Our understanding of morality will be significantly impacted by the Supreme Court's acceptance of nationalized health care. Every behavior directly and indirectly affecting our health will eventually come under scrutiny.
Morality is those actions and behaviors that lead to the good health and well-being of individuals and communities. Behaviors that cause obesity are already being targeted by the Whitehouse. Smoking and drinking behaviors have been a perennial concern of lawmakers for more than one hundred years. But now all behaviors including the type of sex we have, the risks we take in outdoor activities, the foods we eat, and how often we bathe will be viewed for their moral value in ways not previously seen in human civilization.
Instead of each person for themselves, we are now essentially a socialist society. What other people do in their private life will have definite and quantifiable financial impact on all other people, and therefore it is now under consideration to regulate private lives. And since it is the purpose of government to regulate, it is only a matter of time before the government is watching and criticizing our every move.
The medical establishment will be turned on its head. No longer will doctors be allowed to let their patients get sick so they can milk the system for lots of money for expensive treatments. In the name of reducing health insurance costs, programs will be legislated that focus on preventative health care. Gone will be questionable commercial ingredients and foods prepared in a chemistry lab. Gone will be life extending surgeries for those who do not make an effort to watch their diet and exercise sufficiently. Gone will be the option to keep fetuses who will present a health burden to society.
These changes will not occur overnight, but they will occur over the coming decades. They will occur as new generations are faced with the health liabilities of their predecessors and are required to cover their costs. A new class warfare will arise between those who take care of their health and those who carelessly burden society with poor moral choices.
It is highly unlikely that the new health care laws will ever be repealed unless their is a total collapse of the present system of government. In some ways the new health care laws will be good for humanity as a whole, and in other ways it will be the end of the world for those who refuse to change their morality. As moved as many people are by this radical change, hardly anyone can yet perceive the full consequences of this decision.
The next few years will see new battle lines drawn. Groups of people who supported these laws because they wanted change will realize they made a great mistake. Groups who opposed these laws will realize benefits from the laws they were not expecting. If we can keep our passions under control, we will all likely experience one of the most important revolutions in the advancement of the human species, and which officially started today, June 28, 2012.