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Politics of ‘no’ achieve nothing

By Gaveliers, The Gavel Media Team, on October 25, 2009 10:01 PM

Does anyone else wonder why health care reform has taken so long to be enacted? It seems that something so central to fixing our economy and the health of our nation would have received bipartisan support almost immediately.
Unfortunately, we live in a highly polarized political world, and health care is a highly polarized issue. Not surprisingly, then, the partisan politics of modern America have prevented swift reform. Instead of saying, “Yes,” and listening to the opposite side, our elected officials continued to naysay others’ opinions.
It is hard to say exactly what has caused this political world of “No,” but regardless of the cause, America must deal with its consequences–a slow and painfully ineffective government. Politics has become a game not about the issues, but about party lines. Elected officials feel the need to play to the extreme ends of the political spectrum, either decidedly conservative or liberal.

One could blame this on either mass media, for playing to the extreme emotions involved with the opposite political spectrums, or the populace for increasingly identifying themselves as either conservative or liberal. Both of these factors force officials to pay increasing attention to extreme vies.

Whatever the reason, it has essentially led officials, who are in constant fear of losing their seats, to lock their views with party ideals. Republicans do not back government health care because it goes against conservative desires for small government, even though it is obvious that health care reform is necessary. They simply say, “No.”

Democrats have tried to reach out to Republicans in order to make this a bipartisan bill; they cut coverage and reforms that would have increased our deficit. And in the most recent Congressional Budget Office report, the Baucus plan will actually decrease our budget deficit by $81 billion!

Guess what, Republicans? It is time to get on board. Health care reform is going to happen. On Oct. 13, Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine voted in favor of the Senate Finance Committee’s reform proposal. Her vote was not necessary to pass the bill, but she did so anyway. Democrats have a 60-40 majority that would kill a filibuster.

Still, Republican leaders continue to vote and speak against health care reform because it is technically against “conservative” ideals. They refuse to see the bipartisan need for and value of such reform. I am glad that Democrats finally seem to be giving up on the Republicans by pushing reform through. Too bad Republicans cannot see the light.

But what is even more disheartening is the lack of discussion within our government. I do not mean ‘discussion’ in the sense of talking, but in listening to opposing viewpoints. The way to truth, as John Stuart Mill believes, is through debate between contradictory opinions. Our government–both the Democrats and Republicans–would do well to remember this. Issues cannot be solved if every member of Congress thinks he or she is always right. Health care is just the best example of how problematic this has become.