The problem is you need to appeal to a person's self-interest. Capitalism does this. Socialism doesn't--except if you are willing to think about your long-term self- interest--which, in general, people aren't. It's no accident that all the most prosperous states (GDP etc)are capitalist. Including Canada, the UK, and the Scandanavian countries. But these have large socialist elements--which are desperately needed to temper capitalism.

The pendulum in the US has to swing back soon from the Bushite love affair with capitalism--that is, self-interest as the solution to everything--to a larger socialist element--especially in health care. The Bushites even think that the only health care reform worth having is to give people "health savings accounts"--since they will in theory be more frugal if it's their money. They seem to think that people "choose" to go see a doctor. As if people want to do that. I'm not doing anything else this afternoon--I think I'll go see my lung specialist. Right.