Healthcare Revisited

The United States Supreme Court has reached a decision.  President Obama's vision of a revamped health care system is constitutional.  Some have howled with anger at the court's decision.  Others have been overjoyed by it.  I prefer to step back for a moment, remove my over coat of factionalism, and analyze the process of our government.  First, I need to admit that I'm not a supporter of what has commonly been labeled as Obamacare.  I do however, have to admit that all of us should admire the effectiveness of the Supreme Court.  This court has a long history of not following the whims of political dogma.  President Jefferson was exacerbated by the court's decision in Marbury vs. Madison and it was quite comical to watch the conservative pundits on FOX News try to come to terms with Chief Justice Roberts decision.  After all, he is an icon of power for conservative viewpoints.  How could he do this?  He worked within the parameters of the Constitution and called Obamacare what it is - a tax.  Congress has the power to levy taxes thus, the law is constitutional.  The court's decision is sort of like a high lob back into your opponent's side of a tennis court. Your opponent must now decide on whether to smash it back over into your court for a decisive point or, to merely get it over the net deep into your side of the court.  Liberal pundits and left leaning politicians are now hilariously scrambling for a moniker to counteract the impact of the word "tax".  Since the days of the Boston Tea Party, the word "tax" has not been well received by us Americans.

I'm more concerned with the evolution of American culture.  Unlike many of my fellow conservative thinkers, I do not believe that we should trap ourselves within the confines of a paradigm constructed by our nation's founders.  We do however, need to pay attention to their philosophies on who we are and adapt them to the modern world.  I also oppose many on the left and don't believe that it serves us well to look towards Europe for insight on what effective government is.  American republicism is a relatively new idea and as Thoreau said long ago, "We should take the path less trodden."  The key to keeping our republic vibrant is to think anew.  As a nation, we must find our own answers to our unique problems.

I'm no different than many others.  Every question that I answer replicates itself with yet another question.  This is called life.  The search for answers and the quest for the unknown defines human existence.  As far as mandated healthcare is concerned, here are just a few of my questions:  Why is healthcare a right?  If it is a right and it is controlled by government, can they stipulate how I live in order to receive healthcare?  Why isn't healthcare considered an individual responsibility?  If I exercise every day, eat a balanced diet, don't smoke or drink alcohol while my neighbor eats Bic Macs, french fries, drinks beer, and never leaves his couch, should I be considered as "equal risk" under mandated healthcare?  Since healthcare is a "tax" will I be expected to pay for my neighbor's chosen lifestyle even though studies have shown that his choices can have deleterious effects on his long term health?  How will mandated healthcare evolve under the laws of unintended consequences?  So many questions with so few answers.  I believe in the certainty of one thing.  American exceptionalism is grounded on the foundation of individual responsibility.  Have we lost the desire to stand on our own two feet?  I hope not.

De Oppresso Liber