On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:38:41 -0500, Boater
wrote:

One more time: most retirees on fixed incomes cannot afford to lay out
$2300 for necessary surgery. You're a rich retiree. Your perspective is
not relevant to retirees who are trying to decide whether to buy food or
medicine because they cannot afford both.

It's called personal responsibility - something that is sorely lacking
in post-modern society.

However, let's take your posit and extend it a little bit. Why should
the working union man who retires have to rely on the public dole for
health care? Why can't he rely on his Union to help him - he was a
Union man his entire life, made a good living, maybe lived to his
economic ability without saving for future rainy days - he lived the
good life with the Union, why not rely on the Union to help him
continue that life?