Monday, January 25, 2010
Using kairos to respond to Paul Krugman
Respond to Krugman’s article and foreground kairos in your response. That is, draft a letter to the editor of the New York Times that makes your own argument about this issue, but draws specifically on or acknowledges the rhetorical situation as a way to strengthen your own point. Post your response here as a comment before you leave class today.
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"Do the Right Thing" but excuse me, Paul Krugman, do you know the right thing? Despite the argument that action is necessary, I am not sold on the Senate bills excellence in resolving our health care issues. A bill should be passed but in a time of economic unrest and uncertainty, can we really be sure that putting new laws into affect will help the system? Maybe we should take heed of the president's passivity and continue to research the issue and develop even better means of solving the health care crisis before we launch ourselves into unknown territory by "doing the right thing".
ReplyDeleteThis letter is addressed not only to Paul Krugman, who authored "Do the Right Thing", but also to members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat. The point of healthcare reform is not the vote itself, or the final legislative product with the president's valued signature, but is the substance of the bill itself. Why must we rush this legislation? Recall Social Security, another rushed piece of legislation accrued from a candidate's platform. Where is it now? The program has been borrowed against to support the federal budget ever since its inception, and it is only a matter of time before it goes under. We have waited more than 16 years since the last discussion on healthcare, why can we not wait up to another year to ensure that this legislation is sustainable? Democrats must stop rushing and Republicans must stop stalling. If the original intent of the program was political leverage and national spotlight for the bill's greatest proponents, then go ahead, pass it as is. But if the intent is to bring healthcare to all who need it, and to establish a plan that works and a plan that sustains, then do the due diligence and pass a bill that works.
ReplyDeleteTo the editor,
ReplyDeleteI thought that Krugman's article was a compelling attempt to persuade the Democrats in office to vote for the health reform bill. He uses kairos to show that this is the time to put it into action. He specifies that here and now is the opportune moment to vote to change and even though our president was not able to do this we should rise above it. Krugman was able to exemplify his knowledge of the bill by providing different solutions to the health care issue and then show that this would not work. He applies to the principle that people will want to put something into effect rather than have nothing, or worse fall into a “death spiral”. In addressing the politicians, Krugman says that they have a bigger duty than to try to get re-elected. Although I understand that Krugman is addressing the Democrats and their need to be called into action, I think that he could have been more sensitive to Republicans and the idea that we can ban together as a country to fix the problem as opposed to trying to thwart one another. Overall the urgency that the audience feels after this article helps make his point, but I think it is important to call out to the country to work together.
I feel that Krugman's assessment of the dilemma of the Democrats in the House is fairly accurate. Even though they may have lost a majority in the Senate a partial victory is better than no victory at all. History tells us that the chances of a few, if any Republicans breaking ranks in order to vote in favor of any similar bill are slim to none, no matter how they broke it up or divided it.
ReplyDeleteThere is also no chance of hoping to recover any kind of positive image before the midterm elections. The Republicans will very likely gain a majority in both the House and at least close ground in the Senate barring a miracle. This is essentially a suicide mission for Democrats in Congress, especially in the House. However, Krugman's point that the House should seize the opportunity to pass the Health Care Bill should not be lost on them, most importantly because they will take all the blame if they don't pass it and Health Care gets worse. It's a classic damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario, and in this case it is better for the House to be damned for achieving something.
A letter to the Editor,
ReplyDeleteThe letter written to the House Democrats is insightful, but I do believe the Republicans need to be addressed. With the current G.O.P. win in Massachusetts, the Democrats no longer have the two-thirds majority vote they need to pass this bill (assuming all Democrats will vote for it). The main reason that the Republicans are against this bill is for the reason that they do not want to see the Democrats succeed. This loyalty seems to be put before the loyalty of those they are representing: The American people. If President Obama can take a more involved role in working across party lines, which he is not doing currently, this bill will have a much higher chance of passing. He needs to remind the G.O.P. off their grass-roots; representing the American people.
Editor,
ReplyDeletere: "Do the Right Thing" Paul Krugman 1/22/10
Krugman's op-ed piece should not have been a letter specifically to democrats rather a letter to our government as a whole. Krugman highlights a few key points here:
First (most important): No one is doing anything. Krugman suggests that the G.O.P. won't budge on health reform purely because it's the democrats who are attempting to fix healthcare. Why does our government act like a bunch of four year olds arguing over who gets what toy? I don't get it. We elect people to represent us and our beliefs so that we, the people, have a voice in our government.
Second, Krugman says that the health reform bill is like a "three-legged stool" that will fail if only the popular parts are passed into law. This is obvious. Nothing will work unless every piece is there. The basic idea here to the government is NO SHORT CUTS. Taking a short cut in politics is like repairing only a 3rd of the potholes on the highway. The problem still exists, but it's only been dealt with partially.
Third, I quote. "Members of Congress, who were sent to Washington to serve the public, don't have the right to hide behind the president's passivity." This is the last thing the American people want to hear. No one wants to know that their representative is pretending to be active in the government politics.
