Why can't we learn from others' mistakes?  Centralized economic planning does not work.  Socialized health care does not work.  Spending gobs of money to alleviate an economic downturn does not work.  But lets keep stoking the fires of the health care debate for now...

"The difference between a wise man and a fool, is that the wise man learned from his mistakes".

Now comes this shocking (sort of) announcement.  Dr. Robert Ouellet,  the current  president of the Canadian Medical Association has now publicly stated that the Canadian health care system is broken and must bring in privatization.  Are you paying attention Nancy Pelosi?  Michael Moore?  Harry Reid?  Any other liberal out there that thinks the government is the cure all for what ails you?  That includes you too President Obama.

Dr, Ouellet might have just helped conservatives and other opponents of a "public option" here in the United States because he believes that lump sum payments to hospitals must change to a patient centered system. 

"...the Canadian system could be restructured to focus on patients if hospitals and other health-care institutions received funding based on the patients they treat, instead of an annual, lump-sum budget. This "activity-based funding" would be an incentive to provide more efficient care..."

Dr. Anna Doig, who will be taking over for Dr. Ouellet at the Canadian Medical Association, has been accused of wanting an American style system.  So who has the better system Mr. Moore? 

Our health care system is not perfect by a long shot, but it is the best in the world, despite what the United Nations has to say about it.  Why else do people come HERE for their treatments instead of going to the Utopias that are the Cuban, UK, Canadian, French or any other socialized health care system?

The tyranny of the majority want socialized medicine here in the United States like in Canada.  Well, Dr. Dong has some parting words for you:

"(Canadians) have to understand that the system that we have right now - if it keeps on going without change - is not sustainable."

The White House is now backing away from the public option in the health care reform.  Don't be fooled.  Obama is a very slick politician.  He knows he has expended too much political capital resulting in dropping support for both him and health care reform.  Call me a conspiracy theorist, but here's what I see happening - probably conceived by Rahm Emmanuel. 

Obama still wants the public option but can't ignore the public outcry.  Instead, he knows that the House will pass a public option version of the health care bill.  In the Senate, there will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth of this and knowing that 60 votes will not happen, Harry Reid will pass the Senate version through reconciliation (suspending the rules so that only a simple majority is needed).  Now, both the Senate and House have passed public option versions.  The GOP will cry foul but it will be too late.  The bill goes to Obama's desk with the public option.  Is he going to veto it?  Of course not.  He'll sign it "reluctantly" because despite not wanting a public option, he'll say that this is the only opportunity they'll have to get it done because any solution to the health care issue is urgently needed.  Win, win.  Obama gets what he originally wants without taking the political hit. 

Maybe I'll be right, maybe I'll be wrong.  We'll see come September, October or November.