The land of the free, and the home of the screwed

Although I do believe that many services provided by the government are wasteful and counterproductive, health care certainly isn't one of them. Heath care should be a right of every citizen, regardless of social or financial stature, period.

The notion that a free market will always result in the highest quality to the consumers is a flawed one. There is a fundamental difference between using the free market to purchase a car, for example, and using the free market to purchase health care. Unlike that shiny convertible sitting in the local lot, heath care is a necessity. Therefore, when a person has to choose between going into debt or dying, they're obviously going to choose the former.

In the end, people have no choice but to obtain health care in some way, shape, or form. This forced demand undermines the open market, whereby providers are under no pressure to lower their prices in the face of guaranteed purchasers. For that matter, quality inevitably goes out the window as well.

Hillary: fresh after eating a small container of puppies.

After reviewing the health care policies of the two Democratic candidates, it's clear that neither Clinton nor Obama will fix the American health care system. In fact, it's starting to look like their policies will make the system even worse.

On one side, Obama is suggesting that providing Americans with more health care options and subsidizing those who can't afford it will ensure "quality, affordable, and portable coverage for all." In addition, he has pledged that coverage will be mandatory for all citizens under the age of 25, yet he is still requiring these people to pay for the plans out of their own pockets. These changes will effectively increase the "forced demand" on an already overloaded market and drive costs up for the rich and poor alike. Insurance companies will have the right to increase their prices when a flood of new coverage requests are delivered on their doorstep due to these government-imposed regulations.

Clinton's policy, although she has continually thrown around the phrase "universal health care" in her speeches, is nearly identical to Obama's. Like Obama, she has put special emphasis on subsidies and choices, without addressing how these new rules will affect the open market. In addition, she has promised to introduce laws forcing insurance providers to accept all applicants, regardless of their health history. When two million obese Americans suddenly enter the system, does she really expect coverage to become more affordable?

When it comes to health care, you simply can't have your cake and eat it too. Private or public. Make a choice. The next time the government -- any government -- throws around the word "subsidy" as a compromise, ask yourself exactly who will be reaping this reward.