Keep Talking

A timer running rapidly was a new addition to the news broadcast last night. It certainly carried the point that's been worrying me. We're at the place where universal health care is almost certain to happen within at least a decade if not by the time the clock runs out. I don't see that universal health care has to be a bad thing by default, but right now it is likely to be a bad thing. I'm sure that the people pushing for now, now, now are thinking that once the mess is in place then they can sort out the problems. That could happen, but it isn't the ordinary person's experience. On the other hand, I wish when we thought about universal health care we were thinking about all those people who will starve to death this year. Fortunately for us most of them don't live here dragging our premiums down. We can expect to have enough food to feed each other.
I think the thing that is most absent is consensus about such important issues as what is a fair death and what is a fair life? When I have a treat to distribute or a consequence to meet out, my children are pretty satisfied if everyone agrees the division is fair. Philosophy and politics may seem miles apart, but in this case a philosophical discussion is of the utmost importance. No one will like this system for long, unless everyone agrees that it is just. We don't have anything in any segment like that. We need to set aside numbers and start talking about those core issues and not just in think tanks, but in internet chatrooms, libraries and churches. When we all agree about what is fair we'll find we know how to make the money to pay the bills. All I'm saying is, just keep talking and listening. We Americans know how to get this kind of thing right, but we're going to need everyone to make it work.