Ezra:

There are certain facts that Americans hear about the Canadian system — that they often wait weeks or even months for elective surgeries, for instance — and they just can’t believe that modern human beings would allow themselves to be put through such misery. But by the same token, there are facts that people in other countries hear about our system — that we often don’t get needed surgeries because we can’t afford them, or that our doctors won’t see us at night or on weekends or in our homes — and they’re similarly aghast that citizens of the richest nation in the world would not just accept that sort of a system, but pay extra for it.