But suppose it was. Conservatives extol the superiority of private charity, but the truth is, that's yet another luxury only within the reach of the wealthy. You or I don't have the means to save that little girl's life.

But we do. We the people through collective action save each others' lives all the time. And decent people don't stop to consider the size of their wallet or the color of their skin.

Under the conservative vision of the world, you can't save anybody and you can do very little good. You have to leave all that up to your "betters". Your lot is to keep quiet and be grateful for what trickles down.

In the mainstream/liberal vision of a just world, there'd be no controversy about saving the life of a ten year old girl. We just do what's right, together.

For pennies a day apiece.

Because we're the people who understand how insurance pools work. We're not actually idealists, just smarter money managers.