I'm plagiarizing again. But I guess it's not plagiarism if you acknowledge that you are not the original writer. My friend Skye wrote this while on a train in Italy. He was writing about different ideas he has had while on his travels. Interesting perspectives.
This is a great time to blog, reason being that my thoughts today are bigger than me. Why not attempt to pass them on? My trip thus far as has been different than previous travels. Typically my mind is opened the second I begin the journey, but this time, now a week and a half into the trip, I am only now finding that place where perspective is fresh and broadened. The first thought I have stems from last year and an experience I had in Rome with Alessandro my dear friend, and an American woman in an Italian hospital. That is a story for another time, but it caused me to reflect on socialized health care in Italy and its future in America. I spoke with Alessandro about it and was surprised that he supported it. He has a foot in both Italian and American culture so I knew he would be a good source to consult. I have been formulating my thoughts over the past year in an effort to make a decision about how I feel towards a government run health system. Just a few weeks ago I spoke with my friend Kirby, the purest democrat/idealist that I have ever known, and I knew that he agreed with such a concept. When I pointed out that in my opinion the overall quality of health care would decline, He jokingly replied, “at least everyone will have poor healthcare.” I don’t recall his exact words, but that was the essence of the comment. How serious he was I don’t know, but what he said caused me to reflect further on the concept.
“Sciopero!” or “Strike,” is not an uncommon headline in Italian news. In a social system of unions – far beyond, but not unlike those found in the states – this sort of gesture is almost common place. One day your bus isn’t working, in Naples you trash hasn’t been picked up in a month and the rank odor now permeates the humid air – maybe someone has even started burning it, or today (don’t know where) you won’t be going under the knife. That’s right, doctors went on strike today. 40,000 surgeries have been canceled, postponed, or otherwise indefinitely delayed. Only emergencies will be treated for the next (how long?). I wonder who the lucky government employee is that decides what is urgent??? To Kirby I say, there won’t be health care for anybody today. Before my doubts on social health care were based on qualitative discrepancies as well as quantitative imperfections with the current system. My beef today is even more fundamental and simple. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people cannot allow that the people lose their agency. The doctors on strike have lost their agency to decide how, when, or why they work. A strike is the only way that they feel they can change that. It seems then, that in the name of freedom, people’s health has been sacrificed. This is what happens when government has too much control. The current system of the United States is deeply flawed, but it still allows for a minimal amount of agency both on the part of patients and doctors. Insurance companies, malpractice lawsuits, and retail and wholesale healthcare supply companies are responsible for literally destroying this system, but at the end of the day, participants in these entities are citizens. That’s right, people destroy the agency of others by their poor choices, but the government destroys everybody’s rights. It is no longer a question of equality of health care, it is a moral principle of agency that is at risk. I can go on, but that if for another time...
...Back to the political thread, the whole idea of agency and representation comes to mind. Dennis Richardson is a politician with whom I am personally acquainted. I think that is what representation is all about. Knowing someone. Representation has two functions. First the rep. knows his or her constituency. Second, he or she works to secure the interests of the people. Of course, not everyone wants the same thing. This is good and normal. This is where trust comes into play between a constituent and the rep. The rep knows that it is impossible to please everyone. Judgment and great skill must be employed to realize the most important and far reaching issues. The less the rep has to deal with, the fewer the number of unsatisfied people. Presumably issues will be taken care of at a lower level of local government in such a way that the state rep is freed up, and voices ere heard locally which more directly involves individuals, which results in greater satisfaction.
“Sciopero!” or “Strike,” is not an uncommon headline in Italian news. In a social system of unions – far beyond, but not unlike those found in the states – this sort of gesture is almost common place. One day your bus isn’t working, in Naples you trash hasn’t been picked up in a month and the rank odor now permeates the humid air – maybe someone has even started burning it, or today (don’t know where) you won’t be going under the knife. That’s right, doctors went on strike today. 40,000 surgeries have been canceled, postponed, or otherwise indefinitely delayed. Only emergencies will be treated for the next (how long?). I wonder who the lucky government employee is that decides what is urgent??? To Kirby I say, there won’t be health care for anybody today. Before my doubts on social health care were based on qualitative discrepancies as well as quantitative imperfections with the current system. My beef today is even more fundamental and simple. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people cannot allow that the people lose their agency. The doctors on strike have lost their agency to decide how, when, or why they work. A strike is the only way that they feel they can change that. It seems then, that in the name of freedom, people’s health has been sacrificed. This is what happens when government has too much control. The current system of the United States is deeply flawed, but it still allows for a minimal amount of agency both on the part of patients and doctors. Insurance companies, malpractice lawsuits, and retail and wholesale healthcare supply companies are responsible for literally destroying this system, but at the end of the day, participants in these entities are citizens. That’s right, people destroy the agency of others by their poor choices, but the government destroys everybody’s rights. It is no longer a question of equality of health care, it is a moral principle of agency that is at risk. I can go on, but that if for another time...
...Back to the political thread, the whole idea of agency and representation comes to mind. Dennis Richardson is a politician with whom I am personally acquainted. I think that is what representation is all about. Knowing someone. Representation has two functions. First the rep. knows his or her constituency. Second, he or she works to secure the interests of the people. Of course, not everyone wants the same thing. This is good and normal. This is where trust comes into play between a constituent and the rep. The rep knows that it is impossible to please everyone. Judgment and great skill must be employed to realize the most important and far reaching issues. The less the rep has to deal with, the fewer the number of unsatisfied people. Presumably issues will be taken care of at a lower level of local government in such a way that the state rep is freed up, and voices ere heard locally which more directly involves individuals, which results in greater satisfaction.
No comments:
Post a Comment