Can you explain the inconsistency in the conservative ideals?
As a standard, the conservative party feels that the federal government is not suited to make policy decisions such as publicly funded programs, and that local government is a more capable body for protecting the interests of its citizens. Alternately, the party supports capitalism, where the market should is free to make influential decisions in the interest of profit and growth... which in turn will offer more work opportunity and lower cost of goods. I find these ideals inconsistent, in that the theory suggests that "big government" is incapable of catering to the needs of the population, but "big business" is capable of tuning into their needs in the pursuit of growth. Recently federal government has managed to regulate one of the most distressed industries: health care. This is in response to the market's inability to supply the average worker with sufficient coverage or ample wage to purchase care, as well as the market's inability to offer its goods at an affordable price for the average consumer. As a result: the health care market grew huge profits while the cost of care rose and the amount of coverage sank. Now that this nation has seen the devastating effects of deregulating or "freeing" the market, and the taxpayers have been drafted to foot the bill for sinking businesses... it still seems crazy that the conservative following is still advocating the very economical system that victimized them, while protesting the federal branch's attempt to even the score for the majority of americans who have been exploited by this system. I just don't understand how "big government" is deemed unfit to enact laws for the betterment of its citizens, but "big business" is entrusted to practice within the interests of the public. The role of government is to ensure the liberties of its citizens, but the motive of commerce is profit at all means necessary. If big business has failed to live up to its responsibility to the consumer and the laborer, is it possible that federal policy like public health care could in fact be the solution to this nation's problems and liberate the labor class from its abusers?
What exactly does "single payer health care system" mean?
Single-payer health care means there will be one payer -- usually the government -- for healthcare. And, Janian, it doesn't work that well in Canada nor in the United Kingdom. Because the government sets salaries for doctors in the system, there is an enormous shortage of primary care physicians in those two countries. That means that waits for healthcare are extremely long. Many times necessary surgeries have been delayed due to waiting period necessary to see someone who can authorize the surgery. Also, the British and Canadian healthcare systems that decide what care someone gets and they make the decisions based on economic return. Care has been denied in both countries because it was not economically efficient to give the care to an older person or someone else whose life was deemed too short to produce a good economic return for the care. You might make an argument that basic healthcare is a little better, even with the long waits, under nationalized healthcare, but you can't make the argument that advanced healthcare is better. Even the English and Canadians, who come to the United States for advanced procedures, wouldn't make that argument. What you are going to end up with, Janian, is a healthcare system that moves with all the speed and efficiency of most state's Department of Motor Vehicles. Expect very long waits to see a dwindling number of primary care doctors. If you care to see what nationalized medicine looks like, find and watch the movie "Article 99". That movie is based on one veteran's experience with the Philadelphia Veteran's Hospital, which is America's first foray into socialized medicine. Hearing the horror stories about VA hospitals makes me feel sorry for veterans. Knowing this standard of care is coming soon to a hospital in my area makes me fear for the healthcare of myself and my family.