From up here in the Great White North — that would be Canada, eh! — we watch with some bewilderment as president Barack Obama struggles to get his floundering health care reform bill passed. Truth is, Americans have an amazingly crappy health care system . . . okay, let me rephrase that . . . Americans have a health care system that could be really great were it not subject to the power of the Dark Side. Yes, I’m talking about good old fashioned corporate greed. That would be the kind of greed that tries to make sure every American pays through the nose for the privilege of surviving should some health issue arise, while the companies who insure them try to make sure they never have to pay out.

Meanwhile, the right wing (mostly) in the States is going nuts talking about Obama’s plan to kill old people should they fall ill, with mysterious star chambers scattered hither and yon makind decisions as to how many babies will fall under the knife of Obama’s evil plan. It’s all very surreal.

Then, today as I was driving my son home from school, it hit me. Americans are afraid because of Rick Mercer. Yes, that Rick Mercer. The Canuck comedian who talks to Americans and tells them the weirdest things about what goes on North of the border (North of the States, of course). One of his "Talking to Americans" sketches involved a story where he described our practice of putting our old people out to die on the ice floes of Saskatchewan (if you can find it in a YouTube clip, I’d love to include it here). In any case, that’s what really did it!.That’s what Obama is fighting against. Rick Mercer.

So, on behalf of all Canadians, I want to apologize for Mr. Mercer.  It was a joke and it was in poor taste, and now, you guys are likely never to see anything that even begins to resemble universal health care. As a Canadian, I am ashamed. I’m sorry. We all are.