I don’t have an opinion on healthcare. I’m not following the debate that’s currently dominating the headlines in America…
I’ve decided I’m just going to read it about once it’s resolved.
Often, I feel the same way, both about healthcare and other topics, especially those being deliberated by a government body. My thinking is that I have no control on the outcome and that it is only the outcome that matters. When all is said and done, I (and most other people) won’t really care about all of the alternatives that were considered along the way. All the time that one spends following the debate could be better spent learning about something else. Don’t ignore the opportunity cost!
I completely agree, especially about really technical policy issues – once I am fairly confident I know how I would like it done a perfect world, I like to tune out. It’s not worth the effort of following all of the argumentation and invective about who’s incrementally different (and likely equally ineffective) plan is better and should be passed. It’s only worth looking at once the dust settles and the final bill is unveiled.
To refine my position, I don’t think it is a poor use of time to read about ideas related to the healthcare debate. I just think it is useless to follow all of the political deliberations because you don’t learn much from them and because you can’t influence them.
There are plenty of good ideas being thrown around, even if they don’t fit my ideal world (or are only a small step towards it). I have learned a great deal about the economics of healthcare and have been exposed to interesting ideas that I didn’t think of myself.
So, to sum up, the relevant distinction is whether or not you are learning something about the world or the structure of the world, something that is not as ephemeral as the latest bill being discussed in DC. If not, you should allocate your time and mental energy elsewhere.
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