Let's Change the Focus of Debate

Since 2001, the partisan debate has been all about the propriety of neo-con desires to wage war to protect U.S. interests, tax cutter's desire to starve the government of funding (although why did Bush II push through Medicare Pharmacy benefits if that is what he really wanted?), and a general quiet push back on providing services to the poor.

It is the last point that I believe is all tied up in the absolute high level of hatred toward President Obama by the Republicans.  I don't think the Democrats hated George Bush II with the same level of veracity.  And it can't really be Obamacare because it's construct is what the Republicans want to use to fix Medicare.  So what is going on in the Tea Party and the anti-tax bastion's of GOP supporting 1%'s?

The one fundamental idea that RedStateVT and I agree 100% on is the responsibility of any individual to live their life in a traditionally responsible manner.  But there is also a tradition in this country of using the power of large numbers to create a safety net for the benefit of all within a capitalist construction.  Most other high income countries use a socialist construct for the safety net.  And it is very clear that even within the GOP today, there is support for the safety net.  No Tea Partier supports ending the Medicare that pays for their relatives diabetes treatments.

But when Mayor Bloomberg had the policy of limiting the size of sugary drinks that are available in one order (you could still have 2 order's if you really wanted that much), he was completely ridiculed by many on the hard right for nanny state leanings.

So, what we have in this country is the following:  the hard right hates the liberals for wanting a nanny state and not promoting individual responsibility in all things economic; while the hard left hates the conservatives for not recognizing that the affects of income inequality are too real while they continue to advocate starving the beast now that the $1.0 trillion plus bill for the borrowed War on Terror is effecting other government services.

Being able to be personally responsible is facilitated by the social safety net.  But as we have seen in the not too distant past, if the social safety net does not require people to take on personal responsibility as time passes, then they become wards of the state.   Policies must discourage becoming a ward of the state.

It really is a shame that we are not having serious debate over where and how we should draw the line on personal responsibility.  That used to be the partisan debate.  Universal health insurance would be cheaper, but there is a potentially unmanageable economic issue with all the people who work at private health insurance companies and these private insurance companies are managing about 10% of medicare recipients insurance.  Also, Heritage Foundation/RomneyCare/ObamaCare was designed to keep the private insurance system viable and keeping the HeathCare system in the private market while trying to control costs.  Critical to keeping the cost of health insurance affordable for all is the personal responsibility for everyone to buy health insurance because everyone needs health care with unpredictable timing.  That is what insurance is all about.

The law of large numbers is what all entitlements are all about.  And entitlements need constant monitoring to make sure there is a balance between benefits and funding.  Right now there is not, but hatred of President Obama prevents a Grand Bargain from occurring.

So I think the President should change the focus of the debate from where it has been to a discussion of where lines of personal responsibility should be placed.  Then maybe we can move things forward with the majority of voters behind the politicians of both parties who decided to lead on this critical issue.

I thank Nicholas Kristof for my inspiration this morning.  Here is his column:

Link Kristoff column on Personal Responsibility

And here is an editorial on how politicians of both parties refuse to lead us in a productive manner.

Fear Mongering on Medicare


Lastly, the Ukraine.  I actually thought there would be a vote and Crimea would vote to rejoin Russia.  I think the Ukrainian government would have accepted that easily.  However, Putin couldn't wait.  I think Putin may be loosing his marbles and at the very least, he certainly has an insatiable appetite for power.  And there is nothing the U.S. can really do except work with the EU to boot Russia out of the G8.