My parents (Gods forgive their born-again Christian, Far-Right, Republican souls) when talking about a National Health Care system, claim Obama is trying to turn this country socialist. This is stated without ever once giving consideration to the fact that they are already collecting Social Security (which was decried as socialism in 1935 when it was enacted) and receive their health care from a taxpayer subsidized National Health Care system already in place (Medicaid) whose participation is limited (discriminated) by age.

The entire purpose of government is to provide for the national defense, maintain the nation's infrastructure and economy, and care for the well-being of it's citizens.

That any person in this country (the ONLY industrialized nation on the planet WITHOUT a National Healthcare System) suffers because to do otherwise would eat into the "profit margin" is, at the very least, criminally negligent.