I used to be much more 'into' politics than I am now. Although I lurk and learn a lot at DK and have been here for quite a while, because I'm more of a supporter of President Obama than many here, I lost the motivation to participate.
When it comes to deep, intricate details of legislation, horse races, etc, I'm more of a regular person (of course, this is an assumption) in that politics doesn't consume a lot of my mindshare any more (although I do listen to Kagro in the morning show and the Professional Left with some regularity).
But technology is another story, a story I'm immersed in by choice. Walk with me past the orange fleur-de-lis to read an excerpt from a succinct story by a popular tech writer I respect. His experience with Obamacare made me smile.
I'm a longtime fan of Daring Fireball, Jon Gruber's ongoing writing and podcasting about technology. So when I saw this post, it felt really good:
Lots of People Are Saving Money Thanks to Obamacare ★
True story: I’m self-employed, so for several years we’ve been paying out of pocket for a family health insurance plan (me, my wife, my son) from Independence Blue Cross here in Pennsylvania...
there doesn't seem to be a direct link, but if you scroll down, you'll see the title, which links to a Mother Jones piece.
http://daringfireball.net
I was also happy to see this post from another technologist that I follow a bit less, but have lots of respect for, Marco Arment:
The Back and Forth Over the Shutdown →
October 9, 2013 • ∞
A crystal-clear view of how much John Boehner and the House Republicans don’t give a shit about our country and are holding it hostage in a huge, pathetic, childish, dick-waving game of chicken, because they absolutely refuse to accept a law that Congress and the President negotiated together and passed three years ago to improve our country’s dysfunctional health-insurance system...
http://www.marco.org/...
I have had quite a few health challenges, especially this past year, and I know that living in Japan's 'socialist utopia' has helped me get the treatment and support I need to start getting healthy - the rest is up to me. Knowing that my friends and family back home are finally going to have at least a chance at that kind of deep internal relaxation, is a very big deal, to me.
And when these kinds of attitudes are openly expressed by regular techies, with huge followings, I think that's a thoroughly good thing.
So, just wanted to share...