In the Spring of 2019, President Trump promised that a Republican alternative to "Obamacare" would soon be unveiled; the majority leader of the U.S. Senate, Mitch McConnell, quickly informed the president that the prospects of such legislation passing the Democratic-controlled U.S. House were zilch. This virtually guaranteed that health care would be play a salient role in the upcoming 2020 presidential race. The underlying question, I submit, has been whether health care ought to be a right, which the government would be obligated to ensure. Such a right would obviously not be one of those that hold government back (e.g., the right to liberty). Whether a right ensured by government or holding government back, the nature of a right is such that it is to be respected by others, whether individuals, organizations, or the state. Such respect, being an obligation, constrains those others. Hence, health care as a right has been controversial in the U.S.
The Senior US Senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin, said the following just before one of the votes in December, 2009 on the Affordable Care Act, the health-care insurance reform legislation initiated by President Obama: “Thirty million Americans who currently don’t have health insurance have the peace of mind of knowing that they have health insurance,” Mr. Durbin said. He added, “This is a real debate over whether or not health care is going to be a right or a privilege in America.”[1] By using the word, privilege, Sen. Durbin was implying that having access to health care on the sole basis of whether a person has money is unfair.
If being wealthy is a good indication of being worthy of survival, then it may be assumed that health care for all, whether through private, non-profit, or government insurance, would undermine survival of the fittest. This in turn takes fit to mean strong or good. Were the humans in the financial sector before the financial crisis of 2008 strong or good? Does not fraud point to an underlying weakness? When Dick Fuld was CEO of Lehman Brothers before it collapsed, was he a strong leader or a pitiful man whose ambition got the best of him?
In "survival of the fittest," fit has to do with fitting in with a changed environment. Such fitness, or fit, is on nature's terms rather than necessarily according to our notions of strong and good. For instance, a young drug dealer in a large city may have twelve "baby mamas." This means that the man had impregnated twelve women, who had been attracted to him on some basis that they valued. The sheer number of offspring suggests that the man was successful in reproducing himself; he thus fit well in his environment on this nauralistic basis. If survival of the fittest lies the availability of health care, should that man be covered while a poor religious man who has contributed to society without earning much money or having children should not?
See also "Congressional Cuts to Foodstamps: Violating a Human Right?"
The Senior US Senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin, said the following just before one of the votes in December, 2009 on the Affordable Care Act, the health-care insurance reform legislation initiated by President Obama: “Thirty million Americans who currently don’t have health insurance have the peace of mind of knowing that they have health insurance,” Mr. Durbin said. He added, “This is a real debate over whether or not health care is going to be a right or a privilege in America.”[1] By using the word, privilege, Sen. Durbin was implying that having access to health care on the sole basis of whether a person has money is unfair.
If being wealthy is a good indication of being worthy of survival, then it may be assumed that health care for all, whether through private, non-profit, or government insurance, would undermine survival of the fittest. This in turn takes fit to mean strong or good. Were the humans in the financial sector before the financial crisis of 2008 strong or good? Does not fraud point to an underlying weakness? When Dick Fuld was CEO of Lehman Brothers before it collapsed, was he a strong leader or a pitiful man whose ambition got the best of him?
In "survival of the fittest," fit has to do with fitting in with a changed environment. Such fitness, or fit, is on nature's terms rather than necessarily according to our notions of strong and good. For instance, a young drug dealer in a large city may have twelve "baby mamas." This means that the man had impregnated twelve women, who had been attracted to him on some basis that they valued. The sheer number of offspring suggests that the man was successful in reproducing himself; he thus fit well in his environment on this nauralistic basis. If survival of the fittest lies the availability of health care, should that man be covered while a poor religious man who has contributed to society without earning much money or having children should not?
See also "Congressional Cuts to Foodstamps: Violating a Human Right?"
1. David Herszenhorn and Robert Pear, "Parties Stay United as Health Bill Clears Steps in Senate," The New York Times, December 22, 2009.
