In Which I Go Off...

WARNING: I'm about to go off. Yes. I am about to use this blog as a soapbox.

I just read an article on the New York Times website about the health reform bill that passed last night and the immediate and pretty fucking uncool G.O.P. response.

Everyone who knows me knows that I am about as liberal as they get. I make no apologies for that, and I don't deny it - in any way. You know that political compass test floating around on the internet? My dot lies in almost the bottom left corner. I think we need to redirect most of our military spending to schools. The government needs a stronger hand in banks. Gun control should be infinitely tightened. California needs to dump Schwarzenegger right fucking quick. Legalizing prostitution wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Every woman has rights to an abortion. No money to religious organizations. Fair trade. Etc. NO APOLOGIES.

One of the greatest things about living in France (for me) has been knowing that all of my kooky Socialist ideology isn't perceived as so kooky everywhere. People here are in unions. 1/3 of my pay check goes to French universal healthcare. People protest. They also have their grades read aloud to them. Public transportation is excellent (theoretically), and May 1st is one of the few days of the year when absolutely everything is closed. Condom vending machines are outside of almost every pharmacy. France is at least a bit socialist.

Living here has been a great way for me to examine the U.S. from afar and see more clearly what I appreciate about it and what I intensely dislike. Much to my surprise, the former list has grown much greater than the latter. I no longer say "yes" when people ask me if I'm English; being here helps me realize that I am proud to be an American. Even with our corporate infrastructures, our obesity statistics, and our race issues.

So when I read this, my blood boiled.

Republicans in power: why you gotta be so fucking stupid? Seriously. I talked with my brother over winter break about why anyone would possibly argue this OBVIOUS step forward for our country. That was months ago. I had the same conversation with my students last week when I explained to them that we don't have universal health care. They were shocked, and found it incomprehensible. I am still myself trying to understand why anyone would oppose this.

Here's what I comprehend: Republicans don't want to see part of their paycheck going to the crackhead living under the park bench. When he ODs on crushed up Tylenol and linseed oil, Mr. Republican doesn't want to take any part in footing the bill. I get that. I don't really either. I also understand that Mrs. Republican who has a touch of compassionate Christian in her doesn't want to kill any babies in utero. To her, I say: don't get an abortion. This reform is going to cost everyone a lot of money. Especially the uber-rich. Especially your employer. It's going to put the country in even more deficit. $$$. I'm sure there are other major Conservative concerns to which I am not privy. If you know them, readers, feel free to add them. I'm honestly interested.

But are the above concerns really greater than the idea of allowing everyone access to health care? That's not even where we'll be once this all takes effect. Is the idea of something slightly socialized so repugnant, that even in principle, you just can't handle it? Do you really think your outrage justifies wasting your constituents' tax dollars on fighting something that our liberal government has already PASSED?

Take this: "Following a weekend when protesters outside the Capitol subjected some Democratic lawmakers to racial slurs and epithets, Representative Randy Neugebauer, a conservative Republican from Texas, said on Monday that he was the lawmaker who shouted “baby killer” on the House floor Sunday night. The shout was heard while Representative Bart Stupak, a Michigan Democrat, was discussing abortion-related provisions in the health care bill, and it was widely taken to have been directed at him."

That's embarrassing, Randy Neugebauer. Really. It's a fucking embarrassment.
To you and your moronic cohorts: Shut the fuck up. You make being an American abroad harder than it already is.