Step back for a second and think. In this the greatest nation on the planet, why does the quality of your health care depend on who you work for or how much money you make? Just on an objective basis.

That being said, I've always had geat health care through HMO's or private insurance through my employers. Now that I'm self-employed, in addition to having to pay 1 1/2 times my scoial security, my health care, if I could afford it, is not tax-deductible. There are no real "group" plans for individuals.

At more than $600 month, my insurance has a $5,000 deductible, handles only catastrophic, and has no Rx benefits. I had to join Wahlgreen's program for that. That's the capitalist system for you! Overpriced & based solely on profit. It isn't even availbale for me! My mom's Medicare is far more impressive!

Like AIG, some things are just too big to allow a monopoly by some private, for- profit interests. Paranoia about government doesbn't justify having none at all! Medicare and Social Security are very well-run programs. Paranoia about the government always being out to "get" you goes against the very reason we formed this nation. The Articles of Confededration failed, so we created a stronger document and government. Modern times and situations require that we have enough government to keep this country going. If not, the whole Tennessee Valley would be running on kerosene, you would be driving unsafe cars on two lane dirt roads since there'd be no interstates or highways, your house would burn down for lack of a fire department, and your parents might've starved during the dust bowl and the Depression. Without the "Feds" AIG decided to make unregulated dangerous swaps without proper collateral- something that can't happen to regular savings banks becasue the are regulated- and backed- by the FEDeral Deposit Insurance Corporation.