With government aid and health care for all:
Canadian columnist Naomi Klein comparing Canada and the U.S. in an interview with the NYT Mag. I think there's a kernel of truth to this, although my sister (who is attending college in Ontario) would rush to point out that the expediency of Canada's health care system is far from comforting:

The main difference between the two countries is that the United States is driven by fear. There is not a strong social safety net in the U.S., so you worry that you will have no money when you retire, or have no one to take care of you when you get sick. The look-after-yourself mentality is at the core of how the United States has chosen to build its society. link