Do people 'deserve' universal health care?

[gagged_Louise]

Health care is needed world wide, not just in developed nations.

Yes, but the US is one of the most technologically advanced countries on earth, plus a massive producer of goods, services and science - and the American state certainly doesn't sit arms crossed when it comes to furthering business interests or the sanity of the economy (well, right now it's an issue of course how much you should do that at home, but...) Inasmuch as she has a right to tax her citizens under law, the US should be able to afford to care for the people who live there and work for her. Most advanced countries have free, public medical care with a decent level of ambition. The US is a standout here.

People dying early or getting crippled for life when that could easily be stalled is a huge waste to any country. It's not just about suffering, it's also about keeping up the economy and the power to defend yourself in the long run, and to make smart and strong people come moving in when they might as well go to India, Australia, France or Canada. I'm putting it like that, a bit utilist, because Thorne and others seem to insist that individual suffering, education or safe roads is nobody's business if you can't pay for it by yourself.