Whew! I got some heat for saying "In health care in America we have a dictatorship that decides who lives and who dies a slow painful death from lack of proper medical care."

The mantra was "anyone can go to an emergency room and get free medical treatment." That's partially, technically, almost true.

Try it. Go to an emergency room. Ask them for a prostate exam or mammogram. If you can convince them that your cancer is in an advanced state, they might give you an exam. If you tell them you want preventative care .... after the laughter subsides they'll tell you to come back when your cancer is, um .... in an advanced state.

Then comes catch 22. Emergency rooms have to provide emergency care. Once they find the cancer, they'll tell you to go see your family physician.

If you have no way to pay for needed health care, you don't get needed health care - beyond emergencies.

Note that I didn't say 'had no money." If you could and do pay the premiums - and if an insurer would issue a policy - and if the insurer didn't weasel out of its obligation by saying your melanoma (which has spread to your lymph nodes and is about to go full roar throughout your body is a pre-existing condition because you had pimples as a kid - you might get the care you deserve. And you might get that care in time. or not....

Death panels? Yes. Government death panels? No. Privately run, free enterprise open market death panels? HELL YES!

What is the consumer's power?" OK, I'll go somewhere else to get treated. They might wish you well. But most likely they'll think "Good riddance. That one might have cost us some money." They won't even wish you Vaya con perro.

Dictatorship? Yes. Obama the dictator? No.