A breath of fresh air...

And Steven Pearlstein of the Washington Post delivers it (via Steve Benen).

The health care debate is a complicated issue, no doubt. But it is an important one to have. So I found Mr. Pearlstein's commentary particularly refreshing, in that he was willing to call out lies when he saw them. Specifically these passages summed up my feelings quite succinctly:

The recent attacks by Republican leaders and their ideological fellow-travelers on the effort to reform the health-care system have been so misleading, so disingenuous, that they could only spring from a cynical effort to gain partisan political advantage. By poisoning the political well, they've given up any pretense of being the loyal opposition. They've become political terrorists, willing to say or do anything to prevent the country from reaching a consensus on one of its most serious domestic problems. (emphasis added mine)[...]

Health reform is a test of whether this country can function once again as a civil society -- whether we can trust ourselves to embrace the big, important changes that require everyone to give up something in order to make everyone better off. Republican leaders are eager to see us fail that test. We need to show them that no matter how many lies they tell or how many scare tactics they concoct, Americans will come together and get this done.

There is plenty of room for debate on this issue, the various methods of delivery, single payer vs. co-ops vs. public plans, or strict governmental regulation system of the industries. All have legitimate points to be argued for or against. What is dangerous, however, is allowing people/corporate entities to stifle that debate. I liken it to when, as a child, I would begin winning a board game versus my older sibling. He would ask if I wanted some cookies and "conveniently" stand up and knock over the board.

In general there is just a lot of misinformation going on out there. We do not have the best health care in the world by any objective metric. No bill in currently up for debate even entertains the notion of a "government take over of health care". Medicare is, in fact, run by the government also it is surprisingly enough a single-payer system like Canada's. Interestingly enough, the government out performs private insurance or I guess more accurately is rated higher by its consumers then private insurance. And once again, I have a problem with seniors.

I can understand having concerns about an issue this big. But the reflexive "anti-government" bias that pervades this issue is counterproductive. Government can do somethings. More importantly government should do somethings, because private corporations most assuredly do not have our best interests in mind, and ostensibly the government does. But for those unconvinced, Matt Yglesias brings up something I had forgotten. Fire Departments used to be privatized, with predictable results.

-Cheers