This last week we've seen how Washington's elites are able to suppress popular opinion, work against the public interest, and wrap it all up with a bow so that it looks like 'democracy in action.' It's not. What we're seeing isn't democracy, and it isn't a free press either. It's merely another cynical ploy to rob Americans of government programs they both need and want.
The latest assault is on Medicare. The "Ryan/Widen plan" is a perfect case study in the cynical workings of an antidemocratic machine - a machine whose cogs are lazy journalists, whose gears are selfish politicians, and whose levers are pulled by the wealthy and powerful.
I held my fire on this for a few days, to see if more details would emerge on the proposal from Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Paul Ryan, who were initially (and deliberately vague) on its specifics. That turned it into Rorschach test for observers, and where the Washington Post sees a butterfly I usually see a vampire bat.
But Malcolm Gladwell would be pleased: It turns out that the first 'blink' impression of Ryan/Wyden is the right one. It's a Medicare-killing publicity stunt that undermines the financial security of the 99%. And if you happen to be reading this in the Nation's Capital, please note: The 'lefty' position on Medicare is supported by most Republicans.
Let's not kid ourselves. Unless we act quickly and aggressively, the Machine will succeed in killing Medicare.
The Program
We've seen this software before. It's been run against Social Security, jobs, and other government services that are both popular and effective. Here's how it works:
The software has a political side effect, too: The distinction between Republicans and Democrats is blurred a little more, depriving Democrats of a winnable election issue.
Think of these five steps as a computer program you can run in almost any situation. The only variables are the program that is to be killed, the Democrat that'll do the dirty work, and which media outlet will deliver the machine's message this time. Plug in those three items and the program pretty much runs itself - or, as they used to say in the tech world, it "executes."
The Execution
This time around the government program is Medicare, the Democratic hack who's willing to undermine it for selfish reasons is Ron Wyden, and the media outlet is (who else?) the Washington Post. Here's how the five steps played out this time around:
How would we recognize real bipartisanship? It's what you'd see if some Republicans heeded their base by crossing the aisle to oppose the Ryan plan, since polls show that 56% of registered Republicans are against a voucher system. But that ain't gonna happen. And if a single Republican on the Hill strays from corporatist/Republican orthodoxy, you can be they won't be the subject of a laudatory editorial in the Washington Post.
What's more, if voters are told that plans like Ryan/Wyden won't cover all the costs currently covered by Medicare, overall opposition to the idea rises to 84%. But who's going to tell them that -- the Post?
Don't hold your breath.
Party Line
Call it the "Uni-Party," the alignment of corporate-funded politicians from both parties who serve a narrow elite. Corporate Washington's company paper is the Post, and its editors can usually be counted upon to toe its party line. Like the five-part plan, the Uni-Party's editorials follow a strictly preprogrammed algorithm.
It starts with Orwellian wordplay, which the Post happily provides in the title of its editorial: "Healing Medicare." (Ryan/Wyden would heal Medicare, I suppose - the same way cutting my head off would cure this headache.)
"In the maelstrom of dysfunction and partisanship better known as the 112th Congress," it begins -- and let me stop right there for a second. Since when is partisanship a bad thing. One party advocates a policy, another opposes it, and voters choose. The Uni-Party hates that, so it stigmatizes it by calling it names. I call it "democracy."
"it is always surprising and gratifying when lawmakers from opposing parties manage to work together. That is particularly true when their collaboration involves an issue as politically charged and substantively complex as Medicare ..."
It's very important that cynicism be rewarded with praise and good press, as well as lavish campaign donations. Politicians can't serve the Machine if they can't get reelected, after all. The editors continue:
"Some will read the last sentence and chuckle knowingly about its seeming naivete."
Not at all. The editors aren't naive at all. They just think we are.
