Lowest Common Denominator

Most people would agree that the best approach to governing in a democratic society is to make every attempt to raise everyone’s living situation to the highest level possible. Most Americans take pride in our being the leading country in the world, and trying to set an example for others. Unfortunately, we in the US seem to have reversed our priorities.

Listen to the rhetoric; “We don’t want our children to listen to the President of the United States because he is going to turn them into Socialists.” One wonders if these “parents” have ever actually listened to the President or read the speech. Actually, one wonders if they can even define Socialist, or whether many of these people know how to read at all!

“We cannot afford Universal Health Care,” despite being the wealthiest nation in the world, spending more on health care than most other nations, yet they can afford it and we cannot. “A public option would make us “Socialists” or “Communists.” If we pay for an office visit in which people discuss end of life care with their own physicians, we are going to allow the government to “pull the plug on grandma.”

How mean spirited have we become in the US, that we (and especially the big insurance companies) would rather lie, cheat, steal . . . do anything that would prevent our providing cost effective care for ALL of our citizens. How corrupt have our legislators become that there seems to be an acceptable number of people dying without health care as long as they get their money from insurance companies.

People get the government they deserve, and those who are so afraid of words like “socialist” should remember the historically proven outcome of their “let them eat cake” approach to government. Abraham Lincoln once said that if the United States is ever defeated, it would be from within. We now know that the “WingNuts” (e.g. the people who claim to actually understand Sarah Palin and refuse to accept Evolution) will be the tool that allows the “dumbing down” of America to lead to our demise.

Thomas Jefferson once quipped that, “a little revolution from time to time is a good thing.” After watching our current Congress, and listening to the Wingnuts, perhaps now would be a good time.