With so many others bending our ears about the President’s health care bill and the potentials of all the good and bad that it could cause, I want to look at a different perspective. What does this all mean for the future of voters and the Democratic Party?
Many compare this new healthcare legislation to the signing of Civil Rights legislation. Though I am not old enough to tell you what America was like during that time in history, I do have some perspective in my current role with the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission. I can also tell you from personal experience that many black Americans believe that being black in America is synonymous with being a Democrat simply based on Civil Rights legislation posed by the Democratic Party. Does loyalty always prevail?
Let me get to the point. If this assumption is true and we do indeed feel loyal to those we believe have “saved” us, then roughly 32 million uninsured Americans just became Democrats (if they weren’t already), including their families and friends. I will not render judgment on whether this is good or bad; time will tell us soon enough. Are we witnessing some kind of political football? Let us hope not! Republicans will get their chance to create a monumental shift in perception, but for now, it belongs to the Democrats.
Why do I say the Democrats just gained 32 million loyalists? Well, when you give water to one dying of thirst, a feeling of indebtedness is created. This might certainly be the case after this landmark legislation. Those who felt it was critical for health insurance to be provided to all citizens have gotten their wish. The sons and daughters of those newly insured will certainly credit the current Administration for granting them something their parents could not have even imagined.
32 million uninsured will no longer be the case, and now America can boast that all of its citizens will have government or private health insurance. This law will certainly go down in history for a variety of reasons, some yet unknown. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
GOING GLOBAL
At the close of this monumental decade; the first decade of the “new” millennium, many will compose various topical lists. The top 10 events of the decade, top 10 most influential people, top 10 songs, and the top 10 power couples; just to name a few. Many of these lists will be intriguing, but their significance will be soon forgotten as the decade blends into the next and old trends become new, then old again. Though I am not the usual suspect one might consider contributing to these lists, I will offer my perspective on the “word of the decade” in a series of discussions.
“Global” became the word that most symbolizes this decade. It might also become the adjective that most shapes the world for decades to come. It crept into the English lexicon sometime during the last twenty years, and now will forever shape the world in which we live.
The decade started with the Y2K scare for computing systems across the globe. Then, there was September 11th and the global war on terror; next the convergence of the world markets, which has led to a global economic crisis; and finally, we finish the decade focused on global climate change.
So, what does all this mean? You don’t have to be a genius to conclude that it means there must be a global approach to dealing with these issues. We must have global leaders coming to global consensus, with global governance to hold each one accountable. Will these leaders be elected, and if so, will they be responsible to their national electorate or global patrons? The biggest question of all: Will these individuals have the authority to police and enforce global law? I ask these questions to put in context the magnitude of this global focus and most importantly, what we should pay close attention to as we approach a new decade of implementation.
If you will challenge yourself to read local, national and international news articles during the coming year, paying close attention to the call for “global cooperation” in the areas of finance, politics, and the growing climate change issue, you might be surprised at how systematically these have begun to govern our lives.
It is inevitable that the next decade will sort out the “global” power structure among nations, but who and what nation(s) will provide leadership and what will this mean for us “in our community” is still unclear.
Technology, environment, politics, finance, government; let’s examine each a little closer from a global perspective. Stay tuned because the coming years will be historic!
“Global” became the word that most symbolizes this decade. It might also become the adjective that most shapes the world for decades to come. It crept into the English lexicon sometime during the last twenty years, and now will forever shape the world in which we live.
The decade started with the Y2K scare for computing systems across the globe. Then, there was September 11th and the global war on terror; next the convergence of the world markets, which has led to a global economic crisis; and finally, we finish the decade focused on global climate change.
So, what does all this mean? You don’t have to be a genius to conclude that it means there must be a global approach to dealing with these issues. We must have global leaders coming to global consensus, with global governance to hold each one accountable. Will these leaders be elected, and if so, will they be responsible to their national electorate or global patrons? The biggest question of all: Will these individuals have the authority to police and enforce global law? I ask these questions to put in context the magnitude of this global focus and most importantly, what we should pay close attention to as we approach a new decade of implementation.
If you will challenge yourself to read local, national and international news articles during the coming year, paying close attention to the call for “global cooperation” in the areas of finance, politics, and the growing climate change issue, you might be surprised at how systematically these have begun to govern our lives.
It is inevitable that the next decade will sort out the “global” power structure among nations, but who and what nation(s) will provide leadership and what will this mean for us “in our community” is still unclear.
Technology, environment, politics, finance, government; let’s examine each a little closer from a global perspective. Stay tuned because the coming years will be historic!
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