Krugman's Paean to Healthcare reform

Paul's gone around the bend here. He's actually urging House Democrats to commit political suicide in the name of serving their countries. People as a general rule don't vote against their own interests. As Sinclair Lewis said (paraphrase) it's hard to convince someone that something's wrong when their livelihood depends that something.

More importantly, Krugman continues to represent what I hate most about the Liberal/Progressive agenda and Democrats in particular. Namely, that he and his elitist "comrades" seem to think that they know what's best for me and the country, even when we've told him/them time and again that we don't want what they're pushing. Krugman and other representatives of the "Nanny" state (Bloomberg and salt), want to take care of us, regulating what we do, how we drive, what we eat, where we get healthcare, how we raise and educate our children, whatever, from cradle-to-grave. This makes Americans annoyed at best, and mind-numbingly, teeth-rattling angry (Tea Parties anyone) at worst.

Exit interviews from this week's special election showed that a majority of Massachusetts residents do NOT want the current healthcare bill. At the fringes (strongly for/against), those opposed to healthcare far outnumber those who support it. And yet, Krugman seems to think that even though the (majority of the) country thinks this whole thing is a piece of garbage that should be abandoned, he stubbornly clings to the idea that we should just trust him and his ilk to take care of us. This is hubris of the highest order.

I think what's really in play here is that rabid Liberals like Krugman see their last best hope of completing their Socialist trifecta, Social Security, Medicare, Universal Coverage, slipping away from them and they're terrified that it won't be revisited in their lifetimes. It's gotta be galling to someone like Krugman, to have watched a moron like George Bush (mis)manage slimmer congressional majorities than Obama currently has into accomplishing all his first-term policy goals, while Obama struggles along against a determined Republican senate minority that can effectively dictate policy via the threat of a filibuster.

All the while, he rails against this same obstructionist Republican opposition. The invective is tired. At some point Krugman needs to realize that perhaps what might be happening is exactly what he's asking for, namely, that the elected representatives of the people are on the verge of listening to those they were elected to represent. A vocal majority of their constituents do not want this healthcare bill to pass. If the will of the people is King, why wouldn't Paul be happy about this? Again, this can only be explained by the fact that Paul feels that the majority is either:

• Wrong
• Stupid
• Misled by the vast right-wing media

In any case, his argument is specious, and falls back into the same Socialist trope that we've heard for years, namely that it's unseemly for a majority to impose rule over a minority. Guess what, Paul - that's how the world (and Democracy) works. To think otherwise is flawed, naive, and childish. It took a while, but our elected officials are finally hearing what we're saying. They may not agree with it, but they gotta listen. And, as was shown this week in Massachusetts (and earlier in New Jersey and Virginia), they will be held accountable. Paul must feel it's noble to sacrifice your livelihood to upholding your personal principles, but again, as he's shown, our representatives aren't there to vote their personal feelings, they're supposed to represent those who voted them into power. If they aren't listening to their constituents, we've shown them their future.

If Paul really wants to break this cycle, he should be crying out for term limits. I know a lot of people don't like them, but I have to feel it's a better alternative to the career politicians we have now. For Chrissakes, Teddy (the Lion) Kennedy served for 42 years! That's obscene. How long has Barney Frank or John McCain been around? Too long if you ask me.

Finally, I'd ask Paul Krugman to take some of his own medicine - namely stop whining...

You've lost this round, deal with it
in reference to: Op-Ed Columnist - Do the Right Thing - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewik