Chamblee54

Radiolab recently presented a show, 60 Words. It is based on a Buzzfeed article, 60 Words And A War Without End: The Untold Story Of The Most Dangerous Sentence In U.S. History. It is about the Authorization for the Use of Military Force. This resolution was passed by Congress after Nine Eleven. It has been twisted into a never ending war, against enemies on a secret list.
A part of the audio report stands out. In the aftermath of nine eleven, there was a sense among Democrats that the President needed to be supported. This was a few months after the controversial 2000 election. Even then, the opposition party saw the country as being under attack. They saw a need for a unified response.
Compare this to the ongoing health care quagmire. There was not a spectacular one day event to call attention to the problem. Instead, the health care disaster has been ongoing for years. Like military action, it is bleeding the nation’s resources dry.
The Republicans have made trouble for the Democrats at every step of the way on health care reform. There has been almost no cooperation. Instead of trying to work together to solve the problem, the opposition has engaged in name calling. The candidates for this year’s elections are denouncing health care reform in the strongest terms, without any alternative plan.
Pictures are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”.