On one hand I agree with you Cybele, but I think you focus a little too much on the whole socialism/big gov't vs. free market/federalist issue. The real issue is the fact that both the Republicans and the Democrats are bought and paid for by the big corporations. Not that we look like we're getting rid of this two-party monstrosity of a political system anytime soon though...

As far as national health care is concerned, here in France one has the choice to have private health insurance on top of the state-sponsored program, and a lot of the middle-to-upper class types do so. If private and public health care can coexist in an effective way here, why not in the US?