>There's that insulting tone again where my opinions are somehow unthinking knee-jerk reactions as opposed to educated, informed and historically verified.
>
>You should go back and read the emotive image you posted. ;-) Since you named the UK may I point out that even the head of the UK Conservative Party describes the NHS as a "national treasure." Even the arch-capitalists see it as a marvelous win. How does that fit with the image you portrayed?

Last I checked no one from America is telling the UK how to run their health care. Yet people around the world seem to feel its their duty to tell the US how to run ours. I have no feeling whatsoever regarding the NHS. That's their business, however, I can see the problems clearly and do not want to impose them here. Our system has flaws, but it also has amazing sucesses, which the world benefits from. I would prefer a solution which encourages our success while avoiding the pitfalls of others. That solution is the free market, not government driven.

>I don't see the leader of the US Republican Party describing your current system as a national treasure. Basically the image doesn't match real life. And that's before we start comparing your image of "subservient populations" to the French, Austrians, Scandinavians or Dutch.

Perhaps because we're more honest. We acknowledge there are flaws in our system and are debating the solution. I wonder if the dead and dying due to the failures of the "national treasure" agree with the party leader's assessment.

>If you look outside of government for incentive driven, free market solutions you may see elements and mechanisms that resolve your fears.
>
>You do realize that many systems with universal schemes also have a successful private market? Some of them currently offer "medical tourism" options where somebody facing a $200K procedure in the US can take a 6-week vacation abroad and then have the prcedure done there for a total cost of around $40K. I'll let you explain how the cost can be 80% less if your system has so much to recommend it. The satisfaction ratings for people taking these trips are looking phenomenal as well.

You're not seriously bringing up medical tourism in as a did a America's health care are you? Want to take a guess at the numbers who come here vs those that go elsewhere?
http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/25/health-hospitals-care-forbeslife-cx_avd_outsourcing08_0529healthoutsourcing.html

Taking your own argument, why is it that people with such wonderful universal coverage augmented by private care keep coming here in droves?

>LOL. They cannot produce anything of the sort, because what they've written doesn't look anything like what they've claimed.
>
>I'm referring to the criticism of socialized care as a principle and the belief that the existing system has all the merit. On that note you might be interested in some of this: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/

You have once again distorted my argument. I have never claimed that the existing system has "all the merit". Far from it. The existing system takes the control away from the citizen and puts in in the hands of the insurance companies. The tax code punishes self-employed and small business and rewards large business employees. However those employees coverage is attached to the company they work for rather than the individual. In addition one cannot shop out of state for coverage. There are many flaws which I have highlighted and offered free market, citizen empowering solutions for. Socialized care can be seen in this country in the form of Medicare, medicaid, veterans hospitals and SCHIP. Which one isn't broke? Go ahead I'll wait...and wait. In addition, the government of the US has put in place the laws which require all the awful aspects of our current system which I listed above. It's about time we try a new approach. Get the government out of the health care business.