Listen, Mr. President

24 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by michelinewalker in Climate Change, Global Warming, Gun Control, Planned Parenthood, United States

Tags

Global Warming, Gun Control, Planned Parenthood, Universal health care

U. S. President Donald Trump (the grio.com)

Dear Donald,

We’ve had it, and I hope sincerely that you are not reëlected. Millions of Americans and millions of human beings on Planet Earth have to suffer paralyzing and deadly heat waves, while you dismiss “climate change” as “fake news.”

I would also like to speak to you about the fate of women in your country. Do not think for one minute that a woman should always be exposed to unwanted, not to mention yearly, pregnancies. Open planned-parenthood facilities, so women never have to undergo a life-threatening and unwanted abortion. The life of a woman is dear to her, dear to her husband/partner, and dear to her family. Let women be.

As well, tackle doctors. They deserve an excellent salary, but in no way do they need to be very wealthy. They may well be more compassionate than you thought. As well, tackle pharmaceutical companies. This discussion includes everyone. Everyone is part of the equation.

You are lucky to have a fine wife. She’s an immigrant! Will you deport her? In fact, will you deport yourself? Except for Amerindians, North-Americans are immigrants.

By the way, ordinary people do not need guns. If some Americans enjoy target practice, safe facilities are available.

I will not cover other issues, but I am asking you to

deal with the very real problem of climate change,
to open planned-parenthood clinics,
to make health care affordable, preferably free,
to stop deporting innocent immigrants,
to take guns away from ordinary citizens, and
to drive out poverty.

Dear Donald,

The current year is 2019. When will humanity be protected?

If you do not deal with the above-mentioned issues as quickly as possible, Americans, the World and the climate will deal with you.

I should say I rather liked you when you visited the United Kingdom. Melania looked gorgeous. As for the Queen, she is a professional.

Would that I could watch you a little more, but I’m trying to write a book on Molière and providing information to the excellent people who read my posts as a I write the book. I require funding, but I doubt that my university will provide it.

Donald, I had to get this off my chest.

Donald Trump holding a dove (Duck, duck, gray duck)

Photo credit: Google

Canada’s Honourable Allan J. MacEachen: Nationhood and Leadership

03 Monday Jul 2017

Posted by michelinewalker in Canada

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Allan J. MacEachen, Canada's Medical Care Act, Confederation, Margaret's Museum, President Bill Clinton, Sheldon Currie, the Coady International Institute, Universal health care

Allan J. MacEachen

First elected into office in 1953, under the Liberal government of Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent, the Honourable Allan J. MacEachen was instrumental in designing Canada’s social programmes.

Although he was not reelected in 1958, his only political defeat, he did not leave Ottawa. He worked instead as a special assistant and consultant on economic affairs for the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson, a Nobel Laureate.

Under Louis St. Laurent, Canada had begun putting into place social programs that would protect Canadians. For Mr MacEachen, this endeavour would culminate in the Medical Care Act, passed by Parliament in 1966, when Mr MacEachen served as Minister of National Health and Welfare (1965-1968). The implementation of Medicare was a major victory for Mr MacEachen and an enormous gift to Canadians. It was, in fact, a major historical moment. A nation was born.

Very few persons could have been as dedicated as Mr MacEachen in his role as Canada’s Minister of National Health and Welfare. Mr MacEachen had worked as professor of Economics at St. Francis Xavier University, which is home to the world-renowned Coady International Institute, founded in 1959 and named after the Reverend Dr Moses Michael Coady, a coöperative entrepreneur who created the Antigonish Movement. On 19 November 2009, during an interview with Steve Sutherland of the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), Mr MacEachen said he was a “disciple” of Father Coady who wanted to “enable people to get a vision of possibilities. (StFX Digital Archives, Quotes by Rev. Dr. Moses Coady) ”

Moreover, Allan J. MacEachen was born in Inverness, Cape Breton, the son of a coal miner. The coal miners of Cape Breton toiled painfully, and often died, reaping coal deep underground and bringing it to the surface. (Have you seen Margaret’s Museum, a 1995 British-Canadian film based on a story by Sheldon Currie, a former teacher at StFX?) When interviewed by Steve Sutherland of the CBC, Mr MacEachen said that the miners of Inverness were “poor” and, that, when they had to retire, they did not have a “pension.” He had witnessed poverty.

