American View

While it is always fashionable to be anti-American, I actually admire American culture. To be specific, the culture or freedom, liberty and rugged individualism. America was born at a time when people were telling kings and tyrants to fuck off. It shouldn't be a surprise then to see Americans enjoying capitalism and democracy.

Speaking of capitalism, President Obama promised to reform the American health care system. He proposed a government health care plan to be available in the market. In addition, he promised that Americans who were satisfied with their health care plan could keep it.

Unfortunately...


Say what you want about it being a Republican video but it shows the concerns of Americans that the government option and the whole health care reform shebang is a Trojan horse for single-payer, government run health care. Americans don't like big government taking over their health care. Why? Because Americans traditionally believe in the free market and want less government. The specter of big government and the whisper of "socialism" drives the Americans crazy.

This got me thinking, in the Philippines, how do we view our government? Do we want less of it or more of it? On one hand, people feel that the government should take care of the poor, provide housing, give food, aid, etc. On the other hand, government is a lying, thieving son of a bitch. Believe it or not, there are communist assholes still holed up in the jungle, in the senate and in colleges. Personally, I hate anything to do with socialism and communism. The government is corrupt and inefficient. Is it sane to leave the economy, the means of production to a bunch of politicians? No. Government infects all it touches with patronage politics and corruption. The less of it in our lives, the better. We have problems but government should fix itself before it tries to fix anything else.

This health care issue in the United States has piqued my interest. I am a Political Science student after all. Will Americans allow government to interfere in the market? Will they stick to free market or allow government to squeeze in? What will be the consequences? Is it really socialism is disguise? Are Americans capable of waiting in lines? Is Obama just another liar politician? I want to see this.