I was busy at work, and I only got to catch several minutes during lunch while eating a big ass corned beef sandwich (yum!). As I pointed out at Russel's blog on this, I think a significant problem is ignorance. We can definitely point the finger at the democrats, too, for their absolute incompetence for not getting anything done, but when it comes to actually discussing these issues, coming to a consensus, it just isn't going to happen when people are ignorant asshats. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was speaking when I watched around noon that day, and so many things made my eyes want to bleed hearing it. As referenced earlier, I discussed two of those most annoying statements. The first was this belief that all taxes are harmful. There just isn't a basis for that. It depends mostly on how it is instituted. If it significantly impacts lower-income households or businesses, we can do "revenue recycling" where the tax revenues to the government can proportionally be rebated (maybe in a lump-sum payment) to those lower-income groups. Thus, the "harm" is mitigated. The more wealthy that can afford the rising cost will only be marginally impacted, maintain a relatively good standard of living, and we socially get the tax benefits, i.e., the tax is used for something we desire. At least ideally that is the case. In terms of health care, it is definitely something we need as a society. Even my broke ass is willing to pay a higher tax to obtain that social benefit. Grassley is an idiot.

The other thing that drives me up a wall is the bitching about small businesses being hurt. They seem to have this ideal that we need to maintain the market exactly the way it is for all times. This betrays the market mechanism which determines how many firms are in business at a time, just like it sets labor wages that help determine how many people are employed at a given time. People get fired, find new jobs and firms obtain new hires. This is regular. It is natural. The same applies to firms, too. They get "fired" and go out of business. They are small so it doesn't severely impact the economy, unlike when GM or Freddie is going out of business. This allows quick transfer of firms leaving and entering the market. They are small so they can do this more rapidly, and it goes on all the time. It is regular. It is natural. It is the same idiocy behind "cap-and-trade is going to put energy companies out of business and costs thousands of jobs." Yeah? And many of those people will get re-trained or re-hired elsewhere, especially as new jobs from other small businesses emerge and, shockingly, need employees from the old energy sectors! So yes, this health care bill will raise costs or put small firms out of business. That is not the end of the story! Other small businesses better suited or willing to take the risk will enter this new market. Unless they actually believe this health care bill will make the entire economy collapse, they are just being ignorant about economics, near-sighted and idiotic. The fact that the rest of the affluent nations of this world run similar healthcare systems and are doing just fine, I can only make one conclusion. Grassley is an idiot.

Thanks for the links. They will be helpful in reviewing the event since I rarely have time to sit down and watch the news.

@WAR_ON_ERROR - Oh, it is definitely an epic undertaking that we need to have serious concern about. The problem is that most of the GOP rhetoric we are hearing has nothing to do with that. Idiotic claims like Grassley's have nothing to do with serious concerns. They're trying to latch onto whatever concern will find sympathetic ears just for the sake of concern. We can look at other countries and see how they developed their systems. That does not mean we can apply it here. They have had these systems in place, evolving and adjusting for a long time now. They've ironed out the details, gained the cultural acceptance (or already had it) and have to make it work with the changing world we face. We're trying to jump into the game, which is good, but it will come with hurt. We will screw up, it will be criticized, but that is the pain we have to face for significant change on such a scale. There is not going to be any easy way into this, nor do I think we can sit back and wait until the economy is better. For one, that is going to be too long, nor will it simplify anything. They are two different concerns. Why? Because the debt we face for our screw ups now do not hurt us now. A nation can go into debt like that. It does push it onto future generations. But that is the risk they will have to accept for having what we're giving them! That is the cost of making such a significant change that merits the trouble. I would much rather see real concerns brought up about how we can pragmatically design a universal health care institution in this nation, but criticizing over nonexistent concerns like many of the GOP have is a waste of time. It also stigmatizes the issues for many Americans, which makes it culturally harder to accept. That is something we just don't need right now. So in the final analysis, the risk is worth it, and even if our first go at it sucks it is better than not trying at all. We can improve something once we have it. The stumbling block right now is even taking the first step! There is no good reason why we shouldn't take that step, save for fear. But what has fear ever helped us do? Be fearless. Be courageous. That is the kind of cultural image we should be setting, and at least Obama understands that much. Tthe rest of the Dems ... not so much, and the GOP are the antithesis to that right now.