The core of democracy is messy, even in the best of times. When the republic isn't teetering on the brink, our government is still a perfect storm of informed voters, willfully ignorant citizens, and the ambivalent officials who represent them- all eager to have their say. This greasy threesome is currently on display in the health care "town hall" meetings taking place around the country, which more closely resemble fist-slinging sessions of Japanese parliament than meaningful political discourse. It's no shocker to discover that many of these screaming "grassroots" movements are planted by right-wing groups with a vested interest in the status quo. When a guy in a "Git 'Er Done" cap waxes eloquent on the intentions of the Constitutional Convention, Obama's not the only one guilty of being prompted. The shocking part comes from the mindset of the actual grassroots members- voters who have been easily seduced by the lure of remedial talking points: the mentally flatlined "I'm scared of Obama" folks, the people who want to return to "the America I grew up in" (who wouldn't pine for the romance of coat-hanger abortions?!), and the thinly-veiled racism of the "birther" movement. Next time you hear someone parrot the cries of "Socialism!", ask them to actually explain its tenets. I'd bet a long night's worth of pints that most of them would revert to dead-eyed stuttering about the Bible or Ronald Reagan.
So far, neither side of the debate has properly articulated the fiscal implications of health care reform. What's puzzling is why some people are freaking out over the possibility of choice.
2 comments:
Well said Alan. I couldn't agree more. Both sides need to come up with a better, more defined description of this proposed health care idea.
My question to you, Alan, is what is your stance on the issue?
my stance, as a vet enrolled in the va system, is you get what you pay for. free healthcare sounds great but it's not all it's cracked up to be. i make minimum wage as a full time wash bitch at a car dealership and have health insurance through my employer, which i pay nothing for. the only time i pay is my co pay when i actually use my insurance. my beef isn't with the insurance companies, it's with the hostpitals. they are the one's who charge $15 dollars for a freaking advil. why are the hospitals left out of the debate? another thing is, why is the government talking about healthcare for all. last i checked, anyone can get care emergency regardless of who they are and their financial system. the term that they should be using is free health insurance for all, which will be expensive no matter what plan the morons in dc com up with. overall, i simply don't want to be forced to pay for anyone else's health insurance, i don't care what situation they are in.
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