I'm fascinated by the question of how the two former British colonies that share most of this continent evolved in such different directions. This article argues that the cultural differences were determined by the earliest settlers. The U.S. was colonized by religious fundamentalists fleeing government interference; in general, Canadians were, and are, less suspicious of government. It's as good a theory as any to explain why Canada has had a national health care system with broad popular support for about 50 years. The U.S. spends about 50% more per capita on a system that produces worse health outcomes on average, for reasons that seem to boil down to a cultural aversion to government.
http://crasstalk.com/2013/12/how-did-the-us-and-canada-end-up-so-different/
http://crasstalk.com/2013/12/how-did-the-us-and-canada-end-up-so-different/
Friday 15 September 2017
I'm fascinated by the question of how the two former British colonies that share most of this continent evolved in such different directions. This article argues that the cultural differences were determined by the earliest settlers. The U.S. was colonized by religious fundamentalists fleeing government interference; in general, Canadians were, and are, less suspicious of government. It's as good a theory as any to explain why Canada has had a national health care system with broad popular support for about 50 years. The U.S. spends about 50% more per capita on a system that produces worse health outcomes on average, for reasons that seem to boil down to a cultural aversion to government.
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"The US, for historical reasons, mistrusts the concept of a welfare state, and this mistrust shows itself nakedly under present US government, which commits uncounted billions of the national wealth to what it calls defence, and is close-fisted in giving money to plans which would ameliorate the grinding poverty of a great part of its people. Quite simply, in Canada you could not get away with that."
ReplyDelete-Robertson Davies
We still have some grinding poverty.
ReplyDeleteCass Morrison No doubt, but I couldn't resist inserting a RD quote. I used to frequent a bookstore in Wheaton, Illinois, Toad Hall was its name. I'd buy lots of books. Came a point where I knew the owner well enough and I said "You know the sorts of things I like. Put a book in my hand and I will buy it, by an author I don't know." He looked at me, smiled, and put Cornish Trilogy in my hand. I've since bought pretty much everything by Robertson Davies.
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