Life, liberty, greed?

Leonard Pitts’ excellent June 28 column, “Sorry your son’s real sick but … tough,” on the selfishness of Republican healthcare plans, makes me wonder where that attitude came from. Just when did the party adopt the “greed is good” mantra?

Capitalism always has been Darwinian — survival of the fittest — but that is in business; it doesn’t cost you your life.

We are a society, a people who band together to assure mutual survival. But in spite of all the social networks that might encourage connections, we’ve become tribal, perhaps enabled by the networks that unite people of similar small minds into special interest groups.

What is more likely to be the death of any one of us — severe illness or an invasion by Syria? Yet we put tons of money into the military and drain it from healthcare. Why? Because the wealthy who influence the members of Congress can afford to take care of their own healthcare but cannot afford personal armies.

Republicans complain that the government takes more in taxes from the wealthy. It should because our government provides them the structure to create that wealth. It is appropriate that they give back in proportion to what they get from the use of our system. Think of it as use taxes.

Can all moderates please step forward and say “Enough!” We will help each citizen achieve to the level of their capacity. We will tax at a level that lets you feed, clothe, and house yourself and still reward you for hard work, if you overachieve. Can we get out of this partisan rut?

This story was originally published July 1, 2017 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Life, liberty, greed?."