Why do we even listen?

Why do we even listen to the left. By engaging with these intellectual yahoo's we give them more than credibility, we allow them to define the playing field. The argument is allowed to be defined in their space. The question becomes not whether their view is rational but rather how can we exist without it. National health care being the latest in a long line of can't live with outs. Somewhere between trying to introduce tort reform and expanding competition in the insurance industry we were hijacked by the national health care nuts. Why, or how did we allow this to happen?
The issue of health care reform is of less importance than the issue of big brother trying to direct our lives. The government is hell bent on trying to destroy middle class values by replacing hard work with big government. The distinction between the middle class and those people on government assistance is getting smaller every day. The stigma of "being on relief", of being dependent on the government for your daily bread is gone, and along with it the existence of a hard working middle class.