Kiefer Sutherland introduces the Tommy Douglas Showcase

[conifergreen]

A healthy country is a strong country. A country full of people who are ill is a weak country. In the pioneer days,people banded together for the common cause to help each other out so that they would all be strong. We need that spirit today. Universal health care is the answer.

[tucson1007]

I just burnt all my 24 DVDs.  This man was a communist. Period.

[222tipz]

@tucson1007 Who was a communist ?

[Conchobhar]

@tucson1007 And you are a narrow-minded ideologue.

[AbyssCrown]

@tucson1007

You do realize Tommy Douglas and the New Democrats are not communists? And if they were, so what?

[sweiland75]

@tucson1007 Do you even know the difference between communist and socialist? You are an example of political ignorance and should be prohibited from voting.

[LightSnowOvernight]

loved Tommy and loved growing up in Ottawa....from a Canuck who has lived in the US since 1985

[sweiland75]

@LightSnowOvernight If you loved Canada so much then why did you leave?

[ndpcineaste]

Well said. Medicare should be improved, not cut back.

[scaffiddler]

something worth thinking about as we all consider what to do with the future..

[smackbunny]

Kiefer, well done.

Smashing oratory.

There is the problem of your torture porn tv show.

Otherwise, we got your back.

Thanks for the speech, it is necessary.

[hunkydoryorder]

Your Grandpops wouldn't be too proud of you being a propagandist for "the cats". Now would he Kiefer?

[FearOfTheFlesh]

Tommy Douglas = The Greatest Canadian to have ever lived, and that will ever live...it was no surprise that he was voted the greatest Canadian ever.

[k8989n]

What a great family! I'm impressed. The more I learn about Kiefer the more I like him. Check out his bio "Kiefer Sutherland: Living Dangerously". You'll like him more, too, after reading it.

[ammusi]

Thank you Tommy Douglas!

[christophergawlik]

Kief should come back home and join the NDP, he would be a great politician.

[OscarLimaMike]

@ammusi Thank you NDP

[sca719]

another actor, another Hollywood socialist. He can say he sees all these things in his million dollar mansion. This guy doesn't know shit about health care or politics for that matter. He's rambling all these numbers from a script. He's nothing but a douche bag like Matt Damen.

[kingrexrex666]

ur the douchebag....to say such things that you are saying are words that come directly from  Mr. Scrooge....enjoy your chains in the after life.....

[sca719]

and you're a douche bag communist.

[kingrexrex666]

there is no hope for you....go serve your big business masters slave

[christophergawlik]

What do you care. Are you even Canadian?

[sca719]

@christophergawlik no I'm American asshole and proud. I don't want your health care system so it does matter. fuck communist like this idiot in the video.

[SnApLiTs]

Then you have been brainwashed by the Republicans to hate something that would be good for most Americans.

Communist??!! You're ignorance is showing.

[thylacine1930]

Bravo! As an Australian who grew up with universal health care I struggle to understand why the United States remains the only western democracy without it. They can certainly afford it. That is, they can afford to ensure every American man, woman and child has access to decent, professional and dignified medical care. Or rather, how long can they afford to continue on their present course?

[phantomlord54]

@thylacine1930 The answer is partly in your own post..Firstly, we are founded on exactly that - DEMOCRACY - not socialism, and beyond that, a large portion of us don't trust a heavily liberal influenced government as dysfunctional, corrupt and incompetent as ours to come between us and our doctors...Insurance companies are certainly not blameless; they are full of dubious decisions. But a totally government-run system in America would drive an already fragile economy right off a cliff

[thylacine1930]

@phantomlord54 OK, I appreciate that US finances are in a parlous state right now, but then so are those of many other countries, & *every* other western democracy, together with many, many other countries, has some form of universal health insurance. By all means, be suspicious of your govt, but please don't imply that the rest of us are 'undemocratic' or 'socialist'. No men in dark coats hauled me from my bed this morning to face tanks on the streets of Melbourne. Got cheap health care though.

