Well Said – comments from Australia on US Health Care Bill.

I opined a bit over on this liberal blog about the health care bill and Joe Biden’s use of the F-word during the formal signing ceremony. Not surprisingly, mine was the minority opinion. But I did get this in e-mail today from the Reply section and I thought it was well worth repeating here.

Elena –
I’m not going to say I cried, but I have been walking around with a heavy heart these past few days. I’m Australian so obviously the introduction of socialised health care in far off America doesn’t affect me directly (of course when military expenditure in the U.S is cut – and dramatically so – in order to pay for this massive welfare entitlement, I don’t think it’s hyperbolic to say that the entire free world will eventually be affected.

No, what saddens me goes beyond the issue of health care. With the signing of this bill I waved goodbye to what I have long considered the last best hope of earth/American exceptionalism. Once this entitlement program is implemented (I’m still hoping it will be repealed in due course), there will be nothing to differentiate you from every other welfare state in the world, including the one in which I live. Sure, Australia is a wonderful place to live and, by most standards, its citizens enjoy a relatively high standard of living. That’s great. For now. In the long run, of course, welfare states are completely unsustainable. Over time the national character evolves from one of rugged individualism to one of dependency and servitude (I see it happening here, even amongst my own friends).

America : land of the free and home of the brave. Beautiful words that now ring hollow. You are every bit as enslaved by government as the rest of us. Welcome to the club.

p.s I’m not saying healthcare reform in the U.S isn’t necessary, but does it really take a sledgehammer to kill an ant?

As an aside, I did follow the links of some of the folks that were so pro-Joe Biden letting the F-word go into a Mike. I guess if you’re willing to post pictures of yourself having sex on your blog a little breech of etiquette and language standards won’t be too much of a big deal. Consider the source.