David Brooks’ Jan. 10 Commentary seems to miss the entire premise on which “Obamacare” is based — to lower the cost of health care in this country, and to give all our citizens longer lives.

Sick people do not contribute to the wealth of this nation, only to the private purses of the insurance mavens. If we can lower health care costs to 8 or 9 percent of GDP, as the Europeans have done, as opposed to our 17 plus percent — think of all the guns and bombs we can buy ... though I hope the money we save would be spent more constructively.

Speaking of guns, Brooks’ statement that Chuck Hagel will “supervise ... America’s military decline” is sheer balderdash. Hagel, whose Vietnam service proves he knows what it is to be a real battlefield soldier, understands that the Vietnam and Iraq wars were stupid, politically motivated events, and that the Afghan war has been very badly fought. He is a leader who will work very hard to keep us out of unnecessary wars, and if we have to fight one, we will fight it well and win.