[phantomlord54]

@thylacine1930 I don't quite get how you conclude from my post that I'm implying that you or anyone else is undemocratic; however universal - single payer - health insurance is a form of socialism. Dare I ask - are you implying that it isn't?? And just how cheap would your health care be if your total population were equivalent to ours??

[thylacine1930]

@phantomlord54 Well, you *did* pit 'democracy' with UHI, & at the risk of repeating myself that means just about every other dev. country is 'socialist'. You're getting hung up on a tag. Really don't understand what calamity you think is going to befall you. Aust. healthcare systems isn't perfect (btw, I can choose private health insurance), but they do provide cheap, high quality care from the Dr of my choice. The EU's pop 500M, much bigger than US. More folks = more$ = economies-of-scale.

[phantomlord54]

@thylacine1930 *cont'd* America is on a similar path to financial armageddon. We are 14 TRILLION dollars in debt!! FIVE trillion of that is within the last four years!! And that's from under the corrupt "leadership" of progressive liberals who think nothing of spending us into oblivion. Mass "entitlement" programs ultimately do NOT work. Look at all the riots in the streets of Greece!! You see firsthand what people drunk on handouts do when their bankrupt gov't needs to curtail them!!

[phantomlord54]

@thylacine1930 It would seem to me that you are the one who's getting hung up on these 2 words - democracy and socialism. To be clear, when I state that UHI is a form of socialism, one should not infer that I'm stating that any country with such a system in place necessarily has a fully socialist government. As for the European Union - are you kidding me?? With bankruptcy and other economic dysfunction raging all across that continent, they are on the brink of financial ruin. *cont'd*

[thylacine1930]

@phantomlord54 The EU and US are so heavily lumbered with debt right now because they've both had to bail out a weakly regulated finance and banking sector. Australia hasn't suffered the same fate because we made sure the rules were up to scratch about twenty years ago. (Still had to cough up some.) So we can afford decent health care for all. Ah, but this is a very silly game and I don't want to play anymore. Let's agree to disagree. Now then, where did I put those reds under the bed...? ;-)

[phantomlord54]

@thylacine1930 I'm not trying to play any game against you; guess I've just been tryin' to get you to drift away from that original point that we "can certainly afford it"...and I feel you've done that to a certain extent, and I can appreciate that. I think we can "agree" that what works in one land won't necessarily work elsewhere

[thylacine1930]

@phantomlord54 No worries old mate. Use 'game' playfully. I'll take on board your points. Since we've struck a conciliatory note; trust you'll return the favour & recognise that UHI often works v. well. Given it's ubiquity, other countries might even have something to teach America. Good healthcare can come at less overall cost to the economy (though not govt, agreed), without eroding personal liberty – can even up it with lower costs to the individual, extra tax incl. Come see for yourself!

[ryanfosterca]

You are sadly mistaken carsij, the problem with American Health Care is the greedy, heartless insurance companies that would deny someone a glass of water if it saved them a dime. Insurance companies out, government in. Polls show 80% of Canadians support our health care system how dare you tell us how to vote and what kind of system we should have in our country. In our country its people before profits and none of your Canada-hating American insults will change it.

[phantomlord54]

@ryanfosterca Explain to me how on the one hand you say "how dare you tell us how to vote and what kind of system we should have..", but yet it's perfectly OK for you to freely dictate what we or anyone else should have with "insurance companies out, government in"

[carsij]

Our healthcare can be fixed by getting lawyers and gov. out of it. 1300 Insurance Co. are limited by states where they can offer their products. When you say you are currently living in the U.S. does that mean you are not a citizen. If this is true How dare you How dare you for doing a PSA for something the American taxpayer is so much against. You disappoint me. You must really be a great actor because you are no Jack Bauer

[koalheca]

Carsij: I hate to tell you this Jack Bauer is a fictional character played by Kiefer Sutherland. He does what the script tells him do and if it makes him look an American hero then congrats writers you have done a good job.

[mediamoxy]

Aside from the mildly terrifying thought of stray nickles flying off rails, that was really succinct and quite inspiring and very motivating.

I've never seen Canadian pride unrelated to hockey before, I like it. A lot.

