Wallpaper Wednesday – October 2010 Edition

Not too many wallpapers this month. 4walled was down for a period, but it is thankfully back. So I’ll be rooting around there some more for November. Also, to note, we (Andrew and I) have a tendency to try and one-up each other with sickeningly cute wallpaper images, so a few have made it in.

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Glenn Beck Is a Modern Day William Graham Sumner

One of the most common criticisms of those who think government should be reduced to the status of mere umpirage and public defender is that good honest people will fall through the cracks in a world of laissez-faire economics. Someone of the same mold as Glenn Beck would surely claim that in the place of government, “Faith, Hope, and Charity” would take care of the rest. This point of view may work in an imaginary original condition where everyone has equal access to resources, but it doesn’t make much sense in today’s modern context of globalism and market capitalism.

Nevertheless, this view is still popular, and sadly, it may even be experiencing an uptick in recent months. The simple truth is that this view is an apathetic and non-compassionate point of view that has its root in the idea that bad things happen to those who deserve it. From that root sentiment comes the egotistical ideas that “I never will and never have needed help” and that “to help someone justifies the vice that put them there.” Read more »

Health Care Reform Passes Major Hurdle

Good news for supporters of health care reform as a federal court judge rules that the provision to tax those who don’t buy health insurance is held up as constitutional. In my opinion, it is a necessity for there to be low cost health care in this country and that everyone is covered. In his decision the judge agreed with the government stating that congress does have a legitimate interest because people who are not buying insurance are actively transferring the cost of health care on everyone who does.

The judge concluded that if this provision didn’t exist “the most costly individuals would be in the insurance system and the least costly would be outside it. In turn, this would aggravate current problems with cost-shifting and lead to even higher premiums. The prospect of driving the insurance market into extinction led Congress to find that the minimum coverage provision was essential to the larger regulatory scheme of the Act.”

To me, health care is a positive right along with education and safety nets. I don’t believe that someone, not knowing where in the social hierarchy they would be, would want to be born in a society where the poor didn’t have access to these services. By consequence, I don’t believe health care reform went far enough, but at least we moved forward and got something passed. Now we just have to make sure we don’t take any steps backwards. I’m looking at you Tea Party.

[Sources: LA Times, NY Times, TPM]

Actor Tony Curtis Passes

Sad news this week as the great actor Tony Curtis has passed away. I’m not an expert on his work, and I never kept up with him that much, but his role in Spartacus (1960) was emotionally gripping and incredibly acted. He was able to make the viewer feel his emotion and his journey to find something greater than himself, and the loyalty and fidelity between he and Spartacus made that great film even greater.

[via Telegraph]