This habit of spending leads us to think of US Healthcare Reform as a part of the US budget which will be taxed IN ADDITION TO current programs (worst case), or INSTEAD OF beloved programs (most probable). Yet I postulate that the average US citizen would be more interested in paying taxes for universal health and universal defense for every citizen. Sane people generally think it’s more important to pay for basic survival needs before paying for personal luxuries or the survival needs of others. This is true for any rational individual, family, clan, or state.

Why are US taxes paying for a space station before all US citizens have homes? Why are US taxes paying for highways when all US citizens don’t have enough to eat? Why are US Taxes paying for protection of foreign interests when all US Citizens are not protected? Because somewhere between theory and practice, US Government spending became controlled by more political whimsy than by the needs of the citizen.
Like many successful, stable, healthy, fiscally-responsible, democratic governments, the United States should pay for the universal health and universal defense of all its citizens first, and worry about luxuries and the survival needs of others as a secondary expense. Food, shelter, medical care and defense against violence are the most important needs of the US citizen. The US government should act accordingly when it budgets our federal taxes.