- Image by congressman_honda via Flickr
The House passed the much debated health care bill 219-212 on Sunday. While this was a close vote, democracy (as Locke argued) is based on the decision of the majority and the majority (at least in the house and senate) decided in favor of the bill. What the American people think about the matter is somewhat unclear since some polls show the majority as for it while other polls show the majority is against it.
Various positive and negative claims have been made about the bill. For example, the impact of the bill on the deficit is a matter of debate between the two parties. The Republicans’ claim is that it will be a deficit disaster while the Democrats who support it allege that it will reduce the deficit. There are, of course, more dramatic claims about the doom that this bill will bring to America.
Since the bill has been passed, we will soon have the opportunity to get data about the impact of the bill. Naturally, the various sides will spin, massage and manipulate the data (and its interpretation) and these factors will need to be taken into account. It will be interesting to see how things play out in the upcoming elections and what impact the passage of this bill will have.
Since we know the bill has passed, we can set aside guessing about that. So the question now is this: what impact will this have on America? Doom? Salvation? Business as usual? Something else? Bonus points for using the most talking points, of course.
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“. . .what impact will this have on America? Doom? Salvation?” Or. . .OR. . . “Armageddon!” ( sayeth John Boehner)
Today’s topic is Health Care, so here’s an article from David Frum (AEI guy) that contains some interesting proposals. Spoiler alert: For the more sensitive among you, he even gets in some digs at Rush Limbaugh.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/22/frum.healthcare.gop.strategy/index.html?iref=allsearch
Paul Ryan: “The government-knows-best philosophy advanced on the floor by the Majority today is paternalistic, arrogant, and at odds with our nation’s unique character. We are fast approaching a tipping point in which more Americans depend on the government than on themselves for their livelihoods – a point where, we, the American people trade in our commitment and concern for our individual liberties in exchange for government benefits.”
Exactly.
‘Tipping point’ is so 21st Century. I didn’t buy into the concept when it was just the plain vanilla ‘slippery slope’. I still think it’s a load. As George Will wrote, ‘All politics takes place on a slippery slope. The most important four words in politics are ‘up to a point.’
Besides, if Boehner is to be believed–uh,excuse me for a moment while I vomit 🙁
— we’re already at the bottom of that theoretical slope. We experienced ARMAGEDDON on March 21! My guess is the forces of good have already won.
Refresh my memory. During the previous administration didn’t we ‘trade in our commitment and concern for our individual liberties’ for personal safety after 9/11?
Assuming his point is correct, it is probably a better deal to trade in liberty for benefits than to trade in liberty for the illusion of safety.
The Dems committed political suicide here. When 2012 rolls around and Afghanistan is still a hell hole (it will be for the next 100 years, at least) and the people remain irritated at this bill, and the unemployment rate is in the double digits, Obama is going to have a really, really tough time winning.
And thank goodness for that.
With the exception of John McCain, I’ve voted Democratic my whole life. But after witnessing the Democrats in action this year I don’t see how I can ever vote for a Democrat again.
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