The Common Good seems Dead!

I am sad to think about what I have been reading about the Supreme Court's wrestling with the Affordable  Health Care Act. It is sad to think that there is no consideration of the common good.

Before commenting further on this perception, I repeat prior writings about my disappointment that President Obama did not take a more active leadership role in the development of this legislation. Leaving it to Congress was a terrible mistake. Compounding that error was the fact that President Obama did not state upfront that he wanted a single payor system, e.g., extending Medicare to all, funded through taxation. I have been and remain convinced that there is no other fair and economic rational method of delivering universal health care. I was open to all sorts of methods for this to occur, e.g., public monies with private insurance carriers, e.g., Germany. In short, I did not like the legislation and only saw it as a vehicle to make a step towards a more rational system.

At the moment, though, what strikes me so strongly is the fact that our nation's historic thrust to promote individualism rather than the common good seems like an albatross that will do us in. From a personal perspective, I can understand the more selfish, individualistic views of many since I know that I am satisfied with my situation. But, I want everyone to enjoy my basic situation, knowing that they can go to bed at night knowing that they too know that their family is fed, living in an acceptable home, with children who are being educated appropriately and their health care needs met. Why should some have these rather basic needs of human beings be relegated to some because they lucked out while others are left in the dust?

The notion of the common good is so basic in my outlook on life that I am disturbed by its lack of relevance to so many. It is one of the more distasteful aspects of our nation. Granted, the pursuit of the individual has had many benefits to our nation's growth. I do not advocate losing it as much as wanting it to be balanced with the incorporation of the common good into the fabric of our nation's soul.

Of interest, it is even more puzzling to me that so many people with religious beliefs do not seem to realize the contradiction of their belief in a caring God and their personal attitudes to those who are left outside the pool of benefits enjoyed by the rest of us.

I do not have any idea about the future. I know that I will most likely not live long enough to see the terrible consequences of this myopic view of life. In a way, it makes it easier to tolerate the situation since I will not most like experience the consequences of such short-sightedness.