ACA - the new Sword of Damocles

 

 

 

"...with great fortune and power come also great peril and anxiety"

 

Damocles

Relax - this is not going to be a refresher lesson on Greek mythology or legend. I am however, going to briefly use it to make a point. In the Greek legend, Damocles begged Dionysius to be able to sit at his throne. Dionysius finally agreed, but with a condition. Dionysius hung a sword over the throne, held in place by only one hair from a horses tail. All the grandeur and glory of sitting on the throne was soon replaced by the fear that single horse hair would snap and the sword would end the life of Damocles. The story ends up with Damocles begging to be relieved of his wish to sit on the throne of Dionysius.

Our young President, who in 2008 was elected due to many factors except experience and qualifications, had one main goal in mind - obtain the Progressive Holy Grail. As we know, for over a half century the Progressive Holy Grail was the last piece of the entitlement throne - nationalized health care. He was going to get it passed by hook or by crook. Damn the torpedoes! If the Republicans don't help, the President would use only his party; if Congress did not do it his way, he would use actual or perceived Executive Authority; if the bill got too big, who cares - nobody ever reads this stuff anyway. Yes, this was finally going to happen, and it will cement his place in history. It WILL be his signature accomplishment!

As our young President has found out, sweet dreams can sometimes turn into terrifying nightmares. In his wildest dreams, he could not have imagined this thing turning out so bad. Both Governor Dean and Steve Ratner confessed this week - "This thing is an interdependent house of cards. If you move one card, the entire law will start to unravel."
Whoops! I think a few cards got moved. In fact, because nobody read the bill before it was signed into law, I think a few cards were left out.

This is where the Sword of Damocles analogy comes into play. EVERYTHING from now on, that the President says or does, will be influenced by the ACA mess he has laid on the country. The debt ceiling, the budget talks, immigration reform, everything. The ACA is literally on life support right now - in other words, it is hanging by a single hair from a horses tail. If the ACA totally fails (which more and more are thinking is likely right now), the single hair will snap, the sword will come down and finish off any remaining credibility the President will have for the rest of his term.

The advice I would give to our President is simply this - learn from this Greek legend. Like Damocles came to understand, ruling under a dangling sword is not good for anyone. Release yourself from that burden. Call a stop in the proceedings. Start over on the troublesome aspects of the law. Engage the Republicans this time - they had some good ideas in 2008 that you left in the ditch. Be the uniter, the agent of positive change, that you promised us you would be.

However until that happens, we sit and wait. The sword continues to dangle. The horse hair  wears thin. The country is in peril. Those who do not learn from history (or Greek legend) are doomed to repeat it. And that will be bad for all of us.