My friend, author Ken Wohlrob, nicely summed up the eventual passing of the healthcare reform bill by the House of Representatives on Sunday night.
He surfaced Monday morning to post as his Facebook status: “It feels pretty good waking up in a socialist nightmare that just might be an affront to God.”
Boom-tish!
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With an acute sense of the bizarre, Wohlrob has done time in New Jersey – not jail, he just grew up in the state – so needs a strong sense of sarcasm, irony, and humour.
But watching on TV as the House discussed, debated, stalled, complained, discussed again, and finally voted to overhaul – at least in part – America's broken health system raised an important point.
The United States is without doubt the most democratic country in the world.
That's not always a good thing.
Corporations and their lobbyists may have a grip on Washington but the advertising slogan “Just Do It” was not intended for US politics.
Talk, procedure, compromise, more compromise, more talk, and even last-minute attempts by the opposition Republican naysayers made this historic event one of the most compelling – and torturous – events to watch.
The day – make that year – of deviled and detailed debate culminated in Reps entering their chamber floor, swiping an ID card through a machine, and then voting yay or nay.
Watching and waiting for the 216 yes votes to register, my wife nervously suggested this was just like watching an eBay auction.
Your prize? Health. Or at least, possibly affordable insurance premiums.
This has been a complicated debate but acutely summarised by a comment on one blog something like this:
Democrats: “We need health care reform.”
Republicans: “Liberal fascists! Americans are tired of partisan politics!”
Democrats: “OK, let's compromise.”
Republicans: “OK, get rid of half your ideas.”
Democrats: “Done.”
Republicans: “Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas.”
Democrats: “Done.”
Republicans: “Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas.”
Democrats: “Done.”
Republicans: “Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas.”
Democrats: “Done.”
Republicans: “Too liberal, get rid of half your ideas”
Democrats: “Done. Time to end debate”
Republicans: “Too liberal, we need more debate, we will filibuster to prevent you from voting.”
Democrats: “OK, we'll vote – sorry guys, debate is ended. It's time to vote on the bill.”
Republicans: “Too liberal, we vote no.”
Democrats: “OK, it passed anyway – sorry guys.”
Many Australians, most of them content with their system partly socialised, part private, are baffled by the bitterness of opposition to a law that offers affordable – not free – healthcare to an estimated 32 million people.
Culture is part of it, so too fear, a lot of politics, and Internet-easy pathways of dissent but the vocal opposition is real – even remembering that the effects of this law will not be seen for several years.
And guess what?
Some states have now threatened to challenge the bill, claiming it unconstitutional to include a federal mandate requiring all Americans to purchase health insurance or face penalties.
As an enraged Twitter user was investigated by the Secret Service after calling for President Obama's assassination (yes, this really happened), the website of New York magazine summarised “hysterical” right-wing reaction to the bill's passing.
This included former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney claiming: “President Obama has betrayed his oath to the nation.”
The good news for Obama supporters (besides reform, that is) is that loved-and-reviled ultra-conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh promised to leave the country if the new health care bill passed.
He wants to go to Costa Rica.
A country with… you guessed… “socialised” medicine.
Even Wohlrob couldn't make that up.
