All In The Same Boat

by digby

I remember reading somewhere that one of the reasons there are more benefits and privileges for working people in Europe than you do here is because their parliamentary systems encourage more working and middle class people to actually participate in electoral politics. (Shorter, cheaper elections etc.) Less representation from the upper classes means more representation for everyone else.

I’m sure you all have noticed that it’s only when Republicans and their families are afflicted by a problem that they will agitate for government funding for research and the like. If that’s so then, as Joe Klein notes, this is a very smart move:

My favorite provision requires that all members of Congress give up their federally-funded health care benefits and join the health care exchanges that will be set up by this bill. This is brilliant politics, addressing the tide of populist anger and fears of incipient socialism. But it also makes an important substantive point. The future of health care reform in this country will depend on how effectively the exchanges–health insurance super-stores–are working. If members of Congress have to participate in this system, you can bet they’ll insist on a array of choices, similar to the system they currently use, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan.

If they are personally affected, then they will likely ensure that the exchanges are adequate. It’s not exactly how we all assumed that representative government worked, but in our culture of greed and self-dealing, this may be about the best we can do.

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