First, let's get something clear.

I'm not going to talk about the 1/3 of Americans who go without healthcare at some point.

I'm not going to talk about how healthcare is the no. 1 reason for bankruptcy



I'm not going to talk about how we spend more on a healthcare system that covers fewer people than pretty much every othercountry


I'm not going to talk about how Americans forgo healthcare when times are tough. (actually, I kind of will.)

I'm not going to talk about how Americans are still the least healthy people in the developed world.


I'm not going to talk about how a few


fringe


groups


have


endorsed


universal


healthcare.


I'm not going to talk about how the medical industry has let people die to save money

I'm going to talk about something else.

We pay a TON of money for health care. You do. I do. Everyone does. We pay, on average, around 40 percent more than other countries.

--- Slightly off topic

(And let's face it, the French will protest at the drop of a beret. But you don't see them demanding better care. I mean, conservatives, if they're socialistic commie pinko terrorist sympathizing cheese eaters whose only jobs are protesting and whining, as you love to describe them, why don't they protest for better care? Not private care, just better.)

Back on topic ---

So, we pay a lot more for health care. That's an undebatable fact. What does this mean?

It means that every other global competitor for American businesses doesn't pay anything beyond a tax. They don't have to pay partly for plans (which companies say are crippling them).

They don't pay for extra man hours to file the paperwork.

They don't have to waste time explaining options to employees.

They don't have to worry about anything at all. Just pay a small fee (especially compared to ours) and they got health care.

So, they have less overhead.

But even that doesn't do it justice. See, our GOVERNMENT, yes our GOVERNMENT, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, spends more per person on health care than each of the following developed countries, save France.

Don't believe me? Here's the World Health Organization:

Be my guest.

How much could it save? Well, in 2007, premiums for both businesses and employees rose by between 5.5 and 8 percent, depending on whom we're talking about.

Universal Health Care. Now.