Talking about Iraq is a bit of a drastic thread wrench, but here goes for one post:

Iraq under Saddam was pretty unpleasant in a lot of ways.   But I suspect there are an awaful lot of Iraqis who would exchange it in a minute for what they have now, including the estimated 2 million who have had to leave the country as refugees, including most of the ancient Christian minority, and the estimated 1.7 million living in internal exile. Then there are the people who have died as a result of the invasion and its aftermath.

And of course the freedom of women to do stuff like dispense with wearing veils, or get educated or live independent lives, has been greatly reduced, and is in constant danger of being further reduced.
..................

In order for anyone opposed to the proposed health reforms to have any moral credibility they have to be able to point to an alternative which meets the basic requirment of ensuring that it will no longer be possible to live in the United States and be denied the kind of guaranteed free or at least affordable access to adequate medical treatment which people in all other developed countries in the world have had for many years.

Does anyone disagree with that goal?