Tar Heel - ye still in here?
A Man (I assume) of few words, who I can immediately picture with dukes up and heels dug right in! It's all right, Friend; c'mon in! These folks might growl a little, but they don't really bite much to speak of. Besides; us "Extremists" could use all the company we can get! I'd like to hear what you think.

Alas, Rick; these bloomin' Liberals hae been dehumanizing ye in absentia again, I fear. We tried t' hold 'em back as long as we could, ye know, but we were so dreadfully outnumbered. It's good t' see that you got here in time tae defend yer'self!

Jeri Deah; I remember the Army Medical Services well, and have no complaints, really. Of course I'm getting a royal run-around from the VA up here in ME getting my zero-percent service-connected disability rating on my bum foot re-evaluated, but that's another story.

Much like socializm in toto, "Socialized Medicine" is, I concede, a reasonably good theory. I think that our Military pulls it off about as well as anyone could, and as such it pretty much "works".
Having said that, we both know from experience that the Military is a "Country Apart"; it's not like the Civilian version of America in a number of ways. The UCMJ is not the same as the Civil Court system; how many Civilians get thrown in jail for being late to work? Military Command Structure is not particularly "Democratic", is it?

I suppose that an argument could be made that the Military is almost a Socialist regime within a Democratic Republic; but having accountability to the Representative Republic (we are not really a "Democracy", according to the conventional definition of the term, are we?) this regime is about as benevolent a Dictatorship as one is apt to encounter, or at least that I know of. As such, it maintains a sufficient attachment to it's theoretical structure as to work - as does it's medical organization.

When I was in Korea I came down with both Hepititus and Mono at the same time. Spent about 3 weeks in the 121 EVAC Hospital, and damnear died. The Medics saved my life - no doubt about it - so I know it works.

My terror of the civil version, a-la "Hillary-Care" is, however, that the kind of corruption that ran rampant in Washington would rapidly infuse the socialized medical system, as it seems to have up in Canada. With no competition, patients have no options. No options, no freedom. Government beuraucracy = no accountability (such as we have, to a certain extent anyway, in the Military). Costs would continually climb as they do in the public indoctrination system (schools) as competence and quality declined. A good, loyal Union Member who pays her dues and "votes right" might get seen in a month or so to get treatment, while a troublesome dissident like your affectionate, albeit somewhat extremist Uncle Jaque here gets hauled in with his gizzard in a knot, and it's "Oh yes, Mr. clarke; Dr. KEVORKIAN will see you right away. Would you like to knaw on this bullet while you wait?"

A Hospital with all of the compassion of the IRS and the efficiency of the Post Office? Yikes!

And as to: "Hey Unc, I wouldn't call myself a conservative, and I'm pretty well hooked on liberty.";

Gosh; I knew we had something in common!
As to your reluctance to identify with a similar ideaology, I'm just gonna keep on liking ya just the same! Although I do take a modicum of pride in my title of "Extremist", I try not to get overly carried away with it, don't ye see?

G.-bdatki: Re. " If I was running for office in Europe I probably would be assassinated"; I sure know what you mean. That's why I have no intention of ever running for anything HERE!
I don't know about you, but people like me generally don't get to live to be as old as I am.

So I'm near played out - after Midnight - so sweet dreams, all.