Counting: Numbers, Votes

One of the wonderful things in this world is how straight forward counting is and yet how it can be so complex. Adding is a short cut to counting and multiplication is a short cut for repeatedly adding the same quantity. One thing that it is enjoyable to think on is the patterns formed by numbers.

Counting however does not only have abstract value. Counting votes occupies our nation’s leaders. The Democrats are trying to get to 216 votes in the US House for a HealthCare Bill. This involves not only counting 1,2,3,…,216 but trying to convince Congressmen that it is what should be. It is not like counting to 216 but trying to balance different variable to achieve the desired result. Adding x might gain vote a, b and c but loses d and e. One thing that makes this process complicated is that to pass a HealthCare Bill it seems that Democrats will have to pass the Senate bill without changes because they otherwise end up having to count to 216 and 60. Thus they are trying to promise future changes to the variables to achieve the desired vote count. This is complicated by the fact that once the sum is reached the congressmen lose the leverage to change the vote count. Mathematics is also involved in the calculating the anticipated cost of the legislation. Congressmen also try to count the cost of voting for legislation.

Theology is involved here if one believes that there is an eternity to come with a God to judge than whether one wins a vote to win elections is unimportant in comparison to doing the will of God. Eternity is beyond counting. One current issue that demonstrates this is some Democrats bravely proclaiming that they will not and cannot support Government funding of abortion.

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