The Honourable Allan J MacEachen studied at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT), and became a professor of Economics. In his CBC interview, he said that people were not interested in what he knew. They wanted to know what he could do for them. They had needs which he understood and he was in a position to help his nation. He had the knowledge and the shrewdness to do so.

During the same interview, Mr MacEachen stated that, as a politician, he had learned that he had to “obey” his constituents. He had learned to “listen” to the people, to “serve” them, and to “take Canada into account.” That interview is a lesson in leadership and nationhood. Mr MacEachen cared for the people, as should all elected officials.

Former US President Bill Clinton is a recent visitor to StFX University. On 11 May 2011, President Clinton opened StFX University’s Frank McKenna Centre for Leadership. That Centre has solid foundations.

The Honourable Allan J. MacEachen was Minister of Amateur Sport, Minister of National Health and Welfare, Minister of Manpower and Immigration, Minister of Finance, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Secretary of State for External Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, and a Senator. In this capacity, he was the Leader of the Government in the Senate.

For two decades, the Honourable Allan J. MacEachen was also my next-door neighbour in Antigonish, N. S. and a dear friend. I am honoured to say that he remains a dear friend.

Health Care: a Note to Fareed Zakaria

22 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by michelinewalker in Sharing, Uncategorized

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

CNN, Fareed Zakaria, Health, Health care, Insurance, Pharmaceutical companies, United States, Universal health care

Fareed Zakaria

Comments on Mr Zakaria’s Report

A few days ago, I watched Fareed Zakaria‘s televised report on health care in various countries. It was an excellent program.

Three initial Steps

The information Mr Zakaria provided has led me to think that there are three initial steps in managing universal health care.

1. In my opinion, the first step is a government-run program, which excludes private insurance except for extras, i.e. for what the doctor does not prescribe and for care provided in private hospitals. But that does not preclude a universal health-care program.

2. The second step would be strict regulation concerning the price of pharmaceutical products. Pharmaceutical companies sell medication as though each pill or capsule or whatever was a precious diamond.

3. As for the third step, it would be regulation of fees paid to medical practitioners. At the moment, these fees are not consistent with their years of training and competence. Nor are these fees consistent with the fees paid other well-trained or better-trained individuals. Often, these better-trained individuals are on salary.

As a University teacher, I had to deal with students who would come to my office to request very high marks because they wanted to study medicine and enter a profession that would earn them a few luxuries. So I would explain that they would have to earn their good grades. Many did and I was proud of them.

Tax deductions

I do not wish to impoverish medical doctors and I fully realize that they require offices and secretaries, but so do other professionals. Normally, these expenses are tax-deductible to a reasonable degree.

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality, but a Database

As well, I believe that the doctor-patient confidentiality must be maintained and that one should still choose one’s own doctor,* except that information with respect to the medication an individual is taking, his or her allergies, a health history (surgical procedures, an earlier or on-going illness, etc.) should be available. It seems there should be a national databank accessible to the staff of emergency-care units. Accidents happen.

*I live in Canada but have always had my own doctors.

What if these three steps are not taken?

If these three steps are not taken, there will have to be a sizeable increase in taxes and the rich will have to pay their fair share of taxes. This is plain common sense.

The Other Side of the coin

Moreover, no system can work if people themselves do not look after their health. Smoking and obesity are killers. There are, of course, a few exceptions but, generally speaking, smoking and obesity are killers and obesity is not necessarily genetic. In cases where a condition is genetic, the need for medical attention is legitimate. But nothing is black and white.

Conclusion

There is a lot more to say, but there are authorities in this area. However, these three points seem an essential starting-point. Health care, including medications, is too expensive.