HCR: I see both the ideal and the reality of American democracy at work.

[Writer]

I see debate between the people.

I see debate in Congress.

I see a bill on its way to becoming a law.

I also see...

Politicians influenced by moneyed lobbyists.

Congresspeople and a president performing political calculus.

Citizens who are less than informed making a lot of noise.


The health care reform debate is a great example of how the ideal of American democracy confronts the reality of American democracy. Americans straddle two worlds: One unrealistic, and one realistic but underwhelming and compromised. The goal shouldn't be to achieve the unrealistic ideal. That's impossible, because people are not rational as the Enlightenment theorists maintained. We instead need to continue to reform the system in such a way that it detours around the inevitable: Cronyism, Selfishness, and Apathy. We need to admit that our democratic system is not a perfect system, but that it's a system through which some good can emerge from the other end. It is amazing to me that, given the complicated health care reform initiative that Obama started in the spring, that after multiple council meetings and ongoing debates between 535 people who represent a patchwork of 300 million people, that this monolithic endeavor is still very much alive. That's a major feat all on its own.

I don't think this is something to be angry at. Not at all. This is something to celebrate, because we are beating the odds that bet against this ever happening at all. We may very likely have the bare-bones beginning of health care reform! And it's something that will grow over time, bit by bit, like every other society-focused legislation that has occurred in our country's history. America is an ever-evolving project that never accepts a finality. And if we believe that health care reform is, in itself, a finality, then we should give up the vote, give up speaking out, and give up the entire process. Obama's entire endeavor is not meant to achieve an end, but to achieve a beginning.

[cry baby]

1. recommended nt

[Clio the Leo]

2. "And I think to myself, 'what a wonderful world.'"

Sorry .... couldn't resist. I'm an eternal optimist.

[Writer]

3. I think that many of us are looking a gift horse in the mouth.

When one takes several steps back and looks at the big picture, what's happening right now is really quite amazing.

But you can throw in some Louis Armstrong, if you wish. :)

[Clio the Leo]

4. Isnt it though?

I was thinking earlier today that if someone told us on December 15th 2008 that a year from then, the President would be holding a presser discussing his hopes for passing the SECOND health care bill through Congress and that that presser was immediately followed by announcement that he was moving prisoners to IL so that he could close GITMO ...... we'd be ECSTATIC.

[ProgressOnTheMove]

5. EXACTLY, we have to take each victory bit by bit and be grateful we got this far with a system that

is dysfunctional. So with what is still functioning we will make minor victories until it's possible to fix the system too. It'll take patience, it'll take time and never-ending persistence. Having everything we wanted would could come if all things were perfect and even then there'd be compromise that's just how democracy is, imperfect, but there just has to be building on successes.