We’ll just agree to disagree.

I feel sad that you believe the things you do, you will appreciate what you had only when it’s gone.

In this country we don’t trust anything we take seriously to the so-called “free-enterprise” system, which is a myth anyway — we don’t have any sort of free-enterprise system. Or is this the same “free-enterprize” system that ran amuck without any regulation and then needed bailouts for the banking industry and automobile manufacturers. If we had free enterprise, instead of “enterprize,” those businesses would have driven themselves to extinction.

Additionally, we don’t trust the private sector to provide military, police and fire protection, management of public lands and resources, airline traffic control, hell, we don’t even leave animal control to private industry.

So why would we leave health care to private industry, especially since it has so badly failed us.

I’m no businessman, but wouldn’t it be better for your business if instead of paying $550,000 a year for health care for your employees you paid nothing? This is how it is in most civilized countries (by the way, the last time I checked the U.S. ranked right in there with Cuba in health care), and even in some uncivilized coutries like the United Kingdom.

Yes, it does sound like a bit of a matra, Dave. The same one we’ve been hearing since the AMA hired a marketing firm back in the age of McCarthyism to come up with the term “socialized medicine.”

When will we move on to a better system?

Do you think that doctors and hospitals will get better under a government plan? If so, you’d better think again. And what does the conservative media have to do with anything? Are you implying I only repeat a mantra?

I am informed, buy $550,000 worth of health care for my employees each year. I see the system up close.

I’m sure we can all agree we need change. The 1 trillion dollar question is how we do it and how much more it will cost. The free market almost always works best. I am constantly surprised by yours and others lack of faith in free enterprise.

1. Malpractice insurance costs doctors roughly 50% of their revenues. This is due to our tort system encouraging lawsuits as a form of lotto, but we all are paying for the insurance that doctors must have.

2. Limited competition. Insurance companies are limited on a state by state basis. Get rid of that limitations and you can choose a company that treats you better. Choice is always good.

There are bad people we run into in life, and there are also bad companies we deal with. Choose your company well, and if you make a mistake sometime, change your company, but don’t throw out the whole system.

The countries that have nationalized health care suffer with even higher costs, poor access, and poor care. Cancer death rates in these countries are higher than in the USA free market care. Also, health research will slow down dramatically as funding sources dry up. Also, these other countries have benefited from the fabulous advances in health care made here.

Is our system perfect? NO! Can it be improved? YES! Can the problems it has be fixed? ABSOLUTELY!

Collectivist state-ism is the result of government health care and you won’t like it. Your liberty will be gone.

By the way, who is T.R. Reid?