Health Care Bill Passes!

"For over two decades he's (John McCain) subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the ownership society, but what it really means is you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own. Well, it's time for them to own their failure. It's time for us to change America."

Barack Obama - Acceptance Speech, 2008 Democratic National Convention, Denver, CO

"This is what change looks like." - President Barack Obama 3/21/10

On the day after the US Congress passed the final bill for its version of universal health care to Barack Obama for signing, I have these thoughts.

I have been following the bill's progress from South Korea, a world away. It is an historic moment. So many presidents and Congress' tried, and so many presidents and Congress' failed. All the skepticism, for so many years, the politics, the lack of progress, we now have something. It's not a perfect health care bill, it's not going to offer universal coverage, but it's a step in the right direction. It's government fulfilling it's first and foremost duty: to protect its people.

It may seem that I'm looking backwards, or hashing past moments, but for some reason I have to comment on the political gridlock that shook Washington during the evolution of this legislation. Actually, maybe I'm too critical of myself, it is still worthwhile to perhaps question the powers and processes in Washington that delayed this encompassing health care that so many countries have guaranteed for decades.

So many people domestically and abroad are skeptical of the U.S. government today. The skepticism has turned to apathy as so many seem uninformed of our countries pressing issues like health care, the environment, education, and the economy. Yes, actually, when it comes to the economy, people once apathetic all of a sudden lurch out of the woodwork and shout their two cents or more of criticism about how government's failed them, how government spends too much money, or how government is trying to ruin their lives, seriously.

Yes, some freaks out there like to claim Obama's a socialist trying to take away free markets, and free choice, and free love, and many other freedoms that I just don't feel are in danger for some reason. But these birthing/tea partying/probably tea bagging freaks reveal to us a value that's been in inherent in our people since before our independence; that stone cold, rugged individualism.

Yes, the New World, America offered the English and loads of other Europeans that chance to practice the religion they wanted, the freedom to start afresh in new modes of worship, and the freedom to cast out those who didn't agree. Yes in America one could own his own land, no longer forced to work the fields of nobles and landlords. One could attain limitless private property and no one could take it away.

It is this tenet of private property that has withstood the test of time in our democracy like no other. It's the issue of private property that forced a wedge betweeen our people since our country's infancy, a wedge that divided our nation into different and distinct political factions, that became political parties, that George Washington on his deathbed said could ruin our country if they were established.

Ruin our country political parties did not, but the opposing ideologies over the ideals of private property divide us today. Should the individual be allowed control over all private property that he has accumulated to do with as he pleases, or should government regulate the accumulation of property to redistribute and disburse for the common good? Zoom ahead 220 years and the same ideological grappling over private property consumes US society today. It needs to be looked at in its most basic form and brought to light. Health care insurance provides the arena.

Universal health care insurance, the guarantee, or at least in our case the effort to guarantee health care insurance to as many citizens as possible is our pressing issue. It's a human right, or a civil right, as some would argue, that everyone deserves access to adequate medical care. Everyone should be treated if they are ill or injured and in need.

Or, maybe health care insurance is not a right, it's a privilege to be earned. If an individual or family lacks the means to it, then it's their own misfortune and Godspeed to them.

What is it America? Let's get down to it, what do we believe, what do we value? Let's take a long hard look, cause we don't do it enough. I know I am right that all people want the best for themselves and their families when it comes to protection, health, comfort, opportunity. We do our best to provide for ourselves and our dependent families until they can provide for themselves. Alas, consequently, when individuals yearn to go above and beyond, or in some cases behind a back, or use underhanded tricks, to accumulate more property than necessary for sustenance, the means to provide for oneself or his dependents are not available for everyone.

So not because of a lack of desire or lack of hard work, but from external and far removed circumstances, some are unable to provide for themselves and family the resources and means for adequate health care insurance. So what happens then, America?

The rugged indiviualist point of view that has evolved to modern conservatism would claim that those who cannot provide health care insurance for themselves are just out of luck. It is unfortunate, but they will have to suffer, or die if that's what's inevitable. It is this view that many in America hold. This your view John Boehner, Eric Cantor, John McCain, or any other conservative who's opposed to national health care of some form. This is your view, Americans, who opposed expanded health insurance legislation. If someone is sick or has sick children, but has no health insurance, then too bad for them. Let them suffer. I have my private property, it can't be taken away from me, it's your fault if you don't have yours.

So Republicans, conservatives, am I wrong? Oh, am I presenting your views as too harsh, too unsympathetic? OK, I apologize, I will see I'm wrong when I see that you will vote to provide health insurance for those hard working people who cannot acquire it on their own. I will then know that you care about other things than the accumulation and holding of your own private property. And to you conservative Americans, I will see you as you support your Congressmen and Congresswomen who will vote to provide the basic need of access to health care.

Oh wait, holy shit, not one Republican voted to expand health coverage for the needy. Oh wait, there were citizens actually protesting expanded health care coverage for the needy. OK, so I see I'm right. You don't care to provide hard working people a basic right of citizenship in a wealthy industrialized and modern country.

Oh, wait a minute, I see, the COSTS to tax payers are just too high. We as a nation can't afford expanded insurance coverage for everyone. That's a valid argument, one can't provide what one doesn't have. Certainly borrowing money from other countries and banks is not an option.

Oh, but wait again. Didn't you Republicans, with the help of spineless Democrats not named Kennedy or Obama approve the borrowing and spending of hundreds of billions, perhaps near a trillion dollars for a pre-emptive war last decade? A pre-emptive war? How about those costs to the tax payers? Where were you then?

So there we have it. When president Obama was getting criticism, for being inexperienced as a leader in Washington, I believed it to an extent. My criticism of Obama was that he was too naive as to think he could build consensus around policy and law making in Washington. If he wanted to get his pragmatic, altruistic, and social utilitarian agenda through Congress, he would have to broker deals a la LBJ in the 1960s. Ol' LBJ definitely could twist arms in the Senate and House if he needed to. Or, Obama could use numerous executive loopholes a la George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

After further reflection, however, I've changed my stance. Obama has big dreams for America, and the American people. He wants to move this country in the right direction, and he wanted all people, democrats and republicans, liberals and conservatives, urban dwellers and rural villagers to be involved. He listened to Republicans, the Democrats made concessions in the legislation. He gave Repubicans the chance to govern. They did not take it. The opportunity to provide health insurance to millions of citizens who need it was there, the chance to make policy and improve the lives of millions was there, and they did not take it. They voted against it. It's now all over the papers, magazines, TV, and the internet. 0 Republican votes in the House for the final bill. O votes in the Senate. "I'll keep what's mine. If you don't have yours, then too bad." As Obama said in 2008, Republicans, "it's time for you to own your failure." The republican mentality has no sense of a shared purpose or responsibility to fellow citizens. Sometimes I feel we are not a community in America, just a bunch of self-serving, me first individuals.

Am I wrong? I don't know. The "me first" and "you're on your own" mentality is all I've seen from conservatives and Republicans my whole life. I've never heard different. Finally, finally, Obama has exposed you. Am I wrong? I haven't heard a good argument against it yet, that fundamental rugged individualism. I'm very open to hearing your point of view if you think it's different or more communal. I've been waiting a long time . . .

Yeah, Obama and some democrats may lose future elections because of this legislation. We know . . . and we're comfortable with it. . .