Obamacare, the Government Shutdown, and the Debt Crisis

Image credit: Randy mcwilson

Argh, I just have to write about the political situation in the United States right now. The health care exchange for Obamacare opened up a couple days ago despite Republicans' attempt to defund it, parts of the federal government are shut down, and, of course, the nation is still deeply in debt. What's frustrating me the most, however, is some of the discussions surrounding the issues.

One of my biggest pet peeves I've found is when people spread misinformation, whether intentionally or not, to further their argument. The big piece of information that is really bothering me right now is the idea that Congress is exempt from Obamacare. Conservatives against the law keep saying that's the case, but from what I understand, it's untrue. My understanding is that a provision created by a Republican senator forced Congress and its staff to obtain health care from the exchanges that Obamacare would create instead of being able to keep their current insurance, which most Americans from large companies would be able to do. I wish I could find the original article where I read about this, but this one will have to do. The original one said that the Republican Senator, Sen. Chuck Grassley, originally proposed the addition to the bill for partisan reasons. He thought that Democrats would oppose the provision, and then he would tell Americans that they wanted to be exempt from the law (which would've been utter nonsense). However, Democrats embraced Sen. Grassley's proposal, and now, in an ironic twist, Republicans are attacking the bill for an "exemption" that a Republican created!

Here's the truth about Obamacare: it has good parts, and it has bad parts. Arguments for and against the law are both perfectly valid, unless, unless, they are untrue and/or misleading. There are so many arguments against Obamacare that I really wish Republicans would drop the Congress exemption thing. But another thing that really bothers me about the political climate of the country right now is how unwilling people are to consider any idea that comes from across the aisle. In the Internet age, there are plenty of forums available for like-minded people to discuss ideas. The more they talk to others who share their views, the more their views are cemented and the less open they are to other ideas. Honestly, it's great to have firm beliefs and values. That's a very good thing. But there are two caveats I would add. First, be tolerant and willing to listen to opposing viewpoints. You don't have to agree, but please be polite. I really need to stop reading any comments on the Internet because the level of blind hatred to those who disagree or are different is disheartening. We all need to be civil. The second caveat is to know why you believe what you do. Look at the logos, pathos, and ethos of arguments - what are the facts, how does the argument make you feel, and how reliable is the source. Don't agree with something just to agree with someone you know or trust; find out for yourself. I know I post about this kind of thing a lot, but it's something I've come to feel strongly about.

As far as the government shutdown goes, I think the situation reflects the political climate that I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Politicians are unwilling to listen and compromise, just like their constituents (or at least, some of their outspoken constituents. Luckily, there are lots of people who are unhappy with the current situation.) However, as much as I'd love to have our elected representatives start compromising, in the case of this government shutdown, I don't think Democrats should budge. If Democrats compromise, that will send a message to both parties that a government shutdown is an okay way to negotiate, and I really don't think it is. Shutting down the government affects everyone negatively, and doing it because of petty partisan differences should be unacceptable. If Republicans really wanted to compromise and negotiate on Obamacare, they would've put more effort into it and less effort into voting to repeal the law 43 times. I hate to say it, but I think the GOP is in serious trouble. I know the next presidential election is still a few years away, but with how the party is acting right now, I have a hard time imagining them having a serious candidate who can win enough votes.

The last item is the debt crisis. I saw a couple of Facebook friends post this, and I want to respond here so I don't disagree with them publicly, which people, understandably, don't like. (I apologize in advance for the swear word in the picture.)

This is a few years old I believe, but I've seen or heard several variations of the same idea. "If I were in charge, the government would run like my household and stay out of debt." That kind of thing. It doesn't take too long to realize that the analogy doesn't work. A household is essentially a dictatorship. The head of the household is in charge of the money, and there is no way to vote him/her out of power. So if a child is in the grocery store screaming for a candy bar, the mom or dad can say, "No, we don't have enough money," and the child can continue throwing a tantrum, but there's really nothing he/she can do about it. Now take our federal government. It's a democratic republic in which Congress controls the money, and Congress is elected by the people. So if thousands or millions of children are in the grocery store screaming for a candy bar, Congress has to listen or else risk getting voted out of office and losing their power. The popular view is that the debt crisis is our politicians' fault, but I have a hard time blaming them. To me, the fault lies with American citizens as a whole. We asked and voted for government benefits that we didn't have to pay for, and we got them. The enormous debt is a natural consequence.

I worry about our country. I really do. There are some great things about our country and great things happening in it, no doubt about it, but there are also troubling things. Like how divided this country is. As Abraham Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." I really hope that American citizens don't reach the level of division that existed in Lincoln's day. I also worry about the moral decay that seems to be occurring. I believe that if anything brings about the downfall of this great nation, it will be moral decay. To believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as I do, also means to believe that the world will get worse before it gets better. It's frustrating to watch the negative changes in the world, but it also seems inevitable. The truth is, I'm just one guy. There's not really much I can do to precipitate changes. I can post my opinions on my blog, but I only have a handful of readers, and it's mostly for me anyway. But maybe I can take heart. After all, as Margaret Mead said,"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."