I agree with 1Tomcat, I don't understand what you're afraid of? A loss of liberty? Becasue the ability to go to a doctor or hospital and not worry about the costs seeems pretty free to me.

Greater costs? Because you spend more of GDP on healthcare than Canadians but you have less covered. Granted we have less specialists and special equipment but we don't demand MRI's on broken ankles and we have more general practitioners. We are slowly trying to improve wait times for those procedures. Having free health care doesn't mean people will go to the doctor for every little thing. It takes time to go see a doctor, time most people would rather spend doing something else. In Alberta there used to be a small nominal fee to go see a doctor ($20), that would help deter some people who don't need to see a doctor.

As mentioned many "fringe benefits" aren't covered by the government and we turn to private insurance. The U.S. is the only developed country in the world that has no government supported health care system.

What about access to water and to clean water? That's important, but why burden the tax payers with supporting people too lazy to get their own water and clean it themselves? So don't burden the people who are responsible with those who are too lazy and near-sighted to take care of themsleves and their families. Also get rid of health and saftey inspectors (people should look into these things themselves), education (if it's important enough you'll find time to teach your children or hire a private tutor), that FDA nonsense, the police, firemen, public transportation (if people want to be driven around they should buy a car).

And a quick side bar about public education being a right, that was set out by the UN. Public education as we know it didn't begin until the mid-late 1800's. When the founding fathers were kicking about most people were educated at home. COMPULSORY education was put in place to help assimilate immigrant children. There is a difference between having to go to school (for free) and having the choice whether or not to go to school (but still free). Maybe that's what Obama's going for. You have the right to free health care, but if you really want to (for whatever reasons) you can pay for it.

Ack! That's a lot of paranthese!