I’ve had mixed feelings (but mostly good ones) about being overseas during the health care debate.
On the one hand, it’s been nice to avoid the incessant talk about health care reform and only peek in on the debate from afar when I feel like it. Being at home for the last year of drawn-out debate might have pushed me a little too far towards the line of insanity that I’m precariously near already. For me, it’s almost like all of the mudslinging and Faux News reports and lies and deceit never even happened.
On the other hand, it’s surreal to miss out on the celebrations and the gloating that progressives back in the US get to engage in now that the bill has finally passed. It would feel a bit strange to throw an HCR party here in Thailand (besides, HCR stands for “High Commissioner of Refugees” ’round these parts).
On the third hand (yes, I am special), stories like this are scary, and remind me why it’s good that I still have another 6 months before I come back home. Can someone please make the scary people go away before I come back?
(On a somewhat related note, TPM considers whether there is, or ever was, a Tea Party Movement, or whether these people are just regular old hard line Republican base voters with a new name.)