up on my soapbox

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a federal election campaign happening in Canada. We’re in the thick of it - with each night’s news headlined by what the respective leaders did this day.

One of this weekend’s big stories was what Conservative leader Steven Harper said to Peter Warren on his talk show Saturday morning. He actually admitted that if his wife was in pain needing a knee or hip replacement, he would (drum roll) "do whatever it takes" - even to the extent of paying for private services to get her help in a timely manner (GASP!).

Jack Layton - NDP leader - when asked the same question said that he and partner Olivia Chow have discussed the matter and they would (in my words) let each other suffer in order not to go outside Canada’s publically funded healthcare system.

In the hours since his politically incorrect admission, Harper has been asked repeatedly to clarify his position. Predictably, even the reporters color how he’s responded, preambling their video clips with language like "He tried to defend his position in Victoria...blah, blah, blah..." making it sound as if this has him on the ropes.

As usual I’m shaking my head in disbelief. Since when is it a scandal to admit that you’d "do whatever it takes" to provide for the health and well-being of your family. Only in the socialist Canada of 2005 where it’s a crime to drop your own hard-earned coin for needed medical procedures provided privately, because it means you jump the que and we all have to be equal and prop up this limping system by limping ourselves! Only in socialist Canada – a country where the ideological atmosphere is so pink, even a little common sense turns the air purple!

I like how Winston Churchill summed it up: Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy.

Whew, now I feel better!!