I've often wondered whether personal responsibility is a slogan we throw around or something we as a society really believe in. The politics of personal responsibility are usually centered around the belief that someone is getting something for nothing -- for example, welfare programs. But I think personal responsibility means more than that -- it means taking responsibility to participate in the process of solving problems. M. (my wife) said it this morning, reacting to an email she got from a "Christian" organization advocating against Pres. Obama's health care plan. She said, more or less, if you're going to oppose something, at least offer another proposal that will address the problem.
Once we acknowledge there's a problem with health care in this country, then it becomes possible to start thinking of solutions. Other people may think the status quo is better than any "government-run" solution, but the status quo simply doesn't work for Americans, whether you have health insurance or not -- we have the most expensive system in the world, and we don't get measurably better results for everything that we pay for. We have more unnecessary tests done than any other country, and we have more overhead costs for doctors than most countries. Surely there are improvements that can be made on that front.
Here are some health news sites, editorials, and articles, to follow as the health care debate heats up:
Kaiser Health News
New York Times Health page
Robert Reich's op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal piece on health insurance companies underpaying for services
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