I couldn't help but chime in a bit on the current health care debate that is sweeping across this nation. First of all, I must say that I am unable to fathom the extreme partisan climate in the U.S. political arena and just amazed that so many Americans view these situations with such a 'black and white' form of reasoning. Let me give you an example. I consider myself to be fairly conservative, but I am absolutely sickened to watch blowhards like Sean Hannity sound off on Fox News. It is almost laughable that this network prides itself on fair and balanced reporting. I don't think I've ever heard people like Hannity or Rush to judgment Limbaugh say anything positive about our current president. I now view their shows as purely entertainment, much in the same way that I view the show 'Saturday Night Live.' Instead of being part of the solution, these hate mongers just throw darts at the other side. I'm not a democrat, but at least this administration is trying to figure out some solutions for our health care issues. In truth, both sides are to blame and its not surprising that very little gets done in Washington these days. I am convinced that the sole objective of each side is not to make improvements in American life, but rather to focus on spending all of their time and energy working to defeat the ideas and agendas of their counterparts. We all want to blame the politicians, but guess who is electing these people. We are!! There needs to be more compromise and more politicians should be willing to vote across party lines. Otherwise, it becomes a puppet show. Those who do have the courage to vote differently are often bashed by their colleagues.
The Republicans had no answers or ideas to solve the healthcare mess for the last 8 years, but now they want to cripple the efforts of someone who is trying to make a difference. These are the same people that criticize the stimulus, even though we would probably be underwater without it. These are also the same people that want a balanced budget, but lower taxes. Isn't this a bit like having your cake and eating it too? Last time I checked, the U.S. was one of the lowest taxed nations in the world. Some countries like those in Scandinavia actually understand the importance of paying taxes. It is viewed as a part of the freedom we all enjoy. Conservative voters like to demonize the principles of socialism, as if America will go to hell in a hand basket if we allow things like government optioned health care. People in this country want things, but only if it doesn't pain them. When it starts to pain them, the Republicans scream and call it socialism. Last time I checked, most socialist nations have the highest life expectancy rates in the world, low infant mortality rates, a great track record in education, low cost health care for all, and more harmony in their society. This is in contrast to America ideals where we focus more money on hiring police officers and building more prisons to combat the ever increasing violence and crime in this nation. Call me a socialist, but I would rather spend more tax dollars to ensure that everyone has access to education, than spending my tax dollars on another methadone clinic or to build another prison.
This nation is the only wealthy and industrialized country in the world that doesn't ensure that all of its citizens have medical coverage. We also spend a greater percentage of our personal incomes on health care than other nation within the United Nations conglomerate. Yet, health care costs continue to stress households and it is one of the leading causes of personal bankruptcy in the country. Insurance companies can name their price for care and much needed prescription drugs causing an estimated 20,000 deaths a year due to people who neglect treatment or drugs because of costs. I wouldn't expect people like Rush Limbaugh or Glen Beck to understand this because they are entertainers and their 7 figure salaries insulate them from everyday realities. Sadly, we are spending around 15% of our GDP on health care and that quite interestingly, is the highest rate in the world.
Almost on cue, the opposing politicians of this whole debate began the great American practice of suing once this latest bill had passed. Oh the art of lawsuits! We are masters at this art and most of the rest of the world finds this to be rather amusing. Just out of curiousity, I decided to have a look at the yellow pages right as I finished the previous sentence. Guess who's mug is plastered on both the front and back cover. You got it.... two different ads for personal injury lawyers. My next experiment showed there to be 51 whopping pages of ads for lawyers in the yellow pages of my local phonebook. Restaurants were a distant second at 21 pages! I'm not trying to pick on attorneys, but we have a real problem in this nation with scapegoatitis. That simply means that somebody out there is surely to blame if things aren't going your way. If you do get in a tight spot, then a lawyer is sure to be close by to lend a helping hand. (for a small fee of course) Failure to accept responsibility is running wild in this land. Yesterday, I read that Dolphin running back Ronnie Brown was upset at police because they stopped him for failing to use a turn signal and then found out he was intoxicated. He was charged with a DUI. His take on the issue was he was stopped because he is black and he was driving an expensive car. Excuse me Mr. Brown, but two wrongs don't make a right. Instead of accepting responsibility for his behavior, he played the race card and neglected to point out that he had broken two laws. As a coach, I have seen these attitudes permeate into sports and it is a very sad state of affairs. Nonetheless, our government has set the bar high and initiated legislation to stop the health care bill.
In a rather humorous side note, VP Joe Biden dropped the F bomb yesterday when introducing the president at a news conference. It is no secret that Biden can be a loose cannon at times, but this clearly demonstrates just how passionate this debate has become.
Here is my prediction for the future of U.S. politics. The divisiveness will continue and reach new levels. More radical behavior will come to the surface as has been witnessed in the last few days. Most telling of all will be the propensity of voters to yo yo back and forth (this has already begun) between electing democratic and republican leaders, and in doing so, think that one group or the other will provide the answers to all of our nations ills. In truth, working to solve our nations problems will take time, cooperation, and some sense of sacrifice. In my opinion, the average American voter doesn't have the stomach for any of the three principles I just mentioned. We want things our way, we want them easy, and we want them yesterday. I would welcome any politician who would stray from ripping the other side, but instead focus on offering the country a dose of reality therapy and some practical ways to get things done. I'm not interested in rah-rah speeches by people who have to write on their hand to remember what they believe in. Instead, we will see more movements sprout up across the nation like the Tea Party. Some of these will gain in popularity, but probably lack the necessary momentum to change the landscape of American politics anytime soon.
Whew! I'm glad I got all that off my chest now. I like to stir the pot from time to time. Make no mistake about it though, I am proud to call this great land home. I have served once in the armed forces and I would gladly do it again if needed to protect all the rights I have and the opportunity I have to speak my mind freely. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and see what Vice President Biden will say next.
Lights out.
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