Universal access to health care is a noble goal. So is universal access to good food, a roof over the head, effective transportation, clothing, and many other things.

The problem I have is that many people assume that this goal (along with many others) is only achievable by turning the entire process over to the government. How many other necessities of our lives are government monopolies?

Many of our needs are effectively met by the private sector, so effectively that even the poorest people in America can live pretty decent lives even without government assistance.

You state that the reason medical care was not that expensive years ago was because it wasn't that good. That may be part of it, but the other reason is that people still paid their own way, and as with every other commodity in existence, the market worked. Now it is assumed that either private insurance or public funds will pay ALL of our medical care, and we feel sorely abused if we have to cough up anything out of our own wallets. Who cares if an aspirin is ten bucks? It ain't my money.

If car insurance worked the way health insurance does, it would pay for gas, new tires, car washes, oil changes, and scraping bugs off your license plate. There would be small deductibles, and we would howl for having to pay that. Imagine what State Farm would charge for such a policy.

I would not be averse to government health care help for the poor and those who cannot care well for themselves. If you want a clue to the true goals of those politicians supporting single payer, ask them to means-test it. Most will violently oppose not making it universal and mandatory.

This is an odd view if their goal is simply helping those who can't help themselves, but if you know their true motivations, it's very simple. You see, there aren't enough poor people in America to allow them to use the health care monopoly to gain enormous political power.

The liberal myth is that without massive government programs, horrible disasters would certainly result. This is why they don't like discussing the past. Most elderly did pretty good in America before there was Medicare. We managed to put a man on the Moon before we had a Federal Department of Education. Of course, now these things are permanently imbedded in the system.