Democracy is a daily event. Our Revolution, fought against the foreign, arbitrary power of a king, is a daily, continuing battle. As I have discussed in another blog entry, democracy is primarily discussion, and, secondarily, debate for deadlocked discussion. Discussion and debate argue for best solutions to our problems. All possible solutions must be put on the table and everyone of them must be represented to the fullest extent.
The one and only best use of freedom, liberty — why we make elaborate claims to have it in our way of life in the U.S — is for the advancement of solutions to social problems. Discussion is a very formal method of producing the one best solution to any issue and should be respected, learned, and practiced. It is not an easy process. It has a continuum of events that lead to the discovery and acceptance of the one best solution that everyone understands and feels comfortable with, and for which solution every citizen can feel a sense of pride in ownership by having participated in its determination. I am herewith having my say. If single-payer health care, my chosen solution, is not the outcome, will I be content that I, at least, have had that experience of using my freedom to speak, even though I have been unsuccessful in gaining my objective?
No. I had no seat at the table, as represented by those spokespersons for single-payer health care, my surrogates.
When one person, a king, a pope, any single authoritative source as for certain religious faiths, or a dictator, has the sole power to dictate a solution, there can be no democracy. Authority preempts discussion, truncating the democratic process.
In this present case of health care, a senate committee chairman, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), will be writing healthcare legislation. Quoting a May 5th article in the Wall Street Journal: “Single-payer health care proposals have seen little-to-no footing in congressional debates on overhauling the U.S. health-care system, though many Democrats favor the creation of a public insurance plan to compete alongside private insurers. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who chairs the committee, sought to calm the protesters. ‘That is a view which many have and which I respect,’ Baucus said of single-payer health care. ‘The point of this and other hearings is to determine the best option.’ ” A-HA! THE DEMOCRATIC METHOD IS PROPOSED!
It was reported by talk-show host Ed Schultz that Sen. Baucus has had huge pay-offs into his campaign fund from the health care-industry sources. There may by tons of money being shoveled into the protection of those standing to lose big-time if a single-payer (U.S. government) health care plan is legislated. When protesters at the hearings held by Sen. Baucus and his committee arose and shouted that the single-payer solution had no representation at the roundtable, Sen. Baucus had those protesters arrested by the police. DEMOCRACY WAS THWARTED.
If Baucus is the leader of our national discussion on the health-care issue, and he has a demonstrated bias against single-payer health insurance, then there is only one recourse we citizens have: the President of the U.S., the arbiter-in-chief. But his oversight is absent in this discussion. At least as far as I can tell, from my distance from the scene of the battle, he has not made a loud, significant, pointed stab at the fairness of the discussion. He has not spent any political capital in defense of a democratic discussion on this issue. Absent. Quiet.
You are providing an excellent summary of the dilemma threatening American citizens. Thank you.
See my latest article (series started in 2002) on the health care crisis and what needs to be done about it.
http://clydewinter.wordpress.com/category/health-care-crisis/
Note: It’s an interesting coincidence that we are both Army vets, supporters of comprehensive single-payer health care for all, and that my parents graduated from Indiana University (Normal College) and Northwestern University.
I replied on your blog. Thank you.