James Zogby concisely makes a point I'd been thinking about through the whole course of the health care debate: the absurdity of the Republican claims that passing the reform bill somehow goes against the "will of the people." Excuse me, but it's us, the "people," who threw out the Republicans and elected a Democratic President and Congress. It's us, the "people," who, by and large, approve of the specific measures in the bill. Spot polls about huge, complex bills, taken in the wake of Tea Party hysterics and Republican Party-sanctioned fear-mongering, tell us only which way a fickle wind is blowing.
Whenever Republican leaders whine that the Democrats are going against the will of the people I'm personally offended. What am I, chopped liver? What are almost everybody I know, fois gras? What "people" are they talking about? Some of the people, that's who. Mostly the ones who voted for them, and did so in insufficient numbers. By no stretch of the imagination is this "the people." "The people" are multifaceted, and divided. In fact, no party, especially the minority, has the right to claim it alone speaks for "the people." That's infernal gall. But there's one thing we can say about "the people": practically all of us want health care reform.
Whenever Republican leaders (and conservative pundits) bewail "socialism" I'm personally offended. They're insulting my intelligence, and that of the millions of Americans who know the difference between socialism and social programs like Medicare and unemployment insurance.
Whenever these Republican (and a few Democratic) so-called leaders scream that the bill should have been scrapped in favor of "starting over" because it wasn't adequately debated, I'm nonplussed, and angered. For the past year it was impossible to avoid the national debate over this bill.
Fortunately, enough of the bill's measures go into effect quickly that a lot of people will notice quickly. It will start to sink in, a few months from now, that not only has the world not ended, but most of us are likely to see improvements in our health care system, if not this minute, then up ahead. Most Americans will then understand that this imperfect and unwieldy legislation is a huge and irreversible first step towards really, finally, fixing our incredibly broken health care system.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Dave Nalle
I agree that the bill is huge. I don't think I agree that it's "irreversible." Certainly the legislatures of 37 states and the Attorney Generals of a dozen more don't agree and plan to stop it dead either legislatively or judicially.
As for what the majority of the people want, that's a fallacious argument whichever side makes it. Even if only a significant minority object to this bill their concerns ought to be given consideration. More to the point, it has always been the essence of policy in America to try to find ways to solve problems which take the preferences and rights of minorities and dissenters into account.
What sets this bill apart is that it applies a heavyhanded set of policies to the entire population without leaving any element of free choice or any way to opt-out or find a different solution for those who don't want to have their healthcare mandated by government.
This is inherently alien to the way America is supposed to operate as a free Republic. It's the rule of the tyrannical majority in defiance of the desires and best interests of a minority which made its desire very, very clear.
This is why the issue will not go away and why it will eventually destroy the tyrants who have taken this dire action.
Dave
2 - El Bicho
Nice article, Jon. The right seems to think the louder they are the more righteous their position.
I don't understand all the bill/law entails or how they are going to pull it off, but elections have consequences and I am willing to give them a chance
3 - Silas Kain
Automobile insurance is compulsory, health insurance is not. Talk about where our priorities are at. Again, for the seven millionth time, health care cannot be a "for profit" enterprise. Not everything in this society is up for bid, folks.
The Democrats are under the mistaken impression that 2008 was a mandate for them to do something. It wasn't. It was a choice between the lesser of two evils. We have no real choices in this country. If we Americans were as bold as we proclaim, we would deliver to the Oval Office a President who was not of either Major Political Party. In 1972 and 1984, there were plenty of Democrats who would have been happy not to nominate an opponent to the sitting GOP President. During the second year of the G.H.W. Bush Presidency, there were several major Democrats who floated the idea of giving him the Democrat nomination as well as the GOP. Three years later, Bill Clinton drove him from office. Of course, they'll deny it, nevertheless it is quite true.
4 - jeannie danna
Jon,
This is refreshing and needed!
You'd think the sky was falling to see some reactions around here. Nice job putting the face of reality on the health care bill.
