It's always hard to know if money is well spent or not but a good question or two to ask is: What are the consequences of not spending it vs the consequences of spending it and not needing it

I meant to say "women, or a non-muslim living in a any eastern muslim theocracy"

I don't think your very familiar with Iranian history, US history, what a theocracy is and isn't, and most assuredly not with Iranian intentions. You would not be saying these things if you were a women, a non-muslim, or have lived in any eastern muslim theocracy.

You mean they wouldn't be able to put a nuke in a shipping container? Or perhaps hand a few over to Hezbolla and or Hamas? There is more than one way to "touch" America and missiles would probably be the last method used.

yes, but the next one may not fizzle and they don't need an working ICBM... just a "cargo" ship and a skeleton crew

Oh yes, it was the US that is escalating everything... The Norks shelling a South Korean island and sinking an SK Navy ship with a torpedo are not provocative in any way shape or form, but video of a weapon in testing and years away from actual deployment is. Wow

There are plenty of very smart liberals out there that strongly feel that government just doesn't take enough in taxes. Be it income, sales, or some other tax it's not enough in some way. For those folks, why not just calculate the increase you feel is better and personally pay the government the delta? There is no law against it and nothing to stop one from doing it. Don't feel 9.5% in sales tax? Think 11% is better? You have the tools to calculate the delta, pay a bit extra. Want the income tax to go through? Pay out the extra at the end of each year and feel better knowing you're making the government better. For the rest who don't feel that way, we'll keep it to the minimum. Everyone wins!

You got some of that right but you left out a couple of things....

> Under the government plan you can't CHOOSE to leave it no matter how shitty it gets. You get what you get. Under a private plan, if you are dissatisfied you can choose one of the other 1,300 insurance providers in the US.

> Under the government plan you will get all the great service you currently get under the DMV, IRS, Medicare/Medicade, Veterans Administration, DHS, Social Security, Dept of Education, Welfare, etc, oh and lets not forget how great they treat abused children at the various "human" services departments around the country. Those institutions are so well run, efficient, effective, inexpensive to the tax payer and always keep you as the most important thing you do! What? You think you'll get super service because it's healthcare related and "free"?

Actually it has more to do with surviving in a hostile environment. Malaria kills millions and especially children under 5. When children have such a high probability of passing in the first few years of life, you tend to have more children. How would you like to survive drought, famine, and disease in a grass hut infested with malaria carrying mosquitos and then raise a family and keep them your defenseless children alive longer than 5 years? When you don't have to fend off such crippling disease, starvation, etc you could probably find the time to work, educate yourself, and live in something better than a grass hut.

I don't think you have any comprehension on this. The toll from malaria on a society is HORRENDOUS

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/08/01080 6074841.htm
http://junkscience.com/malaria_cost.htm