge the Draft or Slavery. Even the Montreal Expos deserted your pathetic excuse of a Nation.
And whats with the speakin [sic] French??? Am I supposed to be impressed?
Sure Canadians are satisfied with there [sic] Healthcare, they're satisfied to live in CANADA for cryin out loud. Now get back to your friggin Shine Box you friggin Ca-nuck [sic].
Frank "Nuke Canada Now" Jackoff" (I changed his name so as not to embarass him with his own comment - and yes, this is an MD -at least he claims- writing the above!)
And - then he goes as far to make a sarcastic comment on my having no kids and 3 cats as if that were a valid argument. Vitriolic, much? One has to laugh in the face of such ridiculous commentary. If you can't find any fact, go ahead and dis a person's country. I suppose Med school doesn't guarantee that the student has to have a soul or social graces or even intelligence other than what's found in medical books.
I have to admit that I have yet to see a "perfect" medical system. I also have seen first hand, the damage that is done to those who are unfortunate enough to be a casualty of the American system. One american dies every 30 minutes from lack of health insurance states the American Journal of Public Health.
As much as Canadians in general like to complain about everything, (and yes, they do! ask my husband!) they are not about to ditch what they have and replace it with what the USA has. Like I said, nothing is perfect. But, at least, as a Canadian, if I get sick I will not have to worry about the insurmountable huge bill at the end when I should be expending my energy on recovery. I do not have to live in fear of the day that I am now unemployed because I developed an illness that no longer allowed me to work at my great job - and now that I have no job - I have no medical insurance.
If I am an elderly person struggling to make ends meet, I don't even have to worry about paying my premiums. If I am part of the working poor, I don't have to choose between whether to buy food for my kids or buy medical insurance "just in case". If I am a child I don't have to hide from my parents the fact I just got a wound-that-should-be-sutured-on-my-arm-playing-baseball because I already know at the age of 7 years old that they can't afford to have me see an MD (true story- my husband's).
Also, I never have to worry that an illness can at any time strike me or any one of my family and require medical attention that decimates my retirement savings a few years just before I am set to retire. And I definitely won't lose my house.
If you are wealthy, healthy or young, you probably don't think much about this sort of thing.
Good for you.
But if you have the misfortune of being in that category where you are struggling to make ends meet, or your health took a turn for the worse unexpectedly, or you have become old faster than your rate of savings.......you suddenly have come face to face with Bankrupcy.
You got insurance? Think again. In a June 30, 2009 article, the New York Times reported that, "An estimated three-quarters of people [in the USA] who are pushed into personal bankruptcy by medical problems actually had insurance when they got sick or were injured." So, it seems that even the people who have insurance, are not really covered.
I myself don't have to worry. I have been entrepreneurial enough outside of nursing so that not only am fortunate enough that I really don't have to continue to work if I didn't want to - but I could easily retire my husband as well. We travel where we want to, my husband golfs when and where he wants. We don't think twice about what system we put in our theatre room or how much my husband spends on his golf clubs. We have a great life. No kids to support but I have nieces and nephews that I adore, and in fact other extended family that I count as my own kids.
If I had to, we could weather a medical crisis. But we won't have to.
Our system is not "free". It does come at great cost. We all pay into it through taxes, and a little less, through our small premiums that we, or our employers pay. But my one belief is, that basic health care is a right, not a luxury or privilege. Everyone deserves basic medical care, no matter who they are, whether they be a big wig in government or a drunk on the street. We have an obligation to provide for those who can't. Personally, I do not mind paying the extra taxes that are deducted from my income to ensure that everyone gets coverage.
Some people argue that people should be paying less taxes and then they can have extra take home income to "save" for future medical expenses. The truth of the matter is, most people don't have that kind of willpower. The moment there is extra income, setting aside that "extra" is not something people will do. Sometimes they don't because they don't plan for it, some because they don't think devastating illness will strike them, or some don't because they are already financially drowning in debt and they are using what little they earn just simply trying to survive. If people had the ability or the smarts to save up for that future health care need, there wouldn't be the crisis or debate that there is in the USA.
I think I have already mentioned the word "selfish" in a previous blog in relation to providing medical care, so I don't think I have to reiterate.
Lastly, people who resort to unreasonable and baseless rants relying on unfounded arguments, don't get my respect. Period. I later found his blog that basically disses everyone from "homos" to other people of colored skin and the underprivileged. So, we really know what we are dealing with here.
Not much.
So, all you Republicans out there - I won't hold him against you. If you are willing to be forthcoming with a reasonable argument based on actual facts rather than "Your Mama is Ugly"....I will listen to you and have a discussion with you based on mutual respect.
And by the way, "pseudoDoc" Frank, you can find comfort in the fact that your lack of use of your "spellcheck" wouldn't have corrected the spelling of "Canuck" anyway. :)
Posted by A NURSE at 2:46 PM
11 comments:
Anonymous said...
I know exactly who you encountered. He's a troll, and based on the lack of intelligence displayed in his posts, I have my doubts that he's actually a physician (though I guess it's possible, which is disturbing).
