Continuing the discussion about left versus right

We’ve been having a great discussion on another thread about the left and the right, thanks largely to a visit from Zachriel.  I’m not sure how much we taught each other.  We got a bit sidetracked into discussions about whether Pelosi is a socialist, although Zachriel couldn’t come up with a single example of a time she voted to decrease government power and increase individual freedom in the economic sphere (or any other sphere, for that matter).  But one comment struck me as, perhaps, illustrating the difference between liberals and conservatives.

Zachriel said, apparently in support of Obamacare, “Those in low-income households were three times as likely to be uninsured as those with incomes above $75,000.”  My gut reaction was “Yes, so?”  But I think I know the answer.  As a conservative I reject the notion that need = entitlement.  I do not believe that just because I need something, like health care, I have a right to use the coercive power of government to reach into your pocket to pay for it.  Zachriel, I suppose, and most liberals, for certain, would disagree.

Don’t misunderstand. I believe that everyone who wants to contribute their own money to help me afford health care is welcome to do so.  If I need the help and people provide it I will be very appreciative.  I just don’t believe that they should be able to force anyone else to do so. 

Does anyone else, especially those who participated in the earlier discussion, have any response to this or any other insights to share?