My Big Brother, Uncle Sam Part I

There are two political issues I want to learn a lot more about: government healthcare and corporate bailouts.

Like most people, I have my own feelings on the subjects, but I don't know a lot about either one.

For example, I am in favor of some type of government-run healthcare for the poor, children, elderly, and the uninsurable. I want to see a plan that reduces costs for everyone because if you have been to the hospital in the last ten years you know just how rediculously expensive it can be.

In a country run by "we the people," it seems like we ought to be able to work together on this to create a system that works for "we." I worry that partisan bickering in Washington will keep any meaningful change from happening.

It is my hope that our country's millions of compassionate Christians don't work so hard to defeat the plans floating around in the Senate and House without addressing the very real need of the working poor and uninsured.

I've heard that the two best ways to reduce costs is to increase competition among careproviders and put a cap limits on medical lawsuits, otherwise known as tort reform. This makes sense to me. But, I need to learn more.

As for corporate bailouts, I don't like them. I recently read Matthew Taibbi's "The Great American Bubble Machine," and I am hungry to learn more background. If you have an extra hour, you should read it for yourself; it's very well-written, and seems to have an appropriate level of moral outrage. If you have another extra hour, you should read the Columbia Journalism Review's "Don't Dismiss Taibbi." I've read both, and if you read them too, you'll understand why I am interested.

As I learn more, I'll try to post links here, so "we" can learn together. If you find things on your own, please feel free to send me links and I'll try to share them here. It will be just like school, only we'll care.

Keep an eye out for Part II.