The American anti-family healthcare system

One final thought on the Shank family now that Wal-Mart has bowed to the pressure of universal outrage at their callousness and promised not to try to collect on their judgement.

Jim Shank had to divorce his beloved wife so that she would get the Medicaid benefits available to singles - basically the American healthcare non-system forced this family to end their marriage simply to survive.

Americans should think about that the next time some Republican politician blurbles about 'family values' - while decrying universal healthcare as Godless socialism. It is literally and unambiguously an anti-family position.

One would hope that the various Canadians - some who even have the gall to call themselves progressives - who push for greater private sector involvement in our healthcare system take a long hard look at the travails of the Shank family. This is what lies at the end of that road.