this seemed relevent to current debates...

...They fought it thanks to a piece of paper which along with the need of the soul, the need for a Patria, concretized the sublime idea of Liberty married to Equality: the Declaration of Independence. "We hold these truths to be self-evident... That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights... That among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness... That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men..." And this paper that from the French Revolution on the whole West has copied, from which each of us has drawn inspiration, still constitutes the backbone of America. Her vital lymph. Know why? Because it transforms the subjects into citizens. Because it turns the plebes into people. Because it invites, no, it orders the plebes turned into citizens to rebel against tyranny and to govern themselves. To express their individualities, to search for their own happiness. (Something that for the poor, for the plebes, means to get rich).

Oriana Fallaci - The Rage and The Pride

been watching RTO debate health care with a German guy today who just doesn't understand what the big deal is. He also had some interesting misconceptions about how things work over here. (He seemed to think that ERs here could turn people away for not being able to pay).

Anyhoo, probably gonna see if I can finish this thing tonight.