[Kevin M]

Personally, I'm tired of this getting dragged into a debate on economics. It's not about money. It's about people being told to die, or remain crippled, or suffer unnecessarily because they aren't wealthy. 98% of Americans CANNOT afford to pay for serious medical bills out of pocket. This means we all need health insurance. I personally don't give a crap how much it costs me in taxes, I despise that we let people suffer when we have more money than anybody else in the world. Will taxes go up with 100% coverage for al of us? I don't know. Will I care if they do? Not really. This isn't about 'welfare' or how much we spend on highways or the military or foreign aid. It's not an economic issue. It's a moral issue with economic implications.

I'm not a 'tax and spend' liberal, mostly because there are very very few people who fit that. It's a construct of the Right, just like the fascist fat-cat money-grubbing Republican is mostly a fabrication of the Left. My personal opinion of the government, like Scott's, is that it exists as a tool for society to use to achieve its aims. Since every single one of us deserves medical treatment we need, and free market tools aren't working, it's time to do something about it. Government should be closely monitored to make what we spend on it is as efficient as possible, but it really grates on me to hear people railing against any and all form of taxation when there is simply no alternatives for some things. Farm subsidies? Stupid. Bank bailouts? Also stupid, but because the situation shouldn't have been allowed to exist in the first place. Earmark pork barrel pet projects? Stupid. Waging 2 useless wars around the globe for no real benefit? Stupid. Maintaing a military that prevents another nation from conquering us? Not stupid. Building and maintaining a good highway and rail system? Not stupid. FDA? Not stupid. Funding education? Not stupid. Ensuring people don't die because they are poor? Not stupid.