Why the health care reform is not "socialized medicine"

Much of the brouhaha about the health care reform is over whether the reform is socializing medicine. The most obvious response to this concern is a resounding and resolute, "No, it is not socializing medicine". Much of the error in those articulating the antithesis of the reform is that since the government (we) are making the upper 50% of America pay for the health care of those who earn less is socialism.

This error can be broken down into two parts: First, The United States milieu is not wholly capitalistic and thus we (the government) accept a smattering of socialism to balance out our very successful capitalism. Second, the current state of health care in the United States is not governed by capitalist market pressures.

These are integral to understanding exactly what the problem, if any, exists in the health care system and what reform, if any, is needed.