If you listen closely to the health care debate in this country, you might figure the debate isn't really about health care at all. The pitched signs of tea baggers that answered the call of Glen Beck and marched on Washington on September 12th, concerned mostly socialism and amnesty--spelled out in all its erroneous forms, not health care.
While most Fox News programs and AM talk radio is tailored to fuel the ire of working-class white people to keep the country divided and ratings up, immigration is an issue that crosses racial and economic divides as proven by the inclusion of section 246 of H.R. 3200 that prohibits illegal immigrants from being covered by public health care. Yet, despite the fact that the House's health care bill clearly states that illegal immigrants would not be provided for, conservatives are still milking illegal immigration for all it's vote-proffering effects, insisting illegal immigrants will be covered under the president's health care agenda. South Carolina's Congressional representative slandered the president on the floor of Congress no less, calling him a liar in relation to the provision. The outburst was either the result of his own illiteracy or a desperate maneuver to appeal to a constituency that wants to make every issue we face as a country an issue of illegal immigration. This campaign of lies and distortions is much like the "it wasn't me" defense, where the cheater just keeps repeating the bold-faced lie until their spouse, in this case the country, is exhausted and gives up. This tactic works especially well these days with the president being a racial minority, and therefore in the minds of disgruntled simpletons, a natural ally of illegal immigrants. The truth of the matter is that the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, particularly Latino immigrants, that cost the country an estimated $11 billion in health care expenditures take up disproportionately more time in right wing media than the hundreds of billions needlessly wasted by insurance companies and hospitals on administrative expenses. Nevermind, the $177 Billion of taxpayer money that went to big agribusiness to make us all less healthy, that money was thieved by white people.
Shame Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh didn't mobilize these outraged citizens during the eight years of the Bush administration's compulsive spending. Seeing as though it was Bush, not Obama, who promoted illegal immigration on a national level as he had done in his home state as governor of Texas, it seems an exercise in futility to cry about illegal immigrants now. These days fewer and fewer workers are willing to take the risk of crossing to the United States only to struggle to find work in our ailing economy. Where were these guys when Bush was pushing for the ole temporary guest-worker permit (semantics for amnesty) to match up immigrant workers with employers for "jobs Americans won't do." As if Americans turn their noses up at working construction or cooking in restaurants or cleaning offices. Americans do and will do these jobs and just about any other job but they'd prefer to do so at a livable wage.
Bush made the statement about guest-worker program during his campaign against Kerry and Glen Beck constituency still voted for him. While today they make signs about the use of Spanish in the U.S., they voted for Bush who reversed the Republican Party's support for English-only public education. They supported Bush who believed our economy rested on the cheap labor of immigrants and not fairly compensated labor of Americans, stating:
"We hear claims that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy, even though this economy could not function without them. All these are forms of economic retreat, and they lead in the same direction, toward a stagnant and second-rate economy."
Shame these outraged citizens weren't taking it to the streets during the previous six years when we spent an estimated trillion dollars on the Iraq War mostly for contracts to Bechtel and Halliburton, (because we sure weren't spending it on the soldiers). We could have used their righteous indignation when Rumsfeld threw millions of Saddam's money at militants so they could buy more weapons to kill American soldiers and innocent civilians. No, when the Bush Administration was spending like a bandit, ya know, when it counted, that's when these concerned citizens were the "silent majority." Now we are left with a choice of victimizing victims, rounding up impoverished immigrant families, and foregoing reforms in health care and education because the budget is so tight.
Some say these demonstrations are an inspiration for American democracy. I strongly disagree. Watching these day-late-dollar-short dissidents march on Washington in an uproar over spending and illegal immigration is not inspiring in the least. Watching these tea baggers march on Washington is like watching the guy who burned down your house dub himself a hero 'cause he threw water on the ashes.
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Incidentally regarding the 2010 Census? Small states will miss out big time on federal dollars, while mass illegal immigrant states will gain more seats in Congress and too much power and influence? Of course ICE could check the immigration status of those who are counted, even though it's supposedly against US law? Or is counting non-legal residence against the US Constitution?
All we need is mandatory