| And what of the First Amendment? Frankly, an awful lot of speech is legal. Our own law bars the government from acting against it. And that is a great thing! Originally, the idea was we make a free nation, and the power of that speech, as well as the strength of our people, ideas, and overall justice in our society was going to change the world for the better. The founders were radicals, and they were smart. Let the other nations speak. It's not like we don't have a major league impact on so many of them today anyway. And maybe we, here in the insular USA, could listen a little. Anyone who has traveled outside the USA, makes the same discoveries: Many developed nations understand our politics, the world in general, and their own national politics better than many Americans do their own. In some ways, I don't feel good about saying this either: We deserve a little of what we've got. As a people, we aren't really doing the work to make this thing run well. And health care? We don't have it right, AT ALL. The world knows it. The poor state of our body politic speaks right to that struggle. It's embarrassing. |