Posted on 07/26/2003 11:49:10 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
NEW YORK -- For all they share economically and culturally, Canada and the United States are increasingly at odds on basic social policies -- to the point that at least a few discontented Americans are planning to move north and try their neighbors' way of life.
A husband and wife in Minnesota, a college student in Georgia, a young executive in New York. Though each has distinct motives for packing up, they agree the United States is growing too conservative and believe Canada offers a more inclusive, less selfish society.
"For me, it's a no-brainer," said Mollie Ingebrand, a puppeteer from Minneapolis who plans to go to Vancouver with her lawyer husband and 2-year-old son.
"It's the most amazing opportunity I can imagine. To live in a society where there are different priorities in caring for your fellow citizens."
For decades, even while nurturing close ties with the United States, Canadians have often chosen a different path -- establishing universal health care, maintaining ties with Cuba, imposing tough gun control laws. Two current Canadian initiatives, to decriminalize marijuana and legalize same-sex marriage, have pleased many liberals in the United States and irked conservatives.
New York executive Daniel Hanley, 31, was arranging a move for himself and his partner, Tony, long before the Canadian announcement about same-sex marriage. But the timing delights him; he and Tony now hope to marry in front of their families after they emigrate to British Columbia.
"Canada has an opportunity to define itself as a leader," Hanley said. "In some ways, it's now closer to American ideals than America is."
Thomas Hodges, a computer systems major at Georgia State University, said his dismay with American politics started him thinking last year about going abroad. He recently wrote an article in a campus journal titled, "Why I Am Moving To Canada."
"I'm thinking about Toronto, though I hear it's cold up there," Hodges, a lifelong Southerner, said in a telephone interview.
Hodges, 21, complained about a "neo-conservative shift" in the United States and praised Canada's approach to health care and education.
"The U.S. educational system is unfair -- you have to live in certain areas to go to good schools," he said.
Rene Mercier, spokesman for Canada's immigration department, said any upsurge in U.S.-to-Canada immigration based on current political developments won't be detectable for a few years, because of the time required to process residency applications.
During the Vietnam War, U.S. emigration to Canada surged as thousands of young men, often accompanied by wives or girlfriends, moved to avoid the draft.
But every year since 1977, more Canadians have emigrated to the United States than vice versa -- the 2001 figures were 5,894 Americans moving north, 30,203 Canadians moving south.
Mollie Ingebrand, 34, said she has felt an affinity with Canada for many years, fueled partly by respect for its health care system. Her doubts about the United States go back even further, to a childhood spent with liberal parents in a relatively conservative part of Ohio.
"In school I was always told this is the best country on earth, and everyone else wants to be American, and that never really rang true to me," she said. "As I got older, it occurred to me there were other choices."
Ingebrand says some of her friends -- people who share her left-of-center views -- argue that she should stay at home to battle for changes here.
"I've been there and done that," she said. "I don't want to stay and fight anymore. I can have that bittersweet love for my country from somewhere else."
I'd also like to comment on your questions to Thommas - In the US, everyone gets care for life threatening conditions. It's a Fed'l law.
Medicaid covers the poor. Particularly children.
We hear that there are 30 million or so people in the States without health care - and can't get medical attention - is that true?
No, that isn't true. The 30 million number is the number without health insurance. Some people choose not to pay for insurance. Some of them are young (20 somethings) who would rather spend money on other things, because they don't usually have high health costs. Some are people who don't believe in medical care for religious reasons. And others are people who live in areas - as I do - where there are plenty of walk-in medical clinics. The costs in the clinics are cheap, and if you don't have any chronic disease, you spend a lot less on medical care in the clinics than you would on insurance.
And, yes, that's one reason why insurance is expensive. People who are generally healthy don't bother. The insured people are the ones with the highest costs.
In my area, inoculations for children are $5-15 each at the clinics, and routine health problems for all are $100 or less (bronchitis, sprains, pneumonia, ear problems, etc.) The walk-in clinic that I use most often costs $80.
At the Children's Hospitals, for really serious problems, they treat first and ask for insurance or payment later. A lot of their costs are paid by charitable contributions.
If you want to have an MRI when you are in FL, maybe you should ask one of your Canadian doctors. It's sort of a joke here, but most Canadian doctors have earned their max salary in Canada by Sep or Oct. They then take jobs on cruise ships for free room and board. Canadian doctors who don't have children in school know quite a lot about FL health care.
I could be wrong with that anecdote about Canadian doctors, but the last 3 cruises I have taken have had Canadian doctors on board.
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