Then we need to fix the root cause of the problem - a downed economy with fewer jobs which provide health care due to inability to compete with cheap goods/services from communist/socialist countries.

Now, that may seem off-base, but when the economy is on the rise, unemployment is low, wages and benefits are high, and all of these "it costs too much" problems are minimal.

We all know of businesses which have closed because of foreign (especially from communist/socialist countries) competition. All of the other Western industrialized nations have significant tariff/trade protections so that their domestic industries remain vibrant. We don't. That disparity keeps gnawing on the US' ability to keep the domestic workforce from being fully employed, resulting in lowered wages and/or reduced benefits. The more employers have to reduce employee compensation (especially benefits such as health care) to compete, the more people find themselves with higher out-of-pocket health care costs. That's the cause and effect which created the conundrum. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

So, we need to recognize that higher medical costs are a symptom of a much bigger problem, and that trying to nationalize medical care won't make health care any better or more affordable. HR 3200 is an economic placebo which many folk believe may cure what ails them, when in fact the real economic cancer continues to grow.

So, if the politicians are correct, and that the bailouts will spur the economy, then HR 3200 should be superfluous. If they are wrong, then other broad economic measures, such as tariffs and import taxes just like other countries have, are needed to backstop domestic manufacturers and service providers. When people are employed at good jobs that pay well (like they used too), we all win.

Cause and Effect. We seem to want to ignore what these are.