-P. Dujardin
Krugman's argument concerning congress's action, and lack there of, concerning the health care bill are very accurate in informing congress of what they must do. The people may have powerful opinions, but it is the responsibility of their representatives to make the change; more specifically the democrats working to enact the bill. Democrats cannot change their bill and goals of the bill just to please the republicans. republicans will never want to help the democrats. Democrats might as well keep the bill the same. to change it would change the purpose of the bill altogether.
ReplyDeleteTo the editor:
ReplyDeletePaul Krugman has highlighted America’s procrastinated needs for a health care reform bill. For too long this issue has been pushed to the side with other more ‘urgent’ issues. But what’s more important and pressing than providing a six year old girl who needs the her medical claims to go through so she could receive the chemo treatment, waiting for the funding that has been denied to her because of some preexisting conditions, or an outrages premium that her family can’t afford. Everyday stories like this, is happening all over the country. It may not affect as many people (or even as drastically) as compared to the war on terrorism that needs immediate attention. But millions of people are relying on health care to nurse their loved one to health, and hopefully see their seventh birthday. Often the first step of reforming is the hardest, so we just need to do something and get the ball moving.
So Mr. Krugman you insist that the passing of this healthcare reform in this moment is the right thing to do, but how can you be so sure that this is not the best moment. If even some people in your own party dont agree with your idea, perhaps it could be best if you were to wait a little while to make such a drastic change to a major US policy. In a different part of history it there could be a better idea for this healthcare reform. Maybe one that isnt haveing so many problems with being passed. Did you ever consider that?
ReplyDeleteAs I am a foreigner from china, I feel that this issue talked by Paul Krugman is unfathomable. In the article, there are some hard-understanding reason which he used to show why it’s legislation cannot be passed. He had citizens failing to turn up to vote for the party which wants to increase and improve insurance coverage to millions of casual people. He talked so much about the unaffordable mortgages, unemployment.
ReplyDeleteDear Editor,
ReplyDeleteI read the article “Do the Right Thing” and I found myself agreeing mostly with what Paul Krugman said. The Senate Health Care Bill needs to be passed. Money should not be the issue but the true issue should be the care of every person in the United States. The Democratic Party should take the stance of passing this bill because it is best for our nation and the people that live in it. Even considering on a certain vote depending on whether it will get you reelected or not is simply unethical and is not what the members of Congress were assigned to do. It is their job to take a stance, the right stance, even if the President is not, because they have the power and the obligation to do so. People need healthcare. It is as simple as that and this reform bill will help achieve the goal of taking care of the American people. So, to the House of Democrats, listen to your people and get it done.
The article from Krugman was an interesting way to explain his thoughts to the Democratic party by saying that they need to do something because they are not making a difference but hiding behind the President . I feel that this article does express his thoughts about health care but I believe that they need to improve it than release a bill that affects people in the wrong way. Isn’t being part of the senate and the house suppose to represent that they are trying to help the American people? If so, I think Krugman should let them do the job. And the House do something that will help us because Health care is a big issues and without it, people who really need it will suffer.
ReplyDeleteWe cannot, either as Democrates or Republicans "give up the whole thing" when fighting for health care reform. I agree with Paul Krugman when he states this. He asks us to "bear in mind that the horrors of health insurance- outrageous premiums, coverage denied to those who need it most and dropped when you actually get sick-will only get worse if reform fails." Becuase the democrates no longer have the vote that they need to pass this bill, we must realize that as a nation we need to unite on this issue, or health reform will not pass. So what do we do? Krugman speaks that we cannot do health care on a "smaller scale" and have it be affective, but if we don't then the Republican's may never go for it. I think we need to strike now on this issue, while the iron is hot and before motivation is lost from both sides. Politicians need to stop making excuses, stop worrying solely about the votes of the rich and look at how health care will achieve more good for all then winning another election for a few.
ReplyDeleteMr Krugman,
ReplyDeleteThe issue of passing the health care bill and acting now seems to be of high importance. You argue that this is what we need to do now and we need to take action with this. However, you speak from the typical view of liberals who think they know what is best for everyone and that big government is the solution to all the problems. If the liberal Democrates don't do this now, they will have lost the opportunity to reshape American health care. Unfortunately, the wrong assumption is that America needs to reform health care in such a radical way. Because the majority of Americans are against this, the liberals seem to need to do this because they know better. The argument that a flawed bill affects 1/6 of the American economy is better than stepping back and addressing the true issues of health care in a way that the majority of Americans can support is seriously flawed. The idea to rush this through before the American voters can elect even more candidates who will do what they want is unacceptable.
In your final remarks you address that Democrats need to stop whining and do what needs to be done. The moderate Democrates are not whining, but rather finally starting to pay attention to what voters have been saying for a long time. They are elected to serve the public, not to put a plan like this onto the American people without support.
I agree with Paul Krugman's opinion in his article "Do the Right Thing." He urges Democrats to pass the health care reform, saying that the nation desperately needs it and the time is now. Because the economy is suffering, many people are losing their jobs and subsequently their health insurance. Paying out of pocket for health insurance is expensive, especially for those without jobs. I believe, along with Paul Krugman, that the health care reform should be passed.
ReplyDelete