Showing London's Big Ben as a Backdrop to Our Healthcare Discussions is an Act of Irresponsibilty, Ignorance and Cowardice

We either like the healthcare bill or we don't. We either like Obama or we don't. We are Americans and have the freedom to do that. But where does the British come into this picture?

By dragging Big Ben into the picture, we are trying to blame the British for any potential failure or drawback in the bill.

And that exposes our ignorance about what actually the NHS in Britain does or how it is funded. So, in short, in trying to show off as "know-alls", we are revealing ourselves as "know-nothings" who will talk on anything we don't know of.

This healthcare bill is our problem, not a British problem. For the simple reason that state control in UK is not the same as state control in USA nor is their legislative process which has only a superficial resemblance to ours for the sake of democracy.

As the first nation to break up the shackles of European imperialism and colonialism, our forefathers made sure that we won't be following their type of governance.

That meant we were and are responsible for our actions and thoughts from then on, we cannot conveniently and opportunistically look for examples beyond the pond after that.

And NHS has been a British institution that is entwined with every Britisher's life for decades now - right from birth to death. And they were not sleeping over it but taking administrative remedies as each drawback or failure was unraveled.

It has nothing to do with any insurance company CEO intervention, which is our invention.

In fact, after my last healthcare article, I received emails from some of AC's British members who were happy that at least some Americans know how their NHS works.

Just because we heard about "waiting lists" from somebody, we need not extend our imagination into preposterous visions of British cancer patients dying in broad daylight as they stand in the line inching towards the doors of Hammersmith hospital.

I am really ashamed that one of my country's top legislators painted this ignorant picture right in front of the whole nation as recent as yesterday. And the backdrop showed the picture of Big Ben!

Let us face it:

We either want this healthcare bill or we don't. We have made such legislative decisions before and we will do it again.

That is part of the democratic process.

But let us not ignorantly and cowardly show "Big Ben" as a background for what is essentially our democratic responsibility.

No need to act like buck-passers looking for scapegoats and lies for what is essentially our domestic responsibility.

If we don't want the bill, it is OK.
If we want the bill, still it is OK.
But if we feel constrained to justify those actions because the British said to have said something in their homes, that is not OK.
No legislator should tell Americans such words of ineptitude and ignorance.