Healthcare and the Bully Syndrome

As I’ve been observing the tactics of the current healthcare “debate”, I’m often reminded of a very true story from my past.

In the way-back, I was considered by some to be one of the school’s “Brainiacs” (aka “nerd”, “geek”, etc.). There were the usual threats by the usual bullies. You know: “Meet me at the track after school or everyone will know you’re scared.”

Seriously? That was the best they had to give? Did I really have to remind them that I wasn’t stupid? Apparently so.

The starkest example had to be my 8th grade Earth Sciences class. During tests, even though the teacher was in the room, there was no proctoring. I (and others of my ilk) would entertain several co-students who would get up and stand behind us as we filled out our tests…copying our answers with little in the way of shame. Sometimes the threat of consequences should we not let them cheat was voiced, but usually it was implied. Here’s the thing. The smart kids know how to get along. They know how to stay safe. BUT… beware if they get fed up for they are, you know, smart.

The usual tactics were to try to cover your answers or to write amazingly tiny. I opted for the more nefarious wrong-answer rouse. You know…you write down wrong answers, which get copied, and when the criminals retake their seats, you hurriedly change your answers to the correct ones…and amazingly still get your test in among the first.

This is a doubly self-protective strategy in that not only don’t the cheaters get to prosper, but you have denyability in having been an accomplice (which can result in administrative consequences on its own).

Why do I mention this? Well, it’s easier for civilized men to act as barbarians than it is for barbarians to act as civilized men. The smart can always lower themselves to the slimy parts of the “debate”, but the troglodytes have a more difficult time elevating themselves to be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem. Thuggery is easy, it requires no great creative effort. But thuggery is always self-defeating.

As was demonstrated in school: while cheating can get you a grade, it doesn’t mean you learned anything. In the same way, shouting down debate using the words others put in your mouth can get you momentary satisfaction, but it doesn’t provide a solution and thus is doomed to eventual failure. After all, do you want to drive across a bridge built by someone who learned how to build bridges, or by someone whose experience is in tearing them down? Building is always more difficult than destroying.