Book Of The Body Politic: An Analysis

There is no paradise on Earth. Everywhere has its own troubles, at least according to Christine De Pizan they do. In her novel The Book of the Body Politic, Christine provides an analogy of a political hierarchy in the biological form of a human body; with the head being the king, the hands being the army and nobility, and the feet being the common people. In order for a political system to be ‘healthy’ all parts must work in conjunction with one another- otherwise the entire system faces collapse/death. The modern day political systems that exist are complex with many more functioning parts, however this essay will focus on a universal aspect to these bodies- healthcare. Two nations exist in extremely close proximity of each other with vastly different healthcare systems. The United States is a place where healthcare is not a right and rather a privilege only the wealthy can afford. Canada, on the other hand, provides healthcare to all its citizens- also known as universal healthcare. This essay will analyze the pros and cons of each system, comparing it to the analogy De Pizan provides to determine which system is more beneficial. First looking to the United States, the current
According to their healthcare website, “Canada's health care system is a group of socialized health insurance plans that provides coverage to all Canadian citizens. It is publicly funded and administered on a provincial or territorial basis, within guidelines set by the federal government.” The costs and benefits of this system are in direct contrast with the United States; while everyone is able to be insured under universal healthcare the quality of insurance is significantly less. It is for this reason that many Canadians travel to the US for major treatments like cancer or transplants. Is it worth it then for the government to spend so much of it’s budget on providing healthcare when its citizens will travel