backed out of the agreement made 30 years previously over Federal funding of Health Care. This caused problems. Subsequent Prime Ministers have been re-introducing the Federal component of funding, though it remains to be seen whether Steven Harper will continue.

Cross border shopping for health care goes both ways. My wife's old unit used to recieve patients from the States and many other places because they did procedures that no one else did. They also received new and experimental equipment for working trials including from American Companies.

All of the countries of Europe have National Health Care Systems. Many of those countries also lead in some areas of care like Endoscopy which is perhaps at its best in Britain, but Belgium has a world expert in Michel Cremer, and Germany makes much of the best equipment. For me the issue is that no one should be left out, and no one should have their treatment terminated because their Health Care Insurance Company has decided that its too expensive. There is also the limits placed on treatment and access by HMO's.

If Health Care is such an example of creeping Socialism, why did Margaret Thatcher conspicuously avoid touching it in England when she privatized everything else. Because it works, and because people would have lynched her had she tried. But to be fair England has a two tier system, about 3/4 National Health (including Dental and Drugs) and 1/4 privately paid either by the individual or by their insurance.

I find the thought of 40 million uninsured, or whatever the real figure is, so that those with really good insurance or bags of money can have instant access repellant. But that's just me, and how I feel.

I wish there was a reasonable way to compare crime stats from Canada and the US because I feel on very shaky ground there. I gather that crime has been on the decline for some time now (since 1992 I've read) and the situation may be much better than I remember.

Rob

I don't agree with you on Social Security but that seems a dead issue now. The trick is going to be getting out of the debt hole Bush has dug for you all (I'd say us all but somebody would have a hissy fit).