I have to say that you put it very well Baba... I agree with everything you say above. I for one, despite having grown relatively wealthy over the years, still believe that we have a responsibility to look after everyone in our society when it comes to healthcare. I think the scaremongering about costs is rather silly considering that in Switzerland we have one of the best systems in the world (in fact it was targeted by the US when trying to reform their system) which costs fundamentally less than the US system. Everyone is covered and everyone is forced to buy coverage... however there is simply nothing 'communist or socialist' about Switzerland, that you can be sure of. The real cost of healthcare in the US stems from private companies making money off sick people... and the biggest problem with Canadian healthcare is that the US is their neighbor... thus many of the best doctors go south to make more money. They have a 'brain drain' to the south, however Canadians universally would still rather have their system that the one in the US- any number of polls will prove that statement.

My remarks re: the Republics has to do with this... not 1 single Republican saw enough good in the bill to vote for it? Not even 1? Sorry but I think if the Republicans had been in control there would be no worries about filibusters and the need for super-majorities- they would simply claim a mandate and convince enough Democrats to support them through the threat of voter reaction to inaction to pass whatever they like. Heck Democrats even voted for the Iraq war... I just personally don't believe the Republics want changes, any changes, they love it when big business makes big bucks and they hide it by appealing to the 'Real Americans' in the countryside by backing cultural issues like the right to life/ gay marriage/ prayer in school/ flag burning/ 'death panels'...

Facts mean nothing- how about the fact that nations with publicly paid abortions actually have fewer abortions by half than the US? Why is that? Because they also have free sexual education programs, free birth control etc. So if it has been shown to be better for the right-to-lifers to embrace education over banning others rights (talk about a power grab)... why do they insist that theirs is the only option? Any possible hint of funding abortions mean that health care for 30 million people gets voted down? Doesn't sound very 'right to life' to me...

If you don't like Heath Care to be universal, if you don't like this bill (frankly I don't like it either as it doesn't go far enough in my opinion) perhaps it has more to do with your outlook and philosophy than any real concern with costs. Arguing about costs simply doesn't make sense... the US currently spends double any other country on earth and yet doesn't show the results for the money (higher rates of death for newborns, less than 90% coverage etc.). What I believe it is really about is the unique American 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' mentality. I'm fine with that, if that's what the majority of your society thinks. However the majority of American have shown in a number of polls that they want universal healthcare, not this bill, but universal care. Thats where I think Obama has failed... his approach started too 'softly, softly' thinking that the Party of No may actually want to participate in a mature discussion, the result was an embarrassing display during the health car town hall meetings.... "Keep those government hands off my medicare", folks showing up armed and Sarah 'insert bad word of choice here' Palin and her Death Panel rubbish. Obama should have strong-armed from the beginning and stuck to his guns... even if he failed, he would have shown that he was going to stand on principal. The message from this whole thing for me is 1) Things can get done in the US government, but 2) it's messy and anyone can hold up the process for personal gain. Sad but true.

Anyhow Scruffy- I believe that you believe that you're ideal system is right for the people of your country and I disagree, but have the same intentions. You trust private companies and doctors and I tend to trust my elected government to serve as a watchdog over greed. Different perspectives, same motives... but I'm sure if we had a year together we could at least find a compromise we could both vote for... which is already better than the dog and pony show we just watched.

S