Would You Support Universal Health and Social Benefits?

Not too long ago, I wrote about a Facebook meme that has gained great popularity with preparations for the election heating up in the United States right now. The meme compares people who are more left-leaning – “liberals” – with more right-wing individuals – “conservatives.”

In Canada, I think we’re a bit more familiar with these labels than some Americans might be. Our two most powerful political parties just happen to be the Liberals and the Conservatives. They aren’t an exact match for American political parties. But if I had to give a rough equivalency, I’d say the Liberals are like Democrats in the US; Conservatives would be much closer to the Republicans.

Why Bother Responding to a Facebook Meme?

As I said in the first part of this discussion, a lot of folks on Facebook get a giggle from sharing a meme that claims to represent the difference between liberals and conservatives. Each part of the meme describes a situation a conservative might find himself in, and then it describes how he’d react. And then the meme goes on to say how a liberal would react under the same circumstances.

Of course, it’s meant to just be funny. And most people either shared it because they thought it was – or passed on by because they thought it was silly to stereotype pretty much the entire populace. That’s how most of us would react but this time, I chose to speak up because of how much political invective I’ve seen tossed about on Facebook recently. The usual grumbling has turned very ugly over the past few weeks as we near the beginning of the actual election campaign. There is a lot of dislike for both the Democratic and Republican candidates, and this is helping to stir up the hostilities.

But why respond? Well, because it’s important not to allow ourselves to be silenced when another person or group disagrees with our beliefs. Over the past few months, I’ve seen a lot of finger-pointing towards liberals. I’ve heard a lot of conservatives trashing everyone from President Obama to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. I’ve even witnessed very sweet, loving people turn ugly because they can’t take a similar joke when it’s targeted at Donald Trump.

Years of experience have taught me that censorship is much more likely to come out of a conservative camp, as are laws designed to limit individual rights and freedoms. But this Facebook meme baits liberals by essentially saying that if anyone should dare to respond to its message instead of blindly agreeing or passing on by, that person must be a crybaby. What better way to ensure the silence of anyone who finds your message inaccurate, biased, or just plain bigoted.

Social Programs and Universal Health Care

In my previous post, I looked at issues such as censorship, gun control, and freedom of religion. I saved the discussion of social programming for last because this is an area that is so central to the Canadian identity. And it’s something that a large number of Americans want, despite there being others who feel it’s just a hand-out to have a social network that can help people with the cost of health care, and other basic necessities.

The Facebook meme makes out that conservatives are rugged individualists who just look for creative solutions if they fall on hard times or can’t afford to see the doctor. And of course, liberals are portrayed as entitled freeloaders who expect the rest of society to foot the bill for their basic needs.

Socialism Isn’t as Rare as You Think!

Forgetting for a moment that public schools and roads, curbside recycling and garbage pick-up, snow removal, emergency services like 911, public transportation, and Social Security are all tax-funded programs that involve the redistribution of wealth, I just have to say that as a Canadian I fully support having a social welfare safety net. So maybe the judgment levelled against us liberals is fair on this one count.

I believe in universal health care coverage because I’ve seen it work, and because I’ve seen how not having it has devastated so many American families. I believe in family benefits, basic income, and a decent living for our veterans and seniors. I know these things work. In some cases, social benefits make the difference between life and death – or at least between going without food to pay for shelter, or going without necessary medications in order to buy food.

Guaranteed Basic Income Encourages People to Work – Not to Freeload

A well-managed social benefits program like basic income actually encourages people to go out and do an honest day’s work. And there is research to back that up. Social benefits provide dignity and quality of life to our most vulnerable citizens, and they are a sign of respect for our elders and former servicemen and women. They are not handouts for lazy people, as some would have us believe.

Every Canadian both contributes and receives benefits according to his means or his household need. And although we tend to celebrate our “tax freedom day” later in the year than Americans do, the standard of living is comparable. No Canadian has ever had to seriously downgrade his standard of living in order to pay the taxes that go towards our social network.

Nobody is living high on the hog at the expense of another, but we do make it a priority to ensure that our country’s children and elderly, our pregnant women and young parents, our disabled individuals all have a chance at a decent standard of living. Does that really sound so terrible to an American conservative?

What are your thoughts about this liberal vs conservative Facebook meme? I’d also love to hear about your experiences living without a social safety net, and any really tight spots your family has been in because of the lack of social benefits where you live (it doesn’t have to be the United States.) Do you wish that your country were liberal enough to adopt Canadian-style universal health care or other social programs? If so, what do you think most needs to be covered?

Original content © 2016 Kyla Matton Osborne

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