An adage I like says,"The good surgeons cut quick." Well, this country needs a good surgeon--it would be a great addition to the duties of Surgeon General--who will amputate the dead parts of our current health care system and put in place the solution all Americans know deep down we need. The rest of the civilized world already has a variant of this health care solution, so their rulers and citizens have some standing when they shake their heads and marvel at how we screwed our system up. Here's an example, one among many I could cite, that illustrates just how contrarily our system operates. I spoke with a woman I know who said she works at a major cancer treatment facility in Boston. When I asked her what she did there, she said she helps cancer patients navigate the health care system: Where to go to get the best deal on their prescriptions, how to understand the labyrinthine requirements of their health insurance(s), why their coverage no longer is in effect, and all the other things someone in the grip of an American medical empire has to deal with. She would be out of a job in France, The Netherlands, Denmark, Cuba, Mexico, England, and many other countries. Why? Because the governments and citizens of these countries long ago embraced the concept that, in return for allowing an elected group to rule, the rulers had to provide many things for the common welfare; among them, health care for all. They look at America and think we are crazy. When it comes to health care, they are right. http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/06/15/a_singular_solution_for_healthcare/

This article states the case for single-payer health care simply and eloquently. Read it and you will begin to understand what could be ours, if only we would stand up and fight for it.