By Mark Taliano
For some time now, opponents to equitable, universal health care have been smearing proponents of Canada’s “signature” social program, Medicare, by using a corporate “communications” strategy known as “FUD,” which stands for Fear Uncertainty Doubt.
In the U.S, the dynamic played out fairly recently, with the launch of Michael Moore’s film,Sicko. According to Wendell Potter, an American insurance industry whistleblower, the insurance industry, horrified by the poignancy of the documentary, targeted Michael Moore with a “FUD” attack.
Potter explains that the CIGNA insurance company tried to undermine Moore by portraying him as a communist, or a socialist, and as someone who was trying to undermine the American Dream.
Since a universal health care program would save American lives and give many more Americans the liberty to strive for the mythical American Dream, the tactic seems counter-intuitive.
However, the appeal to emotions is a very powerful strategy. For decades, the advertising industry has successfully associated cigarette smoking, (and a multitude of other products,) with “freedom,” and other abstractions. People not only “buy” the messages, but they buy the products as well.
Similar Psy-Ops strategies are being employed in Canada under the Harper reign.
Proponents of trajectories towards corporate health care insinuate that we can no longer afford universality, that it isn’t sustainable, that corporations can deliver better health care, that the “free” market can solve our problems, and that those who oppose corporate health care are, god forbid, “socialists” — typical FUD fare: manufacture fear, uncertainty and doubt to undemocratically impose an agenda.
Unfortunately for Canadians, each of these accusations is baseless, (except maybe the last one) and the covert agenda is not supported by the will of the people. Eighty-six per cent of Canadians support publicly-funded health care.
The barely hidden agenda is to unravel Canada’s signature public health care model in favour of an aggregate of more expensive, more fragmented and less universal corporate models.
Just as the Harper government corrupted the environmental file (in the name of “streamlining”), by drastically removing federal oversight and involvement (vacating jurisdiction), so too is it “vacating jurisdiction” of health care.
The agenda is being achieved by starving the provinces of required funding. Once the 2014 Health Accord is expired, the Harper government will reduce its Canada Health Transfers (CHT’s) — monies transferred from the federal government to the provinces — by $36 billion, up to the end of 2024.
The void of insufficient funding will be filled by corporate health care.
Once this is achieved, Canadians’ access to health care will be restricted, user fees will increase, insurance coverage will cost more, and patient fatalities will rise in number.
Here are some numbers.
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, public health care costs less than $180 per month per Canadian, while a private insurer in the U.S charges three times that amount for comparable service.
Even worse, according to a study by Dr. P.J Devereaux, and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, if we switch to for-profit hospitals, over 2,000 more Canadians will die needlessly each year
What are the drivers behind this agenda which is contrary to the wishes of about 86 per cent of Canadians?
According to the Council Of Canadians (who must surely be on Harper’s “enemy list”) there are three drivers:
* Private investors, many based in the U.S, who want to cash in on Canadian health care (NAFTA guarantees equal treatment to U.S companies competing against our public system)
• Canadian for-profit providers and insurers
• Cash-starved provincial governments
The alternatives to this ideologically-driven agenda are fairly straightforward.
First, we need a nationalized pharmacare program. Canada is the only OECD country with universal health insurance that does not cover prescription drugs. Canada would save about$10.7 billion per year with a universal public drug plan.
Second, we need to stop the Comprehensive Economic And Trade Agreement (CETA) with Europe. Under this corporate empowerment deal, the price of pharmaceutical drugs will rise by $3 billion annually.
Finally, we need to reinvest in public health care. Currently, public health care represents about 70 per cent of total health care; we need to increase it to 100 per cent. We also need to increase, not decrease, health transfers (CHT’s) from the federal government to the provinces.
Unfortunately, the better alternatives will not materialize under the Harper regime, but with grassroots pressure, damages to our health care system might at least be minimized.
Mark Taliano is a Niagara resident and regular contributor of commentary to Niagara At Large. He has just returned from participating in a global group of citizens, observing elections in the tourbled country of Honduras.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
Niagara At Large 
Harper is a tyrant – with a so called “majority” of @ 40% of the few who bothered to vote – that about covers it. He’s gutted environmental laws, he is intent on creating a two tier health care system to please his corporate insurance buddies, he’s destroyed Canada’s reputation abroad on human rights, peace keeping on & on. He wants to build ice breakers to guard our true north strong and free but they are inadequate for the purpose, overpriced and then outsourced to a Danish company when Canadians need work. He’s corrupt (Senate scandal) but throws everyone else under the bus. “I know nothing”, the old Nazi refrain, yet he runs his caucus with an iron hand. Pull the other one Stevie. Sure, you were kept in the dark. Like we are dumb enough to believe that. Maybe we are.
As far as health care, the same tactics that have worked for decades in the US – fear of death panels, loss of one’s family doctor and so on were also employed back when Tommy Douglas first proposed our system but it didn’t work though many did believe the BS at the time. Socialism….OMG … hide the women and children!!!
Simply compare costs between the US and Canada, eg cataract surgery in other countries runs from $900 to $3000. In the US $14,000 and up. Try reading Ralph Nader’s “The Health Care Racket”. Is that what Canadians want? If so just shut up & do nothing. You’ll have to work to 80 years old to pay for health insurance and, of course, it will be at minimum wage since he is intent on destroying unions and outsourcing.
