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Dec 31, 2010

An Historical Question

Is the health care reform bill passed this year the most important piece of legislation signed into law since the Social Security Act?

The two other pieces of legislation that I can think of that might compare would be Medicare and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Medicare was and is extremely important but this new legislation gives health care to far more people. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was of such a different nature that comparisons are difficult.

What do you think?

2 comments:

  1. "The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was of such a different nature that comparisons are difficult".

    At first i found the comparison difficult. But both legislation sought to end discrimination against a group although for different reasons

    As a person of color,the civil rights act intially formed because of racial inequality(sounds silly today but true although some still exist). Healthcare reform protect the ill members of society from being discriminated based on costs or similar measures.

    That's my analysis of the matter.

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  2. I would say the GI Bill that provided for VA loans for housing and college education for returning GI's after World War II.

    It changed the class structure of America by changing the entire concept of home ownership and providing opportunities for working class people to get an education in college and become professionals and managers.

    It made real the claim that in America you could be anyone you wanted to be. Not impossible before but far more realistic after.

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