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The Spectacle Blog
Over at National Review Online, a couple of the bloggers on The Corner are going gaga over Justin Bieber.
First, it was Daniel Foster praising Bieber for his impersonation of President Obama on Conan last night. Truth be told it was pretty good.
Then a few hours later, Kathryn Jean Lopez got downright dreamy over Bieber because he told Rolling Stone, “I really don’t believe in abortion.”
However, in that same interview, the Canadian born teen idol who now resides in Atlanta was asked if he plans to become an American citizen. Bieber quipped, “You guys are evil,” in reference to the health care system in the United States. He went to state:
We go to the doctor and we don’t need to worry about paying
him, but here, your whole life, you’re broke because of medical
bills. My bodyguard’s baby was premature, and now he has to pay for
it. In Canada, if you’re baby is premature, he stays in the
hospital as long as he needs to, and then you go home.
The Huffington Post
praised the 16-year-old singer for making “a surprisingly
astute observation.” Quel surprise.
Now I know Bieber was using the term “evil” in a flippant, tongue-in-cheek manner. However, things aren’t quite that simple. There is no free lunch. Now a patient might not directly pay a phyisician at the doctor’s office but Canadian doctors are most certainly compensated for their services through the health care plans in the province in which they practice. For instance, a doctor who practices in Bieber’s hometown of Stratford, Ontario is compensated by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) funded by the taxpayers in Ontario and by transfers from the Government of Canada. Of course, not all medical services are covered by OHIP. Thus health care in Canada is rationed.
Now as someone who lived in Canada for more than a quarter century, I can state unequivocally that the Canadian health care system has its virtues. But I can also unequivocally state the Canadian health care system has its shortcomings. One of the most significant problems are the waiting lists. They are a fact of life whether its in the emergency room, diagnostic procedures or for surgery.
So heaven forbid a premature infant should require paediatric heart surgery. And if that child lived in Stratford, he or she would have to wait 107 days for the procedure to be performed at the Stratford General Hospital. But what if that child can’t wait 107 days? If the procedure could be performed in Detroit, Cleveland or Buffalo immediately you can bet that child’s parents would move heaven and earth to get their child off Canadian soil. For all the U.S. health care system’s faults, under those circumstances, I would hesitate to call it “evil.”
But if Mr. Bieber considers the U.S. health care system so evil why doesn’t he (or whoever handles his business affairs) provide his employees with health insurance?
View all comments (23) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/02/16/bieber-calls-us-health-care-sy
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bobmontgomery| 2.16.11 @ 9:30PM
UH, Aaron, they may be going gaga at NRO, but what are you doing here going on at some length about the rantings of a child? Mr. Bieber? Mr.?
Boy, you really gave him the what for, Aaron!
Here is a short list of people who we don't give a rat's behnd what their opinions are about anything: Justin Bieber, Joy Behar, Rosie O'Donnell, Jon Stewart, Bill Maher,, your kids, my grandkids, anybody's kids, high school kids, college kids, multiracial kids, gay kids, bi-sexual kids, African-Lithuanian kids, Bhuddist kids, rich kids, celebrity kids, poor kids and brilliant kids. That's just a very short list. There is also actors and actresses, movie stars, sports figures, musicians and self-ordained ministers.
David W| 2.16.11 @ 11:30PM
bobmontgomery,
Bieber is basically a little kid, a know-nothing who thinks he has such an expansive amount of world experience that he is qualified to speak on just about anything (at least that is my impression). Unfortunately, there are people who listen to entertainers like him who will "believe" what he has to say. How many young people think our healthcare system is now evil (and when they hear other entertainers or political hacks say the same thing they are more likely to believe it and will favor doing something to make health care less evil). Considering how many idiots voted for Obama too many people hear but do not really listen to what is being said.
I just read an article by Sowell on TownHall about how difficult it is for Republicans to get the word out. When we have someone like Bieber, who has no expertise, speak out there are people who will form opinions, even if they are only based upon his words. This noise makes it hard for the real story and the facts to get out.
