[KarmaContestant]

A friend of a friend posted this on Facebook and it has some very useful information.

The government could require you to participate in a number of programs and has done so for decades. The mandate was necessary.

Republicans were right when they supported the mandate back in the '90s under "Dole-Care," they were right when they supported it in the '00s as "Romney-care" (at the same time Obama was wrong when he opposed it), the president was convinced, correctly, that it was a necessary part of reform to eliminate free riders (who play a significant role in elevating costs). The only thing that changed was that the negotiations worked and the president was convinced that the Republicans were right. The unfortunate thing in 21st century politics is that as soon as the president agreed with something it became "bad" and had to be opposed at all costs as an attack on "freedom." That's why you have Romney in this bizarre situation where one of his most significant successes as governor cannot be spoken about because it is too similar to what has become one of the most hated things about Obama. It’s nonsense, pure partisanship and tribalism.

The need and legitimacy of the mandate are well established legal precedent, whether it was the insurance required for those in the merchant marine back in the 1790s, participation in social security, Medicare, unemployment contributions, etc., or state requirements for auto insurance.

So called "Obamacare" is a rather weak, incomplete, reform of healthcare which was desperately needed. We're the only modern industrialized country that doesn't have either full-fledged socialized medicine (Medicare for all), or at least a hybrid system. It's no surprise that we are also last amongst the modern industrialized countries in quality of health care, last in almost every health category, but, fortunately for us, we pay the highest percentage of our GDP for the worst care... YEAH!

I really don't care who comes up with the system, I care about what works. Our system doesn't work. 10% of the population receives 66% of the healthcare for a price that is nearly 1/5 of our entire GDP. That is a fatally broken system. Innovation and breakthroughs are moving to China because they're willing to directly intervene in their system. Europeans have far better qualities of life because they utilize hybrid/socialized systems. Singapore is #1 using a public option. The arguments that it can't work, doesn't work, etc., are patently false