Alright, America, let's get on this.

[koalheca]

mediamoxy: America shoulg have jumped aboard in the 1960's instead of doing all it could to discredit the program. For example Tommy Douglas's daughter Shirley was arrested during that period under suspision of dealing arms to the black panthers the charges of course would be dropped but that goes to show that some people will stop at nothing to save their free market medicine when they know its killing people and not just the lives but the finanical well being all in the name of free enterprise

[68evolver]

Tommy fought hard for the right of EVERY Canadian-rich or poor-to health care. No person should be turned away from a hospital because they can't afford the bill. Many Americans die needless deaths because they don't have a family doctor or they can't pay for needed procedures.

If you are against equality and justice in health care it is either because you have the money or because you are a cold-hearted individual.

[rdevlin38]

Who is being turned away from Hospitals.. can you give us same names? I have lived without Health Care for 6 years. My wife and I have had 2 Children with out insurance.. We got the same quality care that my Sister In Law got with health Insurance. Those who complain about not having Health Care have either A. Never talked to the hospital or Doctor about what they can do to help, or B. Haven't bothered to shop for Health Care.

[koalheca]

rdevlin38: An individual or family SHOULD NOT have to "Shop for Health Care" they should be able to go and the care they need without going to each hospital and finding "a deal"

[rdevlin38]

Well do you not shop for Car insurance? Do you not shop for the best deal on a car, clothes, and everything else out there? You feel everything should just be given to you? If you could buy insurance across state lines opening up the market you would be amazed at how low the cost for insurance would be. Having the government give it away for free is not the answer. If you want to see how efficient the GOV is go to your local medicare office and see how long it takes to talk to someone.

[koalheca]

I don't have to shop for car insurance as my province of Saskatchewan enjoy the most inexpensive vehicle insurance rates in the country and oh I pay $600 per year on a 2001 Ford F-150 my neighbours in Alberta for the same vehicle pay atleast $1200 and higher. Technically the gov't doesn't give it away we pay sales tax and income tax. Why would I need to go to my local medicare office? All I need to do to see a doctor is make an appointment and show up same at the hospital.

[sidewalkpilot]

free market healthare. we have 23098423974230 MRI machines, but nobody can afford it. WE NEED to DO SOMETHING. As a single payer advocate, I am surrounded by those who are suffering, sick, etc.. THIS IS EVIL. People have a RIGHT to HEALTH.

[RyderSpearmann]

I have had an MRI whenever I wanted one... heck, even when I didn't!

You think it is evil that you only get what you pay for... well, I don't.

I am happy to pay for my medical expenses through my choices...

Canadians pay too... of course. They just pretend that they don't... they say it is "free"...

Any thinking person can see that there is nothing free about it. Too bad about the MRI shortage!

[sidewalkpilot]

now if Keifer would FIGHT for a REAL MEDICARE here in the states.

[Knoss]

America must preserve and expand free market healthcare. Socialized medicine has failed, Saskatchewan only has 1 MRI and is plagued by waiting lists. Veterinary care is of higher quality then medical care for humans.

Perhaps since Saskatchewan introduced the problem we need to fix it. In 1983 even Tommy Douglas admitted the system is broken.

[aspasie1979]

Very moving the way he speaks about his grandad. Not only Kiefer is hansome but he's smart and idealist

[caitlindoteiza]

he is reading off a prompter. you can tell.

[arandomperson240]

Let's see you go on national television and not stutter whatsoever, without a prompter.

it is nessicary to present... there are even anchors who do it.

THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH READING OFF A PROMPTER.

it does not diminish the message

[RyderSpearmann]

Actually, it does. It can mean that the speaker does not even understand or believe what he is saying.

President Obama thanked himself for coming to an event... reading someone elses teleprompter.

Obama also told people that he met his wife at school (he did not... met her at work) because his teleprompter told him to say it... LOL, and he didn't even pause.

watch?v=xMz2wpYbhHQ

So yes... now Obama is bing called a liar over that... so I guess that siminishes things a bit.

[boblab5]

So?

[atlantis1234p]

kiefer's grandad rocks