... Before a Fall

The US House of Representatives voted on a version of health care “reform” over the weekend. Actually, it would probably be more accurate to call the legislation health insurance overhaul. However, since various forms of health insurance pay for the overwhelming majority of medical care in this country, it is clear that if the legislation also gets out of the Senate, a gigantic restructuring of the health care sector of the economy is envisioned.

Health care is one of the largest sectors of the economy. Currently, about one out of every seven dollars spent in America is spent of health care. The House just passed a vision of how to reengineer 17% of the economy.

The final vote tally: 220 for to 215 against.

Now, call me crazy (you wouldn’t be the first one), but I think the scale of the legislation is wildly out of proportion to the margin in favor. As a conservative, my natural inclination is to make small, evolutionary changes to society’s existing structures, instead of big sweeping alterations. But even liberals who think they are smart enough to restructure one seventh of the economy in one fell swoop should at least wait until they had some kind of consensus, shouldn’t they?

220 for to 215 against doesn’t exactly shout out “consensus,” does it?

If the House wanted to change the speed limit on the Interstates, 220 to 215 is an acceptable margin of victory. Add a few square miles of Federal land to a national park? Hey, 220 to 215 means the will of the people is clear.

But to radically restructure the health insurance industry and create a massive new entitlement? It is an act of the highest degree of hubris to assume that because you have 50.6% of the votes, you should pass legislation of this scale, just because you can.

The ancient Greeks had a saying: Who the Gods would humble, they first make proud.