Good health care more important than military

Re: “NDP continues on a fool’s errand,” (Herald letters, March 26).

Paul Crossley states the Canadian military is underfunded. Many people have stated this for many years. Some countries such as Iceland (a member of NATO) don’t even have a military.

What they do have is access to the best healthcare throughout their life. They also have access to affordable housing and good education.

As a result of this, they are amongst the happiest and healthiest nations in the world.

At the other end of the spectrum for military spending is the United States, whose military budget is more than China, India, Russia, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea combined.

The U.S. does not enjoy the health care, education and affordable housing that some countries have because they are shovelling money into their military.

The U.S. is not, for many people, a place that is happy and healthy despite some American claims.

Most people believe that good health care (including dental and pharmacare), education, affordable housing and the phasing out of fossil fuels are not just “nice to haves” or “niceties,” as Mr. Crossley states.

Without these things, we can not have a healthy, vibrant society.

His “niceties” are paramount to a nation’s health and well being and are the strength of a nation — they are not niceties.

These valuable assets are what the NDP is fighting for and certainly cannot be called “a fool’s errand” as he states.

To deny people health care and other necessities because they are unable to afford them, is contemptible.

Sandy Hayes Penticton