on universal health care:

An argument against a government run health care system using medicare as an example:

Look at the increase in the price of health care since medicare (government run) came into being. If you could charge the government an artificially high price for a service (as long as you charged everyone else the same) you would. The quality drops, ( there is no pressure to give good care, just more care) because the one paying isn't the one recieving the service. If we got government out of health care entirely, that would force the industry to compete for customers (better care, lower prices).

If you want to contribute to a private charity that helps the poor pay their medical bills, that is up to you. And you should make sure that charity uses your money efficiently to get good care for people who need it. They will then become a shrewd medical customer, because it's their money. A government run health care system isn't using its money, it is using your money, so it doesn't really care about the service, or price. It can always get more money next tax time.

If I cannot pay my medical bills, do I have the authority to force you to help pay them? (no) If government derives its authority from the governed, and I (one of the governed) don't have the authority, I cannot give government that authority.