As recently noted, Canada and other countries innovate just fine, but far be it from me to let that interfere with good rhetoric.

Anyway, my main point is it's a little disingenuous when government programs are hamstrung by a party that then cites the resulting poor performance as proof government programs don't work. It's like putting Kim Jong Il in charge of the IAEA and then pointing to North Korea as "proof" it doesn't work. If a system is designed to fail failure isn't a huge surprise, but it's sometimes more indicative of poor management than an inherently poor system. There are a lot of critics of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, but few among those receiving any of them, and even those few usually complain they don't get MORE government services. Fortunately we have things like private retirement investments and private healthcare for those who can afford the greater service they desire, but, once again, no one who CAN'T afford more is forced to accept nothing.