>>Yep, Jesus said that the poor would always be with us. He also said if they wouldn't work they shouldn't eat.<<

What? Wait a minute, when did Jesus say this? There seems to be particular branch of Christianity unique to  the US  that views Jesus as a pro-free market, private property advocating, cultural imperialist. Either show me the verse or quit projecting your own mountain-top libertarian philosophy on poor old Jesus.

>>But Ed, my wife and I are self employed and we simply can't afford health insurance. It's so expensive that it's much more than our monthly housing expense. <<

Well, you don’t sound happy about your situation, and that’s my point. What happens when you cut your foot off with your chainsaw or your wife gets sick? Are you going to have to sell your business and your home to pay for care? Should the ER refuse to sew your foot back on because you can’t produce your health card?

>>Tell me, as I don't know, was it the habit of Chief Seattle's tribe to simply leave the old and sick behind to die when they could no longer keep up? I am aware that this was true of some of the more nomadic native cultures of the Plains and the Rocky's. <<

No. The Squamish were not nomadic people. In the old days in the Pacific Northwest you couldn’t take a walk without tripping over food. Hungry? Wait for low tide. There was no reason to travel in pursuit of game. You had to beat the deer off with a stick.

I don’t know much about nomadic peoples though I have heard that they left old and injured people behind when it was time to move. And, in a primitive culture that makes sense. The survival of the group depended on being where the game was at a particular time. There’s no nursing home for mom? Well, the greater good trumps the individual need.

And what’s your point with this line of questioning? I hope you’re not suggesting that we practice the customs of primitive societies or that their way of life should serve as a template for modern society.  We, like the Squamish we don’t have to travel to survive. We’re the richest bunch of bastards the world has ever seen. I’m sure you’d agree we can do better than we’re doing now.

>>PS Sorry, but how much abuse would you say there is in the Medicare, Welfare, SSI, and Disability systems? <<

Probably not as much as you think. At least not in my own experience working with people with these entitlements.  I’m certainly not saying there’s not abuse, but too often I hear this argument put forth as a preamble to proposing that we end entitlement programs altogether.