Yesterday, Tom Daschle testified in his confirmation hearing for secretary of health and human services. He promised "bi-partisanship", pledging "I really want to work in a collaborative way. It's the only way we're going to get this done." Which made me think: if that is the path we take, millions of Americans will be left ill and bankrupt for another generation or more.
True, to be honest, I am not a supporter of "bi-partisanship". I don't believe that you work together with people who destroyed our economy, are trying to kill labor unions and, just for the heck of it, have devastated the world with an illegal, immoral war. Our message should be: we're in charge now, we're going to fix what you destroyed and we welcome you for the ride--or leave you to explain to voters why you stood in our way.
But, in particular, healthcare is no place for bi-partisanship. We have learned so much about the criminal behavior of the insurance industry, particularly from nyceve and DrSteveB that it defies imagination that we would put do anything short of banishing the private insurance industry from the face of the earth. It would be immoral to do anything less.
In Daschle's remarks, I hear an echo of an extremely dangerous frame:
"When health care reform collapsed in 1994," Mr. Daschle said, "I remember all the criticisms people had after the fact. They said it took too long, they said the process was too opaque, they said the plan was too hard to understand and they said the changes felt too dramatic."These are good arguments for undertaking reform in a way that is aggressive, open and responsive to Americans' concerns," he said. "They are not good arguments for ignoring the problem."
Part of that story is true: the healthcare industry did oppose the Clinton healthcare plan. But, the conclusion Daschle and others drew from that experience is that what they need to do is "reform" healthcare in a "bi-partisan" manner which means negotiating with the Republicans--and, through Republicans (and too many Democrats), with the private insurance industry.
I would argue that that is the wrong conclusion. The real conclusion that we should reach from the debacle of 1994 is that we have to kill the private healthcare industry. We cannot negotiate with an industry that has no interest in the health of Americans. It's only interest is to make obscene profits.
The only solution is to enact single-payer health care, or, better put, "Medicare for All". It is the only economically sound proposal--the only system that will remove hundreds of billions of dollars of health care costs off the backs of millions of Americans, not to mention the bottom line of small and large businesses throughout the country.
There is not a single Republican that I know of--please correct me if I am wrong--who supports single-payer. So, pardon the expression, when it comes to the health and income security of millions of Americans, screw them and screw "bi-partisanship".
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our government." ~ Edward Bernays
This isn't 1994 anymore. Propaganda was very powerful back when TV was high tech, but our circumstances are very different today. The GOP is falling as an inevitable result of the era in which we live, because the 'Right' is not the source of the propaganda as many believe, but rather a product of it. Fear and disinformation are the defining characteristics of the majority of their views. Fear is of the unknown, there is no other kind, thus fear requires the absence of knowledge. Like fear, the power of propaganda crumbles in the light of information.
The people are more knowledgeable now than at any point in history. We have access to information like never before, search engines, news archives, social networks, global communication, blogs, and a comment section on every corner. Welcome to the information era, where the people have a voice, and Democracy is rising.
James Hovland, a product of freedom
Ralph Nader takes all of the complication out of the debate when he states "medicare for everyone".
The writer also complains that the insurance companies make an obscene profit but I'm not sure what that is. Is a profit's offensiveness based on a percentage or a dollar figure? Is there a inoffensive profit level and if so what is it? Are some profits more offensive than others?
Do you think the Marines should make a "profit" (obscene or otherwise) for protecting the security of the country? Health care, like security is a social good most efficiently provided as a right of citizenship. Do you think Marines provide service out of duty and patriotism or out of greed and profit?
Let me point out that if you're still active, you receive your health care through the government and if you are a veteran, then you are eligible for VA benefits which are also provided by the government. Try to put yourself in the shoes of those of us who do not have that advantage. Would you like paying $500 to $1000 or more a month to provide health care for your family? How would you like it if after paying those premiums you find your insurance plan will not cover a life threatening illness or injury for yourself or a member of your family? Does that sound like a fair bargain to you? it isn't is it? So you shouldn't be surprised to find us wanting the benefits you enjoy.