The names of Thomas Clement Douglas and William Henry Beveridge are not internationally known. Within their own lands they are celebrated as great reformers, but they are not world famous.
Tommy Douglas
It looks as if some interest in Tommy Douglas might now be aroused, since he gets a prominent mention in ‘Sicko’, Michael Moore’s latest movie, a feature length polemic in favour of free health care in America.
In the film, a self-confessed Conservative tells Michael Moore that Tommy Douglas - for introducing free healthcare to Canada - was voted "The Greatest Canadian" of all time. This was in a nationally televised contest. Douglas won even more votes than Wayne Gretzky, the great hockey player.
British
Tommy Douglas, like William Beveridge, was, in fact, a Brit. He was born in Falkirk, Scotland in 1904 and didn’t arrive in Canada until 1910. Then he and his family returned to Scotland during the First World War. They didn’t go back to Canada – to Winnipeg - until 1919.
‘Sicko’ opened in British cinemas this month and has been warmly received even though in that country it is preaching to the choir. The United Kingdom has had a National Health Service for almost 60 years, since 1948, and the argument for free health care has been well and truly won there.
Beveridge
The man who gets the credit for that reform, the main proponent of free medical treatment in Britain, was William Henry Beveridge, who was born in 1879 and was almost seventy years old when the service was inaugurated.
In Britain in 1945 Winston Churchill’s Conservative Party was voted out of office to make way for the Labour Party under Clement Attlee. Beveridge advised Attlee's Cabinet, bringing memories of nineteenth century poverty to the advice he gave, persuading twentieth century politicians that there were five 'Giant Evils': Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness.
Not Socialism
As Michael Moore points out, the notion of socialism attaches itself to the idea of medical attention. Indeed the world’s first free health service was created in the Soviet Union during the 1920’s.
But Moore argues convincingly that free health care sits well in a capitalist society.
Beveridge’s Report
Beveridge deployed this point masterfully, converting the old-fashioned British upper class people, businessmen and workers all at once. He stated that the welfare institutions he had in mind would enhance the competitiveness of British industry at a time when the sun was setting on the British Empire. He showed how individual companies would not have to pay for doctors and hospitals and pensions. Everyone would - the money would come out of taxes. He also explained how it is good for a country to have healthy, happy, motivated and productive workers. What’s more, if they earned more, they would buy more.
Tommy’s Leg
When Tommy Douglas was a child he hurt his leg. The injury developed osteomyelitis. This would usually have led to amputation, but a doctor judged the wound a suitable case for teaching. His students observed the healing process and so the doctor didn’t charge for his attentions. It was this that inspired Tommy in the belief that health care should be free.
Two Achievers
Michael Moore (and Hillary Clinton) are famous advocates of free health care. Tommy Douglas deserves his moment in the sun now that he is praised in Moore’s movie. So does William - later Lord - Beveridge, whose last words could have been those of Douglas, or any other modest high achiever: “I have a thousand things to do". Douglas in his turn said what any social activist might say, that what is important is how we look after others, not how we look after ourselves.
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