Category: Politics

One of the most popular skits from Monty Python and the Holy Grail is “I’m being repressed!”

It contains a powerful lesson on what’s wrong with healthcare and how to fix it.

The skit opens with King Arthur overtaking a young peasant man, Dennis, who Arthur mistakes for an old peasant woman.

Dennis is pulling a cart.

Dennis berates Arthur for exploiting the workers with “outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society.”

A peasant woman calls out from the ditch at the side of the road, “Dennis! There’s some lovely filth down here…”

Both peasants then cross examine Arthur on his right to be King: Continue reading “Are Doctors Being Repressed?”

Once upon a time, might made right. One angry mob would holler at another angry mob until one backed down or got pounded.

Tribalism hurt everyone. Thankfully, those days passed, and tribes learned that debate works better.

Once upon a time, doctors learned to debate and wrestle with paradoxical facts. A contest of ideas drove progress.

We learned to disagree violently without violence. Unfortunately, those days have almost passed. Small groups of doctors have resurrected tribes as a way to drive change. Continue reading “Tribalism and Outrage”

“I know you guys needed to act tough recently.

I get that.

But when are you going to start supporting government again?“

“You know, you get more done when you work with government than against it.”

I could fill pages with these comments.

Experts and establishment insiders insist that doctors should always try to support whatever position seems popular with government.

They believe that funding requires relationship, and relationship must come before principles or position.

You only Get to Yes when you abandon positions for interests.

Working with government was never in question. Doctors in Ontario have begged for a working relationship since 2012.

Even when medical leadership had deep ties to the ruling Liberals, doctors were shut out of decision making, shunned from consultations and heckled in the legislature.

Medical leaders had tea in private clubs with the Premier, at the same time that the Premier was unilaterally cutting doctors’ fees.

Did this relationship help doctors, patients or healthcare in general? Continue reading “Relationship Nonsense in Medical Politics”