Elections have consequences and I fear these will be reverberating for generations to come. I don’t have much to add to what has already been said (heh, do I ever?), but some things do stand out to me from my vantage point far away.
First, it will be the young and healthy who carry the biggest burden. Perhaps that is as it should be. But I do find it amusing that the biggest winners appear to be the demonized insurance providers. I mean, let’s force the millions of people who don’t have insurance to buy insurance–that will teach those profit mongers!
And the Democrats told the overwhelming majority of Americans who opposed Obamacare to go to hell. I expect that will have consequences come November. As the Washington Examiner puts it:
Never before in American history has a measure of such importance been imposed on the country by the majority party over the unanimous opposition of the minority. Democrats have continually sought to create a halo effect for Obamacare by associating it with Social Security and Medicare. But the reality is that both of those landmark programs were approved with strong bipartisan support in both the Senate and House. The Senate vote on Social Security in 1935 was 77-6, with 64 Democrats being joined by 14 Republicans. In the House, the 373 votes for Social Security included 77 Republicans. When Medicare passed in 1965, the 68-21 Senate vote included 13 Republicans, while 65 Republicans were among the 313 affirmative House votes. Such bipartisan consensus was what the Founders sought with the Constitution. But Democrats made a mockery of bipartisanship by shoving Obamacare down the throats of Republican lawmakers and snubbing the popular majority that opposed it. The Democrats have undercut the credibility of the law they created.
I think you should also see what The Atlantic’s Megan McArdle has to say along these lines.
Is there a bigger fool than Congressman Stupak? Of course, no one believes he was stupid enough to sell out his “pro-life” principles for an empty Executive Order. Was he? Because of course, the law (as contained in the Senate bill and unchanged by today’s reconciliation vote) trumps an XO. No, I think the Dems think the American people are that stupid. I’m betting they were wrong about that.
And for those looking for a silver lining, you might find comfort in this post at PowerLine.
Me, I just feel sad for my country today. And glad to be living far enough away that I can ignore it for the most part. Sure, like everyone else, I will pay more for my insurance and have my taxes go up. But for those living in the states and relying on American health care providers, well, higher costs are the least of your worries.
God Bless America. She’s gonna need it.
