There's no such thing as "paying for each other's stuff."

There are the people who are made to pay for other people's stuff, and the people who don't pay for their own stuff. There are a lot more of the latter than the former, and in a democracy, you can see for yourself where that leads.

At some level, an economy can withstand a certain amount of wealth distribution, in the same way that a restaurant can afford to give seniors a discount or a railroad can let kids ride for free. But when the government tells the restaurant that everyone has to get the senior discount, the model breaks down. It's breaking down now. The payers are far outnumbered by the payees, and the payees are demanding more every year. Add free health care to that and what happens?

Seriously, do you honestly think the nearly 50 percent of Americans who pay no income tax now are going to stand for suddenly paying a huge health care tax? Sure, they're paying for insurance where they work, but that's transparent to them, like the other half of their Social Security. The actual result is going to be a huge added tax burden on the minority that already carries almost all the load.

And yes, if your entire nation has the population of Wisconsin and is half the size of Maine, it does make national government easier.