Okay, Doug...I'm glad you understand how our system works. I also understand that a majority of your people apparently (if I can believe your media) don't want the type of system we have.

That is what's really shocking. It indicates that a majority of your pubic, unlike you, do NOT understand our system very well at all and are irrationally afraid of what they don't understand.

I suspect, for instance, that if they knew that they'd be paying a lot less for health insurance under a system similar to ours, and still getting exactly the same quality of medical care regardless, that they'd be massively in favor of it! Trust me, people are always in favor of something that saves them money and provides the same product regardless.

Your public is swallowing myths and propaganda, I think. If so, they're being victimized by the very people they think are giving them good leadership and providing them with "freedom"...by which I mean they're being victimized by their government, their big business community, and their media.

It's simply incomprehensible, Doug, that a well-educated public who clearly understand what would happen under a system like the one in Canada and the UK would prefer what you have in the USA now. It's inconceivable. People vote with their wallents, and they'd be giving themselves and your government a big financial break and much greater financial security if they adopted a single-payer system like ours.

Now, I know you're an intelligent man, Doug, so I can only assume that you are opposed to making such a change for reasons of political philosophy rather than financial or practical reasons. If so, well...(shrug)...nothing will change your mind about it. Philosophy goes deep with people.

You seem to be saying, though, that Obama's plans are threatening your chosen form of health insurance (as a senior). I'm not clear how that is so. Can you tell me?

Quite aside from that, Doug, I am not much in favor of what Obama is doing, because he has brought in health "reform" which is, as ichMael said below: "With the healthcare bill, the large insurance companies turned the U.S. government into the collection arm of the insurance industry.

That's right! And I am completely against that. I'm also completely against the way your system was before that. I think Obama's forcing of people to purchase health insurance from the private health insurance industry might be even worse than the way it was before....but we'll have to wait and see how it works out in actuality.

What I am arguing for, Doug, is that your government should bring in the kind of system we have to protect every American citizen far better and to cost every American far less if he needs medical care. I'm not suggesting what Obama did, I'm suggesting a genuine public option that is universal. I think if your government had had the guts to offer THAT to your public, which they did not, and if the health insurance companies didn't have a lobbying strangehold on your government and media....then it could be done and it would get massive public support as soon as your people understood how it worked.