I watched the vote in the House of Representatives yesterday and was struck how was a real lesson in civility. For an issue that is undoubtedly going to "not only changes the relationship of the citizen to the state but the very character of the people" according to one famous Chicken Little {h/t Castle Flea] the opposition sure did participate as it if were part of a political event and not the slipping of society into a huge fiery cauldron of wickedness and... other bad bad things. No, the Republicans were clear and forceful to the end but they were also playing cards within the game. No chairs were thrown. No fists flew. Members were "gentlemen" and even apparently "young ladies" to each other. The legislative branch performed as it should.

This morning's webby commentators share no such civility. Silly moos being silly moos, they do not understand that Americans will no more change from the path laid out by the Founding Fathers due to having affordable health care any more than they did not change when the nation gave up on the Founding Father's personal reliance on the enslavement of others for an industrial work force and the servers of cooling drinks on their verandas. On the other hand, there will be costs. For Canada, there may be long term consequences due to auto production savings related to health care will soon no longer be unavailable in America. Who needs the auto pact when Missouri is as cheap as Oshawa? In the US, there will be costs, too. Public taxation and private fees will be shifted around. More services will cost more and at the end of the day, as already exists in Canada, there will likely soon have to be a low limit placed on medical malpractice suit awards. Employees will now shift as well given that the link between employment and family health care is being loosened. People will be freer in that sense, better able to act in the marketplace. I never understood the logic of health care insurance being tied to employment. Why not tie home owner's insurance or auto coverage to having a job, too? Silence from the internet wizards.

So, something changed and many more will change. Is it like the societal decision to accept human rights or like the decision to run two wars for a decade without funding them? I dunno. I am off tomorrow to American apparently to again answer phones at NCPR but really it's to nose around and see if the cheese is still that good. Bet it is.