The rest of the proposal comes straight out of the software: "Jump-starting the conversation" is a favorite phrase, because it's code for "introducing radical conservatism into the debate." I doubt they'd praise anyone for suggesting, oh, I don't know, the confiscation of homes and property of rich bankers. Ryan/Wyden is at least that radical, but the Post probably wouldn't praise a revolutionary socialist for "jump-starting a conversation" about the economy, would it? Would they call it a "serious proposal"?
The editorial ends by slamming the White House for "stomping" on Ryan/Wyden, an act that resembles the killing of an insect, and which most Republican voters are likely to applaud. We can only add that if stomping doesn't work, the Administration can always try hitting it with a rolled-up newspaper. The Post will do nicely.
Last Rites
What happens next is critically important. As Nate Silver noted, the public's opinion on this topic is highly malleable. Misinformation from media outlets like the Post can affect the fate of Medicare, and the failure of Democrats to forcefully repudiate Wyden will further weaken its chances
Things aren't looking good. By presenting a united front, which they rarely do anymore, Democrats have been able to get their message across about Medicare and the Ryan Plan. But the Machine is always looking for new recruits, and it always seems to find willing Democrats. Conrad on health care, Durbin on Social Security, Wyden on Medicare ... it doesn't take more than one or two to cloud the issue and undermine a vital and popular program.
No wonder most Americans are disgusted with this Congress and don't believe it will act effectively to protect their interests. The dissatisfaction is widespread among Republicans and Democrats and is most pronounced among independents, 57% of whom voted for Democrats last time around.
In the long run Medicare will need saving -- from the devastating impact of for-profit medicine on our health economy (and on our health). That will take aggressive cost control measures. Those measures could include new provider reimbursement plans, along with a highly robust public option that restricts private-sector gamesmanship. But first Medicare has to be protected from crazy schemes and stealth attacks like the Ryan/Widen plan.
If politicians and the public don't strike back hard against scams like "Wyden/Ryan," make no mistake about it: Medicare will die, and the Machine will begin locking onto its next target.
Follow Richard (RJ) Eskow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rjeskow
So now they are moving to the second part of the scheme, elimination of Medicare. All moving along as planned with the full support of the current President. The real hope and plan of the republican party is that Obama is reelected so they can continue they attack on American workers under the cover of a "Democratic" President. Don't believe it? Look at their lineup of would be candidates.
It is Obama's own obvious complicitness in this that so enrages Democratic voters. Our lawmakers think we are all too stupid to recognize that we are being sold out.
First, there is nothing structurally wrong with Medicare except its funding base. Part A gets a sliver of payroll tax; the rest gets means-adjusted premiums and INCOME TAXES. Stop taxing labor to support Medicare. In conjunction with tax reforms that restore progressive taxation on the rich fund Medicare with income taxes and premiums that are means-adjusted for income and NET WORTH. (No stashing assets and going on Medicare; collect unpaid premums from the estate of deceased beneficiaries).
Moreover, open it to low risk younger Americans. Stop talking about "single payer" (socialized) health care. Start talking about guaranteed access to Medicare for everyone. Insofar as it runs at 95% efficiency moving more people onto the program will save the system hundreds of billions and create a platform to restrain health care spending, such as negotiating drug costs. For those foolish enough to stay in the private system, eliminate the tax deduction for employment based insurance but allow them to pay sky-rocketing premiums (if they wish).
The insurance companies have a demographic problem. The baby boomers are transitioning into subsidized care, and most of the generation behind them won't have the same level of access to employer-sponsored health insurance. The insurance business model is about to become less profitable.
What to do? Keep the boomers paying into the private insurance system, of course. Destroy the competition, in this case, Medicare. Take the public voucher money, get private individuals to kick in $6000 extra, and you've created a new publicly-financed entitlement... for the insurance companies that funded Ryan's campaign.
That being said I am strongly committed to universal health care above almost any other issue and have sent that message to Senator Wyden many times. That being said he will have my vote again and I will keep writing. In fact, his office is within a block of mine, maybe a "drop in" is in order. Not that I have any more influence than any other of his constituents.
Sometimes it just takes one blind spot to ruin a career.