All of this restructuring, farming out to clinics, closing beds, building public-private funded super hospitals at insanely ridiculous costs, paying ridiculous interest rates (and what amounts to rent for decades) to groups like Deutschbank, BMO & the RBC, hiring of non professional staff to cut costs, all these and other measures to undermine our system and make it more costly are specifically designed to reveal the (created) need for a private system. Where money is to be made, who gives a sh!t if the poor peasants live or die. Can’t afford insurance? Too bad! People are no longer human but products. Profit trumps quality. USA here we come.
Where was Harper at the Provincial Premier’s meeting in NOTL last summer? He didn’t appear. He REFUSED to discuss transfer payments with the Health Care Act coming up for renewal in 2014. I’m beginning to think Trudeau was right…”People get the government they deserve.” Apathetic Canadians get dumped on over and over again but only bitch when it finally bites them in the ass. Then it’s too late.
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As someone who earned his living as a journalist and then public relations practitioner, which also involved quite a bit of writing, I must say that Mr Taliano, while obviously keen, should learn to write for the masses,
A good writer knows that no matter what, he should be writing his material with a grade 9 or 10 level reader in mind.
Mr Taliano seems to be aiming at the Phd level.
I realize his main intent is to cast aspersions at the current federal government.
Unfortunately, with the writing style he employs in the article above, he misses the mark.
He loses the majority of potential readers within the first paragraph.
It is a shame. He appears to have done considerable research, but by filling his prose with psychobabble, it is a wasted effort.
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Will, I don’t understand all of your personal attacks. It’s not necessary. I will readily admit that I’m not a fan of the Conservative Reform Alliance Party (CRAP), and what it is doing to this country, but there’s no reason to get personal. I think Doug should consider censoring some of your comments. These people don’t mind my writing style:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/mark-taliano/harper-myths_b_3663204.html
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http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/04/17/by_closing_the_national_health_council_stephen_harper_is_abandoning_national_medicare.html
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Its time for Harper to go bye bye
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The older I get I fully understand the Conservative mindset, on Government providing services to and for the people, they have one mantra ,” money for business and their pals The Chamber of Commerce good, very good.” money for the disenfranchised, the native peoples, health and welfare , bad, very bad. they feel that Canada belongs to the filthy rich and the rest can live on the crumbs. I joined the Green Party of Canada, I believe that they will fight for a fair and ecological sustainable future for our children and grand children. The damn the topedoes and full throttle to exploit , for the benefit of the few, our oil, water and minerals leaving behind the toxic tailings for the taxpayer to clean up.is a recipe for disaster.
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More tax dollars eh?!….. How about all Provincial Health Care systems using the tax dollars they already receive more effectively and more efficiently.
We know the waste is in the BILLIONS.
Add to that, as in our case if the provincial government can buy a few seats with BILLIONS of tax payer dollars, it surely doesn’t need more in the form of transfer payments. Oh… and that doesn’t even include other scams and scandals like ORNGE, Wind Power subsidies, Ontario Hydro bailouts (due to mismanagement), ridiculous UNION contract settlements and ALL DAY KINDERCARE to name a few. ALL DESIGNED TO BUY VOTES FROM THOSE VOTERS STUPID ENOUGH TO BUY INTO THIS GOVERNMENTS BS OR WHO DO NOT PAY ENOUGH TAXES TO CARE!
Would you increase your child’s allowance if they showed a pattern of abuse, waste and poor judgement? I think the answer would be NO! Unfortunately in this situation the impact can be fatal.
BLAME OUR ONTARIO GOVERNMENT FOR THE FISCAL/HEALTH MESS IT GOT US INTO!
BLAME OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR AN IMMIGRATION POLICY THAT IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND DRAINS RESOURCES FROM OUR HEALTH AND EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS AT THE EXPENSE OF CANADIANS THAT PAYED FOR THEM!!!!
As for two tier health systems…. their already here.
Just sayin…..
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Mark in my estimation is a terrific writer, seemingly a Social Democrat by definition and a gentleman who writes and comments on what he sees and experiences in a way that fires up people like me, people who detest liars and those who would literally screw their own mothers for the bottom line on a profit and loss statement.
Webster’s dictionary defines “DEMOCRACY” as …A system of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and “EXERCISED BY THEM EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY THROUGH A SYSTEM OF ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES INVOLVING PERIODICALLY HELD FREE ELECTIONS”
This widely held definition does not say nor does it indicate in concept that the “Supreme” power is vested in the Corporation of so called “Free Countries” BUT THIS HAD BEEN HAPPENING AND IS NOW A REALITY IN MOST SO CALLED FREE COUNTRIES.
Election fraud has not only clouded DEMOCRATICALLY held election it had completely eradicated and eliminated honesty and principal in countries like Honduras, San Salvador and we in Canada and the United States of America are witnesses to this happening in our own lands. Corporations today have “MORE” rights then the “Supreme power of the people and with the use of lobbyists and money have complete taken ownership of our media and our governments.
Mark writes about this and people like Mark are the only salvation left in this country, a country taken over by so called conservatives under Harper and his goon squad.who seem to march in goose step type marches to the beat of the Corporate drum as they swallow up more and more of our dignity….
Thank You Mark
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Please see attached link http://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/mtp-eng.asp
The numbers don’t appear to be as dire as stated above or am I missing something??
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CHT’s will be reduced by $36 billion up to the end of 2024. (i.e over ten years)
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