From self-interest to enlightened self-interest. That's the change we need now.

I had an epiphany today and I have to write it down before I forget it. It is simply this: a major part of why there is so much discontent in America today over President Obama's policies seems to be that the 'change' we all said we wanted has come at a price. The price? We each actually have to give up something, and that wasn't in the contract.

America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. America is also the land of the rugged individualist who wants what he/she wants and isn't planning on giving it up so someone else can have what they want. Therein, it seems, lies President Obama's current problem. Well one of them at any rate.

The polls indicate that people are still unhappy with the Health Bill. I keep trying to ascertain why that might be and all I've been able to come up with is this idea that if people feel that their benefits are in any way threatened, they balk. It also explains (which I couldn't understand until now), why Americans are so willing to give charity, but so much more uncomfortable with entitlement programs. Charity you see, plays two roles. First, it makes me feel good about myself. Nothing wrong with that! Second, I get to decide who gets and how much and I get to decide when to stop giving. Entitlement programs on the other hand are the gift that keeps on giving. Well beyond, we fear, the point when there's no more to be given.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still not conservative enough in my thinking to believe that it's ok to let some folk die for want of health insurance. I'm still not conservative enough to think that the cost of a nutrition program in schools is so much that the nation should simply allow ignorance to kill or maim. But as liberal as I am, I'm starting to think that if President Obama wants more than a single term, he's going to need to address the self-interest of each American and show them that enlightened self-interest is where they need to be. Some effort needs to be expended spreading an understanding of the shared benefit of these long term giving programs. Otherwise, it'll be one term and one term only, and worse yet, it may be followed up by one term of Sarah Palin. And Lord knows that would not be good for any of us.