This is why we need to talk about people like Bieber - he has way more influence than he should. And we need to develop ways to attack the words/ideas without attacking the person who says them (that way they don't become objects of pity).
bobmontgomery| 2.17.11 @ 12:07AM
Maybe we need to talk about talk about Bieber, but not to Bieber. What has happened is that the counterculture has adopted a premise going back decades that kids have important things to say. Aaeron Goldstein just stood here and debated Justin Bieber. Why don't we also sit here and debate the best way to combat global warming with Albert Gore? Al Gore is a lunatic. WE don't need to develop ways to attack the words of Justin Bieber; we need to tell Justin Bieber to shut up. Our time is too precious to develop ways to respond to bratty kids. First of all he is a kid and second of all he is a Canadian kid. And if there are young people who believe our health care system is evil like Justin Bieber says, THEY need to be told to shut up, too. We are not going to argue with them. They do not pay the bills. My point is we have Aaron supposedly, and rightly, mocking NRO for going gaga, and then Aaron himself giving the Biebster his props by telling him where he's wrong, and then you telling us we have to attack Bieber's ideas without hurting the feelings of his teeny bopper fans and their mommies. It is rank insanity. Let's all trek halfway across the country to hold up protest signs at a rally held by a comedian who has a popular late-night TV show. Give him his props, don't hurt his feelings, but debate him....seriously.....a comedian. No, uh, let's don't.
Occam's Tool| 2.17.11 @ 8:57PM
Sorry, Bob, I must disagree:
my son, when he was four, stated "I'm a capitalist," in a loud and proud voice. And my daughter, age 7, despises Barack Obama's tax system because she can't see why her little brother should have some of the money she makes for cleaning the cat litter box diverted to him if he doesn't work.
Some kids are being raised right.
Occam's Tool| 2.17.11 @ 8:59PM
Bieber, on the other hand, is a little scumbag.
Nite| 2.16.11 @ 10:06PM
He is a kid. He doesn't know anything about healthcare in the US.
I Survived Arlen Specter| 2.16.11 @ 10:10PM
Interesting. There are reports today of Iranian warships moving toward the Suez Canal & Israel stating they will act, if provoked. Yet no mention at The American Spectator. I guess Justin Bieber's views on the U.S. health care system are more important. Talk about ass-backwards priorities. Who truly gives a damn what ANY celebrity thinks about anything in this country? Who the hell is Justin Bieber anyway? The standards are really beginning to slip at the American Spectator as they did at National Review. Leave rubbish like this to the Obama-run media!
tidemonster| 2.16.11 @ 10:28PM
Presumably the Bieber doesn't realize that Canada's health care system isn't free for non-Canadians, and in fact they will turn you away at the hospital if you don't pay them cash up front. I am an American living in Montreal, and I have many horror stories, including a pregnant friend who went to the ER for a miscarriage, bleeding profusely, who was refused treatment until her husband went out and got $500 cash from an ATM (at 2 a.m.!!) just to pay her admittance fee. She passed out from blood loss in the waiting room while he was trying to get the cash, and nearly died. To me, that is a lot more "evil" than making somebody pay for treatment they have already received. Nobody gets turned away from American hospitals because they don't have cash. So good luck getting treated in any Canadian hospital if you are not Canadian - if you have money up front (cash, no credit cards accepted!) and can survive the wait ( per the Montreal Gazette, the average wait time last year to see a doctor in the ER was 28 hours here in Montreal) then you might get to experience the joys of socialized medicine yourself.
Paul| 2.17.11 @ 11:47AM
Leave then.
Paul| 2.17.11 @ 11:50AM
The horror stories don't compare to the good of the system. If one doesn't like in one country
then leave!! People who don't like the US SHOULD GET OUT!!
kingsmill| 2.16.11 @ 10:43PM
NR used to go "gaga" over the likes of Whitaker Chambers,Russell Kirk, Richard Weaver, James Burnham, Willmoore Kendall amongst other greats. They are reduced to kissing Justin Bienber's (you know what)---truly proof of devolution!
