But Howie says it's "legal, moral, and ethical"!

The magazine then known as the Atlantic Monthly (now just "The Atlantic") ran an article a few years ago about KFI-AM in Los Angeles and its talk format. The author mentioned that many of the local inserts into the satellite-delivered talk shows featured commercials of a dubious nature. When WTTT-AM was all right-wing talk, I noticed a plethora of spots for work-at-home schemes, and promises to get you out of credit-card debt without taking a hit on your credit reports. In fact, if it weren't for Geico spots aimed at people who couldn't get the insurance anyway since they lived in Massachusetts, these might have been the PREPONDERANCE of WTTT's advertising!

An old friend of mine contracted HIV (not clear if it was the IV-drug use or unsafe sexual practices or both). He had quite a bit of money, though, yet managed to spread it out to friends and family in order to have Medicaid pay for his drug cocktails and pick up his healthcare costs. Sadly, he sadly died a while back.

I don't see it as a problem that he did that. We should have universal health coverage in Amerika, anyhow. Big whoop. All progressive nations have universal health (Canada, France, Spain, Italy, even the UK). Then again those nations care about the less fortunate among us.

Dear Celtic Frost, You should check those countries you mentioned and see how their health care systems work. They work fine, just don't get sick. In England if you need heart by pass surgery, you could wait almost six months to have it performed. Would you want to wait six months? In Canada, I read a story about a woman who had breast cancer. She was treated but unfortunately the cancer returned to her other breast. She had to wait 45 days to see a doctor and then another 30 days for her second surgery. Would you want to wait 75 days for treatment? I wouldn't. But the kicker is that these countries have free health care. It's free alright, you just can't get it when you need it. And in most of those countries, they tax everything that moves to pay for it.

Celtic Frost,

What's with "Amerika"? What a jerk you are.

subman47, I understand your point. And it's a fair one. However, such anecdotes do not add up to an indictment of the whole notion of universal care for all residents, do they?

How sad that here in the "richest, most powerfull nation on earth" that we cannot meet a simple human need like access to free, universal healthcare. We can do better.

Besides, my main point is that if we had cradle to grave care like most progressive nations, we would not have folks trying to "hide" their assets.

When I read the phrase "free, universal health care", I suspect I am dealing with an economic illiterate.

When such a person IGNORES the fact, reported again and again and again, that "universal healthcare" results in rationed, slower, and poorer medical outcomes, and discourages bright people from becoming doctors and nurses in the first place (why study all those years to become a wage-slave to the State?) I KNOW I am dealing with a person who does not let reality intrude on his desires for the way things "could" be.

Anna, I do not assume it will be government run. The private sector can run it, the government will simply pay for it. Think Medicaid but for everyone. We are too rich, too smart, too powerful to settle for less that universal coverage. We can do it!!!

Anna, CF exemplifies the difference between the rest of us and "progressives". To the former, seeing is believing. To the latter, believing is seeing.

CF obstinately refuses to acknowledge that his proposed "free" universal health care would be "free" only for those who PAY NO TAXES TO "the government".

Where the hell does the government get its money, other than from taxes?

"Medicaid, but for everyone" should send shivers down every taxpayer's spine.