It’s healthy to cooperate for the good of all

I’ll preface a few thoughts on the Supreme Court’s “Obamacare” ruling with an admission that, to me, this Gordian Knot of a law is so convoluted that even Alexander would’ve probably sheathed his sword in despair.

Anyway, I heard the ruling and have noticed that the spin (See: bunkum) from both sides is ramping up rapidly.

In a sense, I’m glad (I’ll explain) the decision came down as it did. Had it not, it would’ve driven the deep political wedge that we live with even deeper and the nation’s politics would’ve become even more contemptible than they already are.

One side would’ve further hardened their opposition to any proposals offered by the administration to help solve the problems we face and the other would’ve revived the vitriol that followed the 2000 Presidential election. Gridlock guaranteed. Too, the idea (wish, belief, prayer) of the High Court being an impartial arbiter of the law would’ve taken another hit that it certainly doesn’t need.

I think we all know — secretly or otherwise — that we need a program of (can I say “universal” without being pilloried?) health care that’s affordable for all. Last year, I watched a very good friend die at the age of 32 and run up a bill that ran to seven figures while so doing. That’s something that shouldn’t happen in a nation like ours and that rightfully scares too many people these days.

Republican or Democrat. Romulan or Russian. Most of us don’t care who comes up with a workable plan, who collaborates with whom, or who gets the credit as long as it works. We just want to get something done because bankruptcy isn’t what anyone should be worried about when facing a medical emergency.

As for the current law, I’m just guessing, but I think that Chief Justice Roberts may have seen the divisiveness a rejection would’ve caused, found a way to avoid it and, then, handed this bloated beast back to our lawmakers to give them a chance to make a flawed law — if not right — then, at least, better.

Yes, he had to stretch to get there and, yes, he took a beating in the dissents, but I believe he put the problem back where it ultimately belongs — in the hands of the people. In short, this November, we have a chance — for better or worse — to decide what happens to this law.

Part of what we’re facing will be to find a way to pay for everything we — as a society — now demand. As an example, I’d guess that surgeons got away from bleeding their patients at about the same time that sailors demanded that their charts stopped carrying warnings that “Beyond here be dragons.”

GPS and updated charts cost a lot, but they made going to sea safer. All of the procedures now used to prolong life and defeat diseases that used to kill us ever so easily aren’t cheap and they have to be paid for too.

As a “conservative,” if this means my taxes might go up, I’d understand it but, at the very least, I’d want a program that: (a) makes sense; (b) seriously attacks waste and fraud; and (c) sends anyone who abuses the program directly, publicly, and speedily to jail.

Since we elect the people who make these laws, we’re going to have to do some work. Such “work” would include chasing the charlatans, crooks, and buffoons from office. Ignoring the fear mongers. Discounting obvious lies. Calling out hypocrisy. Mocking “chicken in every pot” promises. Researching costs and benefits.

Heck, we might even go so far as to (rationally) argue with those who hold differing beliefs. At a minimum, such would help us find the weaknesses of their (and our own) arguments. Best case, we might even — heaven forbid — find common ground.

Minor aside: When arguing complex issues, it helps to remember Mencken’s Law which states that: “For every human problem, there is a neat, simple solution; and it is always wrong.”

Doing the above might help us elect politicians who’d actually sit down and try to help the nation rather than a party. The payoff would be that we’d at least be inching toward a health care system that both worked and wouldn’t further bankrupt us.

Yeah. I know. I’m dreaming. But miracles of such an order of magnitude have, I’ve been told, happened before.

And, knowing that, one can always hope. Naive as that might sound.

Larry Simoneaux lives in Edmonds. Send comments to: larrysim@comcast.net