I'm American, but I lived and worked in Canada for several years. The health care I received during that time was excellent, and I didn't experience the barriers to care regularly created by my American health insurance company. It's a constant, petty battle and I pay premiums understanding this is NOT a guarantee I won't be financially ruined should an actual health catastrophe befall me.
June 5, 2010 1:10 AM
A NURSE said...
Ya, it's a group of supposed "MD"s and out of all of them, only one of them was "civil" and attempted an explanation other than the childish posturing (and I don't mean to be insulting to children here, so my apologies!) that the others did....oh well. There are those "types" out there...and it's a free world and I would support their right for free speech, however, that ends with the hate that is spewing out of his own site...eg.mentioning that they would be wearing "pointed white hats" at a game they were attending....disturbing to say the least - that someone like that (even if it is all written in jest - it isn't funny) is out there.
June 5, 2010 8:34 AM
Anonymous said...
Wow,
What a series of silly posts! Here's the link you requested.
http://fixhealthcarepolicy.com/
June 5, 2010 8:39 AM
A NURSE said...
those "docs" must lots of time on their hands (quiet ER/no life) ...they continue to spew hate...never have seen me before but suggest I am FAT...and that I send people to ER...no, ye of minute brainage, we mostly keep them OUT of ER...obviously the guy has no concept of what triage is.
Oh well. Win some, lose some.
I am still waiting for an intelligent comment from them. *crickets*
June 5, 2010 9:09 AM
newnurseinthehood said...
Gawd. Can I just apologize on behalf of my nation real quick? It's amazing the kind of shit people will say when they think that everyone agrees with them- especially when their knee jerk reaction belief system is challenged by someone with their fancy "book learning" and "logic". The fact that they have to resort to not only personal attacks, but the kind that a 20 year old frat boy would use should tell you something.
I work in a reeedddd state and I'm about one of 3 people on my shift that's a democrat. It's still pretty tense discussing this with people I absolutely adore- so I pretty much just stay away from the issue (with the exception of totally losing my shit on a medic friend of mine who was making assassination jokes, sorry not okay.)
I guess the point of this tangent is, since I know how hard it is to have respectful discourse with people I really love and respect and vice versa (usually the conclusion is I'll become a Republican like everyone else when I grow up, LOLz), attempting to discuss this in a forum such as the internet in which people deem it acceptable to act like total douchebags at all times since it's anonymous, it's absolutely futile to discuss politics.
They'll continue to spew hate, because that's what Neanderthals do. I would take it about as personally as a monkey flinging it's own shit at the wall. The emotional sentiment and thought process are about the same.
p.s. three cats and no kids makes you an awesome chick in my book.
June 5, 2010 2:23 PM
Crazed Mom said...
My mother was born and raised in Toronto and I have many cousins all over Ontario province. I have never heard any major complaints about their healthcare from them.
Just because someone goes to med school doesn't mean they have a high IQ....Bedside manner seems to be a skill many docs have never learned.
Let's ban all 'haterz' as my 19yo calls them. People who spew bitterness just to make everyone as miserable as they must be. Waste of time.
June 5, 2010 5:13 PM
A NURSE said...
NNIH: Thanks :) but no need for an apology for some douche who obviously has hate for a place he has obviously never been. (for one thing-I don't know anyone around me that speaks french!) and he obviously doesn't know his medical history either (insulin was developed by a canadian - among other things)so he has a lot to be grateful to Canada for -as an MD....the guy is a piece of fungus.
CM: interestingly enough, half my family are americans... and while I don't agree with some of their political beliefs, I will listen to them and certainly don't have temper tantrums if they don't think the same way I do.
Anon: thanks for your link. ;) Here is one I like to visit - check it out:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/
Upshot of the whole thing:
I am thankful to be living in Canada. I have no animosity for the USA because of one creepy piece of slime.
June 5, 2010 6:23 PM
Rachedy said...
Wow, the "doctor" can't even form a proper sentence. I would be surprised if some of them are really
card carrying MD's.
June 6, 2010 5:24 PM
A NURSE said...
I would doubt it too, Rachedy :)
I resorted to calling him "mr." Frank. :) I know one at least has to have English 101 pre-med....
June 6, 2010 5:45 PM
Frank Drackman said...
Hey Nursie...
No hard feelings, but thats what Americans do when someone insults our country, thats why we've had an independent country for over 200 years:)
and if your interested in being a contributor to my Nobel Prize(which America leads Canada 319 to 20, and I'm not counting the one our muslim president won)contending blog, drop me a line at
Drackman62@hotmail.com
P.S. Your mom was sorta hot:)
Frank "The MD stands for Mentally Deranged" Drackman
June 7, 2010 5:28 AM
A NURSE said...
Ok. Now that is a backhanded apology if I ever read one.
No, I didn't "insult" your country. I think that was yourself you are thinking of.
However, I do agree with your self-assesment in your signature.
June 7, 2010 4:22 PM
No comments:
Post a Comment