Allen Watters| 2.17.11 @ 4:06AM
Isn't it nice that a Canadian can come tothe states and declare our health care system no good. What does a 16 yo kid know of health care? Let him bet to 70 or 80 and then make a judgement call on the health system. If he doesn't like it go back to Canada.
Boston12GS| 2.17.11 @ 7:12AM
Who is Justin Bieber?
Larryk| 2.17.11 @ 8:38AM
The kid is a know nothing idiot who thinks the world revolves around him. ie., his is immature.
grant1863| 2.17.11 @ 8:53AM
So I guess he doesn't provide health insurance for his employees?
Stan Redmond| 2.17.11 @ 9:29AM
Sadly, this is the depth that 53% of all US voters follow politics.
BAM| 2.17.11 @ 12:17PM
"My bodyguard's baby was premature, and now he has to pay for it."
If he's so down on people paying for things, when are his people going to stop charging for concert tickets? I say if America's so evil, go make your millions elsewhere, Justin.
Laura| 2.17.11 @ 1:15PM
I live in Stratford (where Justin is from) and have had a ton of experience lately with the hospital and healthcare system here. Not only have I not experienced large wait times, I have recently had quite the opposite with regards to a very serious situation. My mother had a fairly serious stroke in early Dec. and she was immediately taken care of in emerg, received multiple CT scans without waiting and went through 2 months of intense rehab. therapy that would have bankrupted my parents in the US. My father was self employed and didn't make a lot of money, so health coverage would have been out of the question. Unfortunately, 2 weeks ago she had another more severe stroke and again got immediate attention, CT scan etc. that indicated that she required neurosurgery. Here's the chronology of events - she arrived by ambulance in emergency in Stratford (town of 32000) at 6:30 am, received a CT scan by 7 indicating she needed neurosurgery, was transferred to a worldclass neuro centre in London, Ontario by 10 am and operated on by 3pm. Although she is still in rough shape, this system saved her life and didn't bankrupt our family. Yes, I pay higher taxes, but for me the well-being of the many is more important than the well-being of those who have the money or benefits.
Paul| 2.17.11 @ 3:19PM
Well said. The system was good to my mother too!!
Occam's Tool| 2.17.11 @ 8:53PM
The NHS system in NZ was a friggin' nightmare. And I know of a few Canadian psychiatric horror stories---I work just accross the border. The problem with Canada is not immediate emergency care, per se---it's the care that is crippling and life destroying but not immediately life threatening that goes awaiting.
Bieber is a little piece of pathetic pus.
Chrissy | 2.18.11 @ 12:41AM
A lot of little teenage girls would agree with the beiber... whatever he does or says they want to do or say. The are true "beliebers".
The U.s. Healthcare is sucky and needs a lot of improvement. I've been reading Deane Waldman's book, Uproot U.S. Healthcare: To Reform Healthcare and I think that's the best way. But we can all help. It's all about learning. More knowledge, the better things will run smoother. More about his book can be found at this website I found http://www.uproothealthcare.com/
nurse | 2.26.11 @ 3:25AM
In America, you pay a lot of money for people treating you that most of the time don't know what they are doing. Take it from a US health practitioner. Good luck, Americans. When they get you off all those drugs,etc that most people are on in this country perhaps we can have enough energy to fight. Justin Bieber is smart for 16 years old, but perhaps experienced more than most....at least more than most Americans. Life in the US is just misery, especially with medical problems! It is an evil health care system! If you can stay away from it. Do!
hateamerikkka| 4.18.11 @ 4:11PM
It's not just their health care system, it is the country as a whole, founded on the theft of native American Indian land by some genocidal maniacs who went on to nuke Japanese civilians and murder millions of Iraqis. Of course their health care system is evil! Doh!