for example, i already plugged steve benen's post about the chart. in it, he makes the following comparison:
Indeed, if I were to do a chart detailing the way John Boehner's car works, it would also show a complicated system, but I suspect he'd take it to work every morning.we can all imagine a flow chart showing all the system in boehner's car, the engine, the transmission, the fuel pump, etc. and as benen says, that chart would probably look quite as convoluted as the health care chart.
but here's the thing: that hypothetical car chart wouldn't reflect what john boehner does to drive his car. to represent that, you'd need an entirely different flow chart. chart #2 wouldn't have squares for engines or fuel pumps, it would have one square for turning the ignition key and another for pressing the gas pedal. indeed, if, like me, boehner were completely clueless about how chart #1 works, he still could drive around just fine. all he would have to know is chart #2. let the auto mechanic worry about chart #1.
it's the same thing with the health care chart. it shows a bird's eye view of the health care system, not the view from someone within the system. from the participant's perspective, the things that matter are how much it will cost him/her (in terms of premiums and/or additional taxes) and the level of benefits. that's about it. even if the machinery that runs the health care system has a lot of moving parts, it doesn't have to be complicated to the participant. i can drive a car even though i have no idea what goes on underneath the hood.
