Covid protests and the media

[Mrmarvingardens]

Nursing shortages/burnout seem to be a problem.
For those that consider it part of the problem, nurses in Ontario are protesting this morning.
Wages frozen by the government; chronic short staffing and budget restraints.
Is this part of a much bigger problem?
I think so.

[fluffy]

I listened to some people talking about the shortage/burnout issue on the radio this morning. A couple of points brought up were 1.) Even though they've known it was coming for years, the aging boomer thing has wreaked havoc on the labour supply, and now is contributing to the overload on the health system, and 2.) Nurses are electing to drop to part-time or casual status as the stress has become intolerable.

[jcdenton]

Sounds like privatized healthcare might be a solution, considering how badly the government has f'd up with the pandemic, and underfunding healthcare before the pandemic

[Mrmarvingardens]

Privatized health care?
We already have it...sort of.
MRI's at @700 a pop;
Private operating rooms at the top of Kelowna Health building on Richter;If you think it is bad now, the government is bringing to Canada 300 thousand immigrants this year, more next.
Didn't we also hear that 70 thousand Afghan refugees are being welcomed to Canada?
Too many people going to the hospital that don't need to.Many just don't take care of their bodies.
In Kelowna, visitors who don't have B.C. medical coverage, get treated, and then don't pay the bill.
Interior Health attempts to collect the millions owed, but often is not that successful.

[nucksRnum1]

[MAPearce]

Unread post by Mrmarvingardens » 24 minutes ago

Privatized health care?
We already have it...sort of.

Not "sort of" ...

Injure myself at work and it's bought and paid for by WorkSafeBC in less than 6 weeks .. With cab fare to AND from the surgical suits on Richter, meds , home support and all the bells and whistles all paid for .

Do the same thing at home and it's a 6 month wait . No support ,day surgery at the hospital only if you have your own ride home and a two week waiting period for medical EI ..

Privatized health care has been here for years

[Septuagenarian]

Anti-vax movements aren’t new. Nor is the coverage in the media.

For instance here an illustration from 1802.

An 1802 caricature imagines outlandish side effects from the use of cow pox to vaccinate against smallpox.Credit: James Gillray/British Cartoon Prints Collection/Library of Congress

It was republished in this book review.

Vaccines — lessons from three centuries of protest

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02671-0

The need to control outbreaks and pandemics has long created tensions between liberty and interdependence, similar to those playing out worldwide today. Anti-vaxxers is a book that reminds us of the historical precedents to the odd alliances — anti-vaccine, anti-mask, anti-5G, for instance — that are getting in the way of public health right now.

<snip>

(Conclusion)

By taking the story of vaccine opposition back to its earliest examples, Anti-vaxxers cautions against simplistic solutions. In tracing the movement across three centuries, Berman underlines that is unlikely to be ended by keyboard warriors or the repetition of even the best scientific evidence.

And here’s the e-book in the OK Library.

Anti-vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement

Berman, Jonathan M.,

https://orl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S111C592254

Oh, and here's a couple of YouTube presentations and discussions that feature Dr. Berman.

I was watching one of them, but I'm running out of time, so I'll just post both of them now.

"Jonathan Berman: Anti-Vaxxers and How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL1hjYCgbOQ

And,

"Anti-vaxxers: How to Challenge a Misinformed Movement (Science on Tap Livestream Show)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvke0LLbEac

[Mrmarvingardens]

Some good reading here.
Say maybe it is time for protesters to read "Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinsky.
Believe it is long out of print, but, Maybe a borrow from U.B.C. library?
Judging from the local talk show host on AM 1150, referring to people as ignorant, not knowing a thing about Ivermectin, until informed by a listener; another advocating water cannon use against protesters; refusal to treat Covid patients; or to make them pay for treatment,I think society(Kelowna at least) is beginning to unravel.

[Septuagenarian]

Some good reading here.
Say maybe it is time for protesters to read "Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinsky.
Believe it is long out of print, but, Maybe a borrow from U.B.C. library?
Judging from the local talk show host on AM 1150, referring to people as ignorant, not knowing a thing about Ivermectin, until informed by a listener; another advocating water cannon use against protesters; refusal to treat Covid patients; or to make them pay for treatment,I think society(Kelowna at least) is beginning to unravel.

Yes, Saul Alinsky, as you imply, perhaps the other edge of the sword compared to Jonathan Berman.

And since we are discussing ' . . . protests and the media.' I'm very happy to say that I recalled and found the Playboy Magazine interview with Alinsky from 1972 (Back then I only subscribed for the articles) . BTW, the playmate of the month was Ellen Michaels, but I digress, for this is probably the most pertinent question from the interview to apply this topic.

SAUL ALINSKY: PLAYBOY INTERVIEW (March, 1972)

https://scrapsfromtheloft.com/comedy/sa ... view-1972/

"PLAYBOY: You seem optimistic. But most radicals and some liberals have expressed fear that we’re heading into a new era of repression and privacy invasion. Are their fears exaggerated, or is there a real danger of America becoming a police state?"

And the answer is . . .. Mmmmm, Ellen Michaels . . ..

[fluffy]

Sounds like privatized healthcare might be a solution, considering how badly the government has f'd up with the pandemic, and underfunding healthcare before the pandemic

At least the rich will be taken care of.

[spooker]

Sounds like privatized healthcare might be a solution, considering how badly the government has f'd up with the pandemic, and underfunding healthcare before the pandemic

Look how those privatized long term care homes have worked out for us ...

[Sparki55]

Look how those privatized long term care homes have worked out for us ...

Lack of government regulation is to blame.

Imagine thinking air travel wasn't safe and the government should take it over, no we have transport Canada to deal with that.

Just open a task force to enforce regulation, not government takeover.

[spooker]

Look how those privatized long term care homes have worked out for us ...

Lack of government regulation is to blame.

Imagine thinking air travel wasn't safe and the government should take it over, no we have transport Canada to deal with that.

Just open a task force to enforce regulation, not government takeover.

Not a good comparison ... luxury (air travel) vs necessity (medical care)? just look at the U.S. and how putting a necessity like medical care into the hands of business has worked out for them ...

[Sparki55]

Not a good comparison ... luxury (air travel) vs necessity (medical care)? just look at the U.S. and how putting a necessity like medical care into the hands of business has worked out for them ...

The US is a great example to argue against private healthcare. There are other mixed systems that work as well, these articles are worth a read if even to just browse the intro, conclusions and Switzerland / Germany's systems.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/201 ... acket.html
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/1 ... 1420966976

[spooker]

Not a good comparison ... luxury (air travel) vs necessity (medical care)? just look at the U.S. and how putting a necessity like medical care into the hands of business has worked out for them ...

The US is a great example to argue against private healthcare. There are other mixed systems that work as well, these articles are worth a read if even to just browse the intro, conclusions and Switzerland / Germany's systems.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/201 ... acket.html
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/1 ... 1420966976

It's interesting to note that when you look at the % of GDP spent on healthcare here's how things stack up:
UK - 10.0%
CA - 10.8%
DE - 11.4%
CH - 11.9%
US - 16.9%

I've always been a fan of NHS ...