Part of the problem with our life expectancy is minorities. Blacks live an average of 10 years less than whites. Hispanic is probably lower. Also it is self inflicted, obesity causes type II diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. Smoking, alcoholism, drug use, and Aids. All of this is self inflicted and causes problems. Hasn't got anything to do with health care. Even with free medicine, if you eat too much, smoke, drink too much, use drugs, or indulge in promiscuous sex, it will come back to bite you. We have a higher minority rate than European countries or Japan. Take out our minorities and we would be up higher. Even a free doctor can't make you stop doing what you are doing. Our health care and insurance rates would be much lower and affordable if people would live right and moderate their indulgences. There are also some people in America who wouldn't be happy no matter what you did. Europe pays high taxes. Gasoline is very high, electricity and natural gas is higher than ours. If we had a flat tax it would be more fair to all. Again, we could solve a lot of problems by having a higher import tarriff and lower tax rates on corporations and individuals.
Also, I am so tired of people thinking the Republicans are for the rich and the Democrats the poor. First off, this comes out of the Depression, and even that isn't all accurate. Reagan Republicans were conservative, Christians, fiscal conservatives, and pro lifers and average mostly middle class people. There are two classes of rich today, which I call new money and old money. Old money was the oil, coal, gas, chemical, nuclear, an military industrial industries who supported Republicans. New money supports Democrats, software companies, computer companies, pharmaceuticals, entertainment media, journalists, newspapers, and television executives. The George Soros's, and Ted Turners of the world, and companies who are "green". Obama raised far more money than anyone else. A lot of his money came from overseas using front names and companies, and rich liberal elitist individuals. Most Republican and independent money came from individual mom and pops. Most mom and pop companies and middle class individuals have in the last 20-30 years supported Republicans. Most poor, and far left, wealthy elitist liberals suppored Democrats. The Republicans in the last few elections have abandoned their base and became like democrats, which is why they lost. I don't drink the Democrats cool-aid about the Republicans being for the rich when most of their money came from multi-national corperations. Republicans have been mostly for the middle class, especially since Reagan. What do you think of Eisenhower, Reagan, Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt. Give me a break.