Opposition to Obama Health Care Reform Driven by Racism Not Fear of Increasing Debt

Although the Republicans and their so-called "Blue Dog" conservative Democrats claimed they oppose President Obama's health care plan because it would increase the nation's debt, the real reason is driven by racism and the fact that the majority who would benefit from health care reform are minorities, the poor and families burdened by uninsured health challenges.

I know this is true because these same conservatives were silent when President George W. Bush ratcheted up the nation's deficit to record highs without even a whimper.

The Obama health care reform plan may in fact require some expansion of the nation's debt, but that was never an issue when we ran headfirst into a war with Iraq that had nothing to do with the war on terrorism and had everything to do with racism and American hatred of the Arab World.

Here are some facts conveniently ignored in this debate about how much Obama's is raising the debt.

How much debt did Bush tap?

On the day Bush was handed his job through the undemocratic and partisan intervention of the U.S. Supreme Court in early 2001, the national debt was $5.727 trillion.

By the end of 2008, before turning over the office to President Obama, the debt under Bush had increased without as much as a debate from the congress to nearly $10 trillion. That was a 75 percent increase in national debt under Bush.

And, before leaving office, Bush proposed a trillion dollar bailout of his buddies in the mismanaged financial and banking industry that suffocated the average homeowner in abusive, gimmicky mortgage debts and that brought the debt up to more than $11.3 trillion. That is a near doubling of the debt as a result of Bush and his Republican controlled congress and then the so-called Democratic controlled congress who were elected specifically to withdraw our soldiers from Iraq but who failed to do that.

To allow for the doubling of the Bush debt, the government included a provision in the bailout legislation that raised the statutory ceiling on the national debt to $11.315 trillion. He did that several times during his tenure, passing bills that quietly raised the ceiling on the debt.

Why? To pay for the misguided war in Iraq and to help cover up for the economic catastrophe that Bush and Vice President Cheney and his gang brought down on the American people, leaving the real terrorist, Osama Bin laden, to freely operate out of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border planning terrorist attacks that will probably come down the pipe during the Obama term in office.

Just like your income and earnings, money devalues year by year. What was considered a hefty credit card debt of $5,000 10 years ago has become a routinely accepted average credit card bill of just over $10,000.

Everything has increased over the years. And as personal debt has increased, so has the government debt. And both continue to increase.

It is a fact that we Americans live in a debt-driven society, greedy for benefits but unwilling to work the hours that immigrants and foreigners take for granted in their harsher lives and environments.

So why was it okay to raise the debt when Bush was in power but not okay to raise the debt when Obama is in power?

Because of racism in this country.

Raise the debt to fight in Iraq -- even though Iraq had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 at all.

But why spend more money when it might help the poor, the lower income middle class, and those Americans who have been victimized by the rich robber barons crooks in the health care industry?

Add to the fact that Obama is an African American, a minority, and someone with an Arab middle name who still, despite the facts, the truth and repeated denials, is labeled a "Muslim" (Gasp!), we can see why Obama's proposals would galvanize an odd couple of Republicans and Conservative Democrats who would rather help protect their pals in the banking industry than lend a helping hand to the over burdened in this country, a large majority of whom are minorities, poor and in need.

(Ray Hanania is an award winning columnist, author and Chicago radio talk show host. He can be reached at www.RadioChicagoland.com.)

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Comments

[JoJo54]

Just the title of the article made me nautious. I wouldn't read the garbage. But just addressing the title, I can tell you I participate in the Tea Party movement in NJ. I have been to meetings and Tea Parties. So far no racists, paid shills bused in, nazi's and definitely no deep pocket corporate supporters could be found.
Just grassroots Americans. Accept it, we are just warming up.

The core issue is Obama concealed his far left zeal to win the election. Now that his cloak has been dropped and Obama is trying to implement that far left agenda with his far left mercenary dogs, the citizens are pushing back. PERIOD

[JoJo54]

Just the title of the article made me nautious. I wouldn't read the garbage. But just addressing the title, I can tell you I participate in the Tea Party movement in NJ. I have been to meetings and Tea Parties. So far no racists, paid shills bused in, nazi's and definitely no deep pocket corporate supporters could be found.
Just grassroots Americans. Accept it, we are just warming up.

The core issue is Obama concealed his far left zeal to win the election. Now that his cloak has been dropped and Obama is trying to implement that far left agenda with his far left mercenary dogs, the citizens are pushing back. PERIOD

[phyllisFL]

Ray has written this article with my thoughts exactly. After watching all the Palin rallies of all the terror threats and screaming "kill him" and the head of a police department in his uniform to get up in one of her rallies saying Obama's middle name....I was outraged and scared that all the hate that has come out will bring out all the hate groups - skinheads and KKK. What is the purpose of FOX News and Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh? They bring hate and racism to this country when we are supposed to feel more united now that Obama is in office. Is this news? Or is this a racist, prejudice channel of which their purpose is not only to have you be scared and not to trust Obama. Would they be doing this to a white president? Glen Beck has actually shown Nazi Germany soldiers marching too many times. The signs of a swastika should not be allowed at any of these meetings even though we have freedom of speech. How can you bring a gun to a conference with the President?

Any of Obama's plans for our country will always be scrutinized more since some of his own Republican representatives do not trust african american people. Look what they did to Judge Sotomayer. . Obama has a done a great job for his first 6 months. Like Limbaugh has said, they want Obama to fail. Thank you.

[Ray Hanania]

One of many available links to stories on the national debt under the Bush administration:

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/09/29/couricandco/entry4486228.shtml

Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

[sport7]

At what point does absurdity of situation kick in? These minorities do not need health care so much as to learn responsibility against the materialistic being that major corporations have concocted out of the United States. Education is the key to all the problems of the United States, if people were educated they would not need their asses bailed out by a nationalistic and seemingly communistic health care reform. It is unfortunate that the money spent on the the oil-driven war in Iraq was not spent on an overall of the education system and drug-rehab instead of incarceration.

Sincerely,

A concerned left-wing (and somewhat socialistic) NYU Student

Also, I do think every American should have basic 'emergency' care as a right which in a sense is provided as by almost all hospitals allowing for payment plans after the fact.

Also of note, if marijuana was legalized it would erase the 10+ trillion in federal debt in less than 10 years...