Republicans and others who are in anguish over the possibility of socialized medicine ought to have to explain their ideology to a mother with a sick newborn. They ought to have to explain how this nation can debate health care and not mention how abysmal ours is.
Interpretation
The quote critiques those who oppose socialized medicine, urging them to consider the real-life consequences of their ideology.
Richard Cohen highlights the moral obligation to recognize the struggles of individuals, particularly vulnerable populations like mothers with sick newborns, when debating health care policies. He emphasizes the inconsistency and moral failure in discussing health care without confronting the dire realities faced by many, suggesting that ideology must be tempered with empathy for those in need.
In practice
During a political debate, one could use this quote to illustrate the human impact of health care policies.
It takes a willful disregard of history to appreciate how white Southerners could look at the Confederate battle flag and see states' rights or a way of life or a tradition - and not one human being whipping another, which was a common occurrence.
A politician normally prospers under democracy in proportion ... as he excels in the invention of imaginary perils and imaginary defenses against them.
On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it does.
Collective European Union action could mean no hiding places for evaders, no safe haven for tax avoiders, and no treasure islands for money launderers.
What political leaders decide, intelligence services tend to seek to justify.
George Bush ran a campaign where he bragged about being an anti-intellectual, dismissing his Harvard and Yale pedigree, pretending he was an American every day, ordinary everyman, and as a result of that, played up his fumbling speech because it signified that he was a good guy. That is deeply and profoundly anti-intellectual.
The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and all to lose - especially their lives.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.