Originally Posted by Lenny2

If the free market is so great for everything, then why is the government in charge of national security? The military? Police Departments? Fire Departments? Public drinking water? Why are utilities regulated monopolies instead of free markets like the one that worked so well in California a few years ago?

Why not just hire private contractors to handle all of these things?

Maybe because some things are too important to the public good to allow them to be run by a profit driven company.
Some things are so important that we, the people, insist on having the power to hire and fire those who run such things (via the democratic process)

Health care doesn't follow the rules of a free market because it isn't optional. If the price of eggs gets too high, people will start eating bagels for breakfast. That's the way the free market is supposed to work.

When the price of life saving medicine or medical treatment is too high, what other choice do people have? They can either pay, or die.