What makes America great?  Is it the greatness of Americans?  Is it some special LOST-island-like quality about the land we inhabit?  Or is it our values and their expression in our system of government?  While geography, natural resources, and immigration have most certainly affected our history (often for the better), what makes America great is that we are a nation of laws, not of men, where values are institutionalized in the government; chief among them is freedom.

Freedom is more than just freedom to…  It’s also freedom from…  Freedom from constant fear about personal safety or random acts of violence; freedom from oppressive search and seizure; freedom from crippling exogenous, uncontrollable financial ruin; and freedom of access to lifesaving health care.

“Republicans believe in a simple principle: No American should have to worry about losing their health care coverage, period. We stand for universal access to affordable health care coverage.” (Jindal, 2/24/09)

Really?  Just as long as it doesn’t involve a government guarantee??  I think this depends on what your definition of “universal access” is.  If by “universal access” you mean that anyone who can afford to pay for it can get access, then you do not mean “universal”.  If you mean by “universal access” that you can get lifesaving care, but you’ll end up losing your house in the mountain of resulting debt, then you do not mean “freedom of access”.

“What we oppose is universal government-run health care. Health care decisions should be made by doctors and patients, not by government bureaucrats.” (Jindal, 2/24/09)

Again, what this really means is that health care decisions should be made by doctors, patients, and for-profit insurance companies trying to spend as little on your treatment as possible.  This, again, is a false freedom.  The freedom to have someone make a profit-based decision about your health is far less free than a government bureaucracy being involved.  The freedom of a doctor is limited by the profit motives of an insurance company.

Reject false dichotomies between freedom and government involvement!  Freedoms are guaranteed by the government, empowered by the people.  Your freedom of speech is inalienable but enforced by the government.  The free market is built upon government security, government provided stability, government issued currency, government enforced contracts, etc.  Your freedom to drink tap water without fear is secured by a government agency.

Instead of complaining about ineffective government, work to make government better.  You have the freedom to make and keep America great.

If that argument isn’t convincing to you, perhaps it would be beneficial to contemplate for a moment that we are the only industrialized country where an unemployment crisis is also a health crisis!  We’re also the only industrialized country where a personal health crisis is also a personal financial crisis (as in if you get sick, you could lose your house, not because you can’t work, but because you can’t pay the bills!)

Health Care Now!