I agree that people will see the upside soon enough...
: )
5 - Silas Kain
Ain't gonna happen, Jeannie. Twelve GOP Attorneys General will file suit. It will go to SCOTUS where the SCOTUS 5 will declare it Unconstitutional. This is virtually guaranteed. Those who revel in this hollow victory are in for a rude, rude awakening. It will be at that point when Civil War will be discussed by the Left as eagerly as the Right. Imagine, this time it will be a Black President in the Oval Office when the war between the States breaks. Ah, the irony.
6 - jeannie danna
Silas,
There is a provision in this bill for the states to act independently in crafting the health care program for their individual states, so when you add this fact to the overall plan, this will definitely fly.
: ) check out this interactive map.
7 - Arch Conservative
The author cites Obama's election as "the will of the people." He fails to mention that there have been several elections since then, most of which have not gone so well for the Dems.
Specifically the MA senatorial election not only reflects the will of the people in general but their attitude torward this health care bill. It was no great secret how important the Dems retaining the MA Senate seat was for the health care bill yet the people of MA, bluest of blue states, still voted for the guy that vowed to oppose the bill. That's more telling about the mood of the people at this moment than is the election of Barry the "one."
Democrats are giddy in the aftermath of the bill's passing but they're letting that giddinies blind them to the reality of the current political landscape. Congress has the lowest apporval ever. Pelosi and Reid's approval ratings are at 11% and 8% respectively. The had significant majorities in both houses of Congress and barely managed to squeek the bill by.
When it comes to the mundane and semi-important it's true that people's memories and attention spans can be short but this bill is neither of those. As the king himself said "it's historic." The anger and resolve of those who so fiercely oppose it will not likely be abated by time or false promises of things to get better, which will not happen.
8 - Jon Sobel
No doubt some who oppose any government action anywhere will continue to be angry and resolved in opposition to health care reform. What I think, and hope, is that overall, the weight of public opinion will sway things towards keeping, and improving, most of what's in this bill. That's what I mean by "irreversible." From the analysis I've heard so far, BTW, most legal scholars don't think the states' challenges have much chance of succeeding, SCOTUS 5 or not.
9 - Clavos
Again, for the seven millionth time, health care cannot be a "for profit" enterprise.
But obamacare does nothing to change that. On the contrary, it adds several tens of millions of people to the for-profit insurance companies' market, and mandates them to obtain insurance.
10 - Jon Sobel
That's true, Clavos. This bill is a product of Republican ideas as much as Democratic. Really it's an enormous, amazing compromise. In some ways it continues what Republican presidents (except for Reagans and Bushes) have been pushing for since the 50's. The irony of zero Republicans voting for it is amazing.
11 - Arch Conservative
Again, for the seven millionth time, health care cannot be a "for profit" enterprise.
Says who? You?
The profit motive is what attracts the most driven and the most talented to any industry, not just health care. It's the profit motive that is directly responsible for all of the breakthroughs in medical science.
It's ironic that you would expect doctors and other medical professionals to work for less because you can conger up a bunch of anecdotal sob stories Silas? Do you work for free? Are you willing to work for less because someone has come along and declared that they have a right to the services you provide?
I think all Americans, including myself are completely on board with the idea that we should do something to make the cost of health care more affordable for the average American. However most of do not want to see the the health care system consumed by the entitlement mentality that's been poisoning this nation for some time now.
We hear next up on the agenda for King Barry is amnesty for those who've come into this country illegally. As justification of this we're told that they only left their poor countries to come here, work hard and have a better life. Even if that's true what at all does that have to do with the fact that they have broken our laws? The same individuals that trumpet abortion as "the law of the land" have no problem with millions breaking our laws by entering this nation illegally and staying here illegally.
Somewhere along the line we lost our way when the interests of the federal government and corporate interests became one. I find it amusing that anyone would deny this fact.
The only difference between the Dems and the GOP is that the Democrats are so much more brazen in their desire to ruin this nation while the GOP tries to mask thier's a little more.
