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It's not as simple as "doing what the majority opposes is bad government. " Joel Send a noteboard - 23/03/2010 06:42:04 AM
Most polls have shown that a majority of the people in the country are opposed to this reform. Passing the bill when the majority of people do not want it is just bad government and it makes me a bit sick to my stomach.

Personally speaking, I don't care very much about it passing other than the part I just mentioned...I don't know how it's going to effect things, so I'm ok with waiting to see what happens. It could be a positive in the long run, it could be a negative, there's no way to tell right now. The real proof will be if health care improves, costs go down, and this all happens without creating massive amounts of budget deficit (yeah, they claim that it will save money, but the government is pretty good at making up BS figures, so I take any projections they make about cost with a grain of salt the size of Ireland).

And it really depends on whom you ask, and how. Much of the opposition to THIS particular reform is from people who think it does too LITTLE (cost control efforts were essentially an afterthought from the past few months, and thus only present in the reconciliation bill headed to the Senate later this week. )

But there's a reason why we have elected representatives rather than just referenda on everything. Many past government decisions that lacked majority support at the time were still right. Abolition, womens suffrage and desegregation didn't magically cease to be immoral after decades because they suddenly had majority support for the first time. There are ample counterexamples, too; US entry to WWII had strong majority opposition right up until 7 December, 1941, and prohibition was so popular it became a Constitutional Amendment--that had to be repealed by ANOTHER Amendment twenty years later. That's why we let the man on the street pick the (theoretically) experienced and intelligent lawmakers rather than simply letting the men on the street make all the laws.

This particular bill is, sadly, just corporate welfare to the least needy industry I can imagine. They're already munching on a sizable and growing chunk of US GDP, and forcing everyone in the country to give them more money isn't going to fix that, not even if much of that money comes from federal subsidies paid with higher taxes. They're attacking the wrong end of the problem, trying to patch a hole by simply throwing more stuff into it rather than actually covering it. Without cost controls all the government subsidies and personal mandates in the world are a spur to costs, not a remedy.
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No posts on the bill passing? - 22/03/2010 08:22:27 AM 1284 Views
Meh - 22/03/2010 09:07:27 AM 637 Views
Re: Meh - 22/03/2010 01:53:43 PM 602 Views
I know what you mean. I love hearing that the "majority" are against this. - 22/03/2010 01:57:15 PM 751 Views
surveys are crap anyways. - 22/03/2010 01:59:39 PM 573 Views
That's ignorance speaking. - 22/03/2010 02:02:46 PM 606 Views
well yah. Sorry, I wasn't meaning to say surveys as a whole are nonsense - 22/03/2010 02:09:42 PM 539 Views
Some are a plurality, some are a majority.... - 22/03/2010 04:01:56 PM 665 Views
But most of them with a high/low don't go into enough detail - 22/03/2010 09:24:29 PM 691 Views
A question? - 23/03/2010 01:11:07 AM 612 Views
I accept that there are situations where leaders must go against popular opinion - 23/03/2010 02:53:00 AM 665 Views
on the other hand *edited stupid spelling error* - 23/03/2010 03:09:47 AM 782 Views
On a certain level I do agree with you - 23/03/2010 05:14:24 AM 572 Views
I was thinking about this after posting - 23/03/2010 12:12:17 PM 581 Views
Ahahahahahahahaha - 23/03/2010 12:57:17 PM 730 Views
why? *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:37:00 PM 303 Views
Because "populous" is not a noun in English. *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:42:16 PM 301 Views
This. - 23/03/2010 03:46:25 PM 637 Views
damn you phonetics. - 23/03/2010 03:50:33 PM 887 Views
As Emo Philips would say - 23/03/2010 04:32:52 PM 660 Views
I always laugh when I see someone say people are "retarted" *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:51:46 PM 376 Views
"Get a life, morans!" *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:55:27 PM 301 Views
I think this is one of them - 23/03/2010 12:49:35 PM 1053 Views
It's not as simple as "doing what the majority opposes is bad government. " - 23/03/2010 06:42:04 AM 670 Views
A step in the wrong direction. - 22/03/2010 10:38:31 AM 755 Views
didn't realize it had - 22/03/2010 11:49:36 AM 597 Views
I am happy for it - 22/03/2010 11:55:10 AM 588 Views
The Bill passed? - 22/03/2010 12:27:36 PM 681 Views
I think with the saturation coverage it has been getting people are just worn out *NM* - 22/03/2010 01:27:59 PM 325 Views
hollah that. *NM* - 22/03/2010 01:58:47 PM 264 Views
Yes. - 22/03/2010 02:38:03 PM 603 Views
Re: No posts on the bill passing? - 22/03/2010 01:39:14 PM 614 Views
I chose to read about it first at the NYT, then the WSJ, then the Economist. - 22/03/2010 01:43:07 PM 796 Views
Re: I chose to read about it first at the NYT, then the WSJ, then the Economist. - 22/03/2010 02:01:07 PM 603 Views
The Bill won't get repealed. Whatever happens in November. - 23/03/2010 12:17:21 AM 608 Views
There are 18 incumbent Dem Senate seats; 41+18<67. - 29/03/2010 11:15:29 AM 607 Views
I am worried. The official reports show that it will actually erase some debt. But . . . - 22/03/2010 01:39:26 PM 719 Views
I think reform had to start now. - 22/03/2010 02:27:11 PM 786 Views
That's a good column. - 22/03/2010 02:44:56 PM 694 Views
I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill - 22/03/2010 03:20:54 PM 617 Views
Re: I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill - 22/03/2010 03:33:31 PM 589 Views
Let's be realistic here at least.... - 22/03/2010 04:16:23 PM 601 Views
I hope your house is built on fimrer foundations then your reasoning - 22/03/2010 04:25:49 PM 610 Views
I'm not worried, there are lots of ways to pay for the bill. - 22/03/2010 05:36:39 PM 528 Views
You should worry about cost control (AKA the only real reason for healthcare reform to begin. ) - 23/03/2010 07:02:24 AM 719 Views
bingo - 24/03/2010 03:45:48 AM 737 Views
Next question: WTF do we do about it? - 24/03/2010 04:00:39 AM 616 Views
sadly probably not a damned thing... - 24/03/2010 04:20:45 AM 592 Views
I worry the day is coming when the Bastille is stormed. - 29/03/2010 11:06:31 AM 684 Views
It is a good start - 22/03/2010 03:01:08 PM 577 Views
Re: It is a good start - 22/03/2010 04:13:28 PM 583 Views
Heh - 22/03/2010 04:21:22 PM 632 Views
Re: Heh - 22/03/2010 04:32:30 PM 594 Views
Re: Heh - 22/03/2010 08:25:05 PM 654 Views
Sorry, I was out seizing the means of production. *NM* - 22/03/2010 07:43:19 PM 264 Views
You should delve the debate before getting excited. - 23/03/2010 07:22:36 AM 684 Views
I really like what GRR Martin wrote in his blog. - 23/03/2010 09:55:11 AM 708 Views
I agree with him - 23/03/2010 12:14:47 PM 621 Views
I would say it is rather weak point - 23/03/2010 01:12:43 PM 592 Views
Erm... - 23/03/2010 01:39:58 PM 694 Views
I am pleasantly surprised - 23/03/2010 04:14:52 PM 541 Views
Exceptions? - 24/03/2010 05:08:17 AM 548 Views
I haven't been following it too closely - 23/03/2010 02:10:39 PM 737 Views

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