Reply #20: Most people wouldn't see single-payer as an "individual liberties" issue

[Maven]

even though everyone is covered whether they opt in or not. And everyone pays for it through income taxes, whether they opt in or not.

Same principle. Everyone has to participate in order for the system to work for everyone.

People think of "mandates" as fundamentally different than single payer when in fact under single payer systems everyone is essentially "forced" to pay into the system.

Clinton and Edwards' plans basically get us further toward single-payer by circumventing a lot of the objections people have to such systems, i.e., that they eliminate choice or that they raise taxes too high. What the "mandate" really amounts to is an additional "tax" being levied on those who can afford to pay it, since those who can't afford it get tax breaks. That should be your first clue as to what's really going on with their plans.