Welcome to the civilized world

[davidn]

Good morning, America, and welcome to the civilized world. I'm rather glad that I didn't stay up last night to watch the vote because it sounds like it would have been like watching Scotch pies being made, but I woke up this morning, saw a heap of news updates and for once the country seemed like it was slightly better. Naturally it's still worrying that it passed by such a narrow margin and had to be hammered through with a shoe-horn, but I'm hoping that support will increase when it turns out that the whole thing works and people find that they actually enjoy having decent healthcare. It's just a shame that so much of it only happens in 2014 - and that there are so many bits of it still to come, but this is an important landmark in finally getting something done.

It took its time coming, and there were multiple times when I thought that it was dead and it just wasn't worth expending the effort to push it on to people who vote so firmly against their own interests, but it suddenly rose from the ashes to boldly go where every other country has gone before. Maybe after months of visible dithering and fruitless debate among one side of their political spectrum good for infighting and another which is good for nothing, this will restore confidence that the administration can have any effect at all, and maybe that the American people won't be so irrationally scared of misinformation and meaningless words.

Comments

[diarytypething.livejournal.com]

It's been an interesting, but also slightly disturbing process to watch from over here, because it shows you just how susceptible people can be to media spin. I know the same principle applies over here (have a look at Charlie Brooker's (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/22/charlie-brooker-newspapers-dangerous-drug) most recent column if you haven't done so already), but it's more of a shock when you see it from the outside, and especially when you're seeing people wave placards *against* something that you always thought of as a basic right.

[ern56.livejournal.com]

As I said to someone last night, American health care just took its first bold step into the twentieth century.

Jokes aside though, I'm really glad this thing passed. Like everyone else has been saying, I think that once the bill has a few months to settle and the sky doesn't fall, and unmarked black helicopters aren't roaring around quelling freedom and rationing health care, the Republicans are going to start to look like idiots to a lot of people.

[starfishchris.livejournal.com]

Don't underestimate the power of spin and the reluctance of admitting you were wrong. There are always new 'dangers to society' to keep the ball rolling, to keep people believing the things they want to believe. Republicans will look like idiots to no more people than they already have done, and that is possibly the scariest thing democracy faces.

[ravenworks.livejournal.com]

You think these people will remember which side they were on by the time they're happy about it? I'm pretty sure most of them don't remember what country they started out invading... and it wouldn't be very hard at all for someone to say "health care turned out good in the end because we fought it so hard! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!"

[stubbleupdate.livejournal.com]

As long as people still get sick and die, or doctors still make mistakes, you can so easily make this look like a bad idea.

[kjorteo]

THE SOCIALISTS ARE COMING TO STEAL OUR ORGANS

OH MY GOD, RUN

[kjorteo]

In all seriousness, it is good news that we finally got this thing passed, even better news for me personally as I can proudly state that my personal Representative was one of the good guys in this fight, and even better news for me as it turns out he's also on Facebook. Who knew the whole "contact your local Representative" thing could now be as easy as replying to his latest wall post? (Which I did, and I also left a post of my own on the views that include fans instead of just him.)

[stubbleupdate.livejournal.com]

Now that there's more accessible healthcare, we shall be denied moments of brilliance like this (http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/10/gladney-uninsured/).

Summary: Anti-health care protestor is injured and has to ask for donations to pay for his health care.