Economic and Health Reform: America’s Strength and Weakness

America’s Strength: A Sprawling, Brawling People

Title of Editorial, Detroit News, September 11

September 12, 2011 - Pardon this verse.

Adam Smith said people acting in their own self-interest could best lift the economic boat.

Alexander Hamilton asserted only federal elites know what makes the economic boat float.

Thomas Jefferson countered only common people understand the common interests.

Writers of the Constitution understood both sides wear different economic Mae West vests.

James Madison wrote in 1787: “As long as the reason of man remains fallible, different opinions will be formed.”

By design we’re a nation formed by arguments, proposals, and counter proposals, some informed, some Ill-formed.

Lively disagreement is our strength, as well as our weakness.

The pursuit of freedom shapes and defines our uniqueness.

Let us debate loudly the merits of health reform,

And how to best the health system transform.

Without deriding or denigrating the other side.

Or treating our own solutions as cut and dried.

Let us disagree about the unforeseeable.

without being disrespectfully disagreeable.

Tweet: As we vigorously debate solutions for the abysmal economy and the dismal state of health reform, let us disagree without being disagreeable.