12 - Jon Sobel
Arch, it's not a question of whether I'm willing to work for less - the fact is, YES, I DO work for less, because of all the taxes taken out to pay for social programs, pothole fixing, and wars. Also, your "slippery slope" argument is simply senseless and tedious. AS for an "entitlement mentality," what you call entitlements I call rights. The civilized world considers basic health care a right. It's time we joined that world.
Having said that, we totally agree that the federal government and corporate interests need to be separated, and that's a thorny problem neither party is willing to confront, for obvious reasons.
13 - Clavos
An excellent observation from Jonah Goldberg, in the Los Angeles Times:
Profit-hungry insurance companies were never the problem. (According to American Enterprise Institute economist Andrew Biggs, industry profit margins are around 3 percent, and the entire industry recorded profits of just $13 billion last year, close to a rounding error in Medicare fraud estimates.) Rather, health-care costs have been skyrocketing because consumers treat health insurance like an expense account. Putting almost everyone into one "risk pool" doesn't change that dynamic; it universalizes it. And eventually, the only way to cut costs will be to ration care.
14 - Jordan Richardson
Says who? You?
Mostly everyone but about half of Americans, actually. But if you want to continue to cling to this nonsensical "health care as profitable" crap, go right ahead and see how far it gets you. You and your ilk will just continue to be left behind.
And by the way, "anecdotal sob stories" is the terminology you use to dismiss real problems experienced by your fellow human beings. It's unfortunate but not surprising that you've chosen to be so callous.
15 - jeannie danna
Clavos,
This is false: Obamacare/the health care reform bill does nothing to change that. On the contrary, it adds several tens of millions of people to the for-profit insurance companies' market, and mandates them to obtain insurance.
There is a provision in the bill allowing individual states to waiver these mandates,if that's what you wish to call them.
16 - Jordan Richardson
Rather, health-care costs have been skyrocketing because consumers treat health insurance like an expense account.
Oh, so it's the fault of the "consumers" for having to use their health insurance. They ought to be ashamed and should probably stop getting, you know, sick...
17 - jeannie danna
Jordan,
Can the rest of this country, the part with the brain in it,all move to Canada while the Republican/Conservatives get their acts together?
18 - Clavos
Can the rest of this country...all move to Canada...?
Great idea! Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.
19 - jeannie danna
thanks a lot...
20 - jeannie danna
YOU must have stumbled right over this one,this is false: Obamacare/the health care reform bill does nothing to change that. On the contrary, it adds several tens of millions of people to the for-profit insurance companies' market, and mandates them to obtain insurance.
There is a provision in the bill allowing individual states to waiver these mandates,if that's what YOU wish to call them.
21 - jeannie danna
"You, you, that's what you are" - Popeye the sailor man
: )
22 - Braden
An election that took place well over a year ago doesn't reflect how the people feel about a single issue at this very moment. Do you honestly think that everyone that voted for Obama supported every single issue that he and the Democrats have pushed since he has been elected? That's ridiculous.
In case you aren't convinced, you'll find out in November what the real "will of the people" is.
23 - roger nowosielski
Cool. So why not just wait for the people's voice to be heard when the time comes?
I'm willing to live with that, Braden, if you are.
24 - Mark
You gotta love the lag time...it certainly complicates the process of 'representation.'
(Chopped liver...yummm
Now that would be a dramatic off-broadway show.
Act the first - removal of Jon's liver
Act the second - the cooking and chopping
Act the third - audience consumes Jon's liver on crackers with foreign sounding name)
25 - Jon Sobel
In any case, there's more to it than the "will of the people," whichever way that happens to be swinging. Elected representatives have to balance pushing for what their constituents happen to be yammering for at any given moment, with responsible stewardship. As Jon Stewart said, "Doesn't elite mean good? Is that not something we’re looking for in a president anymore?...Not only do I want an elite president, I want someone who is embarrassingly superior to me." To a lesser degree, legislators should also aspire to higher wisdom.