As the US Supreme Court considers whether it's unconstitutional to take care of our own, an instructive look at the bewilderment of many Germans and other Europeans at the phobic and wildly counter-intuitive opposition to health reform in a country that spends more than any other developed nation on health care, ranks last out of 16 industrialized countries in preventable deaths, boasts over 80 million uninsured working-age adults, and professes Christian ideals. If it makes them feel any better: Yeah, we're bewildered too.

"The national healthcare system is an incredibly important thing for everybody, for the entire society and for the health of the society. You just cannot have people falling through the grid (because) they are not healthy. The basis for everything is people's health, not just your own health but the health of your neighbor."