Canadians and Mexicans

Back when Obamacare was being debated, I looked up the health care systems that some other countries had, and I liked the Canadian system the best.  Their government pays all the bills, but it doesn't cover everything, and private insurance is still available for the stuff not covered by the government system.  Doctors can opt out of the system and revert to private practice with their patients paying for it, either out of pocket or with private insurance.  Some of the provinces offer services beyond what the national system provides.  Prescription drugs are generally not covered, but the government has some kind of control over the prices charged.  What's not to like?  Well, people have to wait six months or more to get elective procedures like knee replacements.  I think that's because they take care of the emergency cases first, but there could be more to it than that.

When the US acquired all that territory as a result of the Mexican War, the Mexicans who lived there were allowed to remain.  I'm not sure if they automatically became citizens at that time, but I'm pretty sure that those who owned real estate were allowed to keep it.  I don't think the border was controlled very much in those days, and people who lived near it probably came and went as they pleased.  At some point Mexicans got in the habit of crossing back and forth to do seasonal farm work, and I don't think a lot of control was exerted over that practice until the aftermath of 9-11,  when the US started getting serious about border security.  Mexicans then started staying on our side once the got here because it was easier than going out and trying to get back in again.  Then all those people from Central America started swarming in and Trump started advocating for his wall.

I saw a thing on TV awhile back where they interviewed a border control guy who worked on the Saint Mary's River, which forms part of the Canadian border.  He had been there for a decade or two and reported that he intercepted several illegals a month from several different countries, but not one Canadian.