Health Care Urgency; An Iraqi Perspective
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:48 am By Lee EgerstromSome critics of health care reform keep stating that there isn’t an urgency for Congress to pass legislation this year. Perhaps there is; and the critics know it.
In January 1974, a photo journalist on assignment for a major magazine and I were walking around Baghdad during a national holiday weekend. We came across a park in the center of the city where military units were marching past Iraq’s monument to unknown soldiers. An intelligence officer spotted us and assumed someone important had signed off on our being there because American visitors were rare in those days when the U.S. and Iraq did not have diplomatic relations.
The officer explained why Iraqi intelligence thought America was a dysfunctional leader. Shortcomings in our democratic practices allow the U.S. to be meaningful world leader only once every four years, and more often only once everey eight years, he said.
That year for leadership and change comes in the first year of a presidency, he said. Congress has elections the second year, and members of Congress lose their courage to do anything bold and meaningful when they are raising money for their campaigns. Then comes the third year, and the president is raising funds and courting special interests. The fourth year is a campaign and election; nothing gets done.
The Iraqi intelligence officer said reelection doesn’t help the president exert leadership, either. He immediately becomes a lame duck and Congress ignores the White House.
This was a rather cynical view of the working of democracy in America. Unfortunately, it was a view widely shared around the world. It may well be the basis for some assumptions here at home.
If opponents of health care reform, or defenders of the health care status quo, can prevent action by Congress this year, they may be able to prevent change until after the next Iowa precinct cuacuses and national election.
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