Enjoy it America. This is what you get instead of universal health care.
Really? We don’t get universal health care because we build amphibious assault ships? I don’t think that’s fair. Not at all.
It’s entirely fair. And it’s not just about money. It’s also about political will. Health care would be nifty, but warships are required! Health care must be deficit neutral but killing machines can cost whatever is “necessary”. Catching up to the rest of the world’s health care is “risky” but fighting hypocritical never-ending, unwinnable wars that foster anti-American sentiment is never even questioned.
We don’t get universal health care because we’ve been convinced that perpetual war is “American” and taking care of each other is “communist.” Our priorities are seriously screwed up. And that’s why we get warships (and prisons and banker bailouts) instead of health care.
In addendum to this, I personally find the concept of making a warship out of the WTC both morbid and disturbing. Not to be totally hippie-dippy or anything.
Why settle for a metaphor for the endless cycle of violence, when you can have a literal representation?
I would argue it is a completely unfair comparison. Like comparing secondary education to the interstate highway system.
The lack of universal healthcare (and especially the conservative fight against it) reflects a misguided cultural belief that government encroachment in our personal affairs is evil and wasteful.
The necessity of a strong Navy was seen by the founding fathers as well as by the most successful presidents we have elected. Naval power was instrumental during the years of the presidencies of Adams and Jefferson, instrumental in the Civil War, and mandatory in WWII as well. The only conflict we fought as a nation, without a strong navy was the War of 1812, and that went over wonderfully.
Think what you will about our lack of universal healthcare, and it is terribly fucked up that we can’t get it yet, but this ship and our naval power have absolutely nothing to do with why we can’t get it.
As far as those hypocritical wars go: Yes, it has been well established that the last administration completely screwed up our country’s prestige and reputation. There will always be conflict whether we like it or not, and in this world a strong military is as necessary as the wisdom and judgment that it takes to know when to use it. To deny that is pollyanna and naive.
Think what you will about recycling the steel. You’d probably find it more inappropriate to know that parts of the ship’s chapel are made from reclaimed WTC steel as well.
