[Squawk 8888]

all these nations with single-payer health care systems are taxing their citizens at rates not all that much higher than what we are paying

Not mine. In most of Canada taxes are far higher than the US. Ontario has the second-lowest taxes in Canada but the marginal rate on income starts at 22% on an income of $9,000 per year, a middle-income factory worker will pay close to 40%. In addition we pay 15% sales tax. What do we get for it? Our military is underfunded and it takes two years to get medical treatment in our "free" health-care system.

[Snowyman]

t takes two years to get medical treatment in our "free" health-care system.

Your statemnt is BS. No one has to wait for what they need. As in the Ralph Smith case only for what they think they need. Not what Doctors know you need.

Ontario has a 8% sales tax plus the Federal GST 7%. Alberta has no sales tax and if one takes the time one finds that in many cases combined US State and Federal income tax rates are higher than those combined Provincial and Federal taxes in Canada. Since 1996 US rates have gained and in many cases passed Canadian ones.We do not have City Income Taxes or as many user fees which are taxes by any name.

[DennisR]

"Our military is underfunded . . ."

No kidding! Did you not have to borrow some U.S. cargo planes in order to get stuff over to Afghanistan? Whenever government gets into places where it has no business being (education, health care, corporate welfare, personal welfare, and so forth), that particular area usually suffers.