The U.S. is a nation of contradictions.
Americans are roughly split on the issue. About 50% of us do not what the government to run much of anything as "the government is bound to fuck it up." Curiously, we "bound to fuck it up" sorts point to the military as being the "best in the world," and not at all socialistic. While we complain of high taxes, we don't seem to care that the government spends more on the military than all other nations combined. Spending tax dollars on health care, however, is objectionable to us and smacks of dreaded socialism.
The other 50% of us would like to see some sort of government run health plan and we tend to think of government stuff as free, because this is about the fraction of we Americans that pay little or no income tax.
Only a relatively small fraction, and getting smaller, of the US population is well educated and reads widely on the issues. Many of us spend our leisure time watching reality shows on TV, or similar. When we come to the congressional or educational channels we quickly flip past to get to cage wrestling, NASCAR, the latest child rape case, or perhaps a nice video game involving dragons and such. Increasingly, we spend our time on You Tube, Face Book, or Twittering.
We Americans live in a culture where only about half the population votes and is politically active to any significant extent. We are driven by advertising and media hype bought and paid for by, shall we say, not disinterested parties, but that doesn't bother us because we like to shop at the mall. It probably won't come as a surprise to you, therefore, that opinions of those with the most money usually, but not always, win out. Sometimes these opinions don't make much sense to those of us who approach issues from the viewpoint of how society can be best served, but they are genius to those who consider mainly how much money could be made.
Up here, on our lofty perch near the top of the globe where we can keep our eye on the questionable activities of nations beneath us -- socialist nations, such as Australia for example-- we look askance at nations that fail to recognize that a superior society requires money, power, and good looks. We Americans understand this, and we have wisely created our own version of a "Royal" family, or families as the case may be, out of those with money, power, and dashing good looks. As with any true Royal, a brain is optional. These modern day Royals have more than substituted for the ones we threw out in 18th Century.
We will ask the "Royals" how to fix health care. If they are hopelessly divided, then surely we will have the good sense to take the issue to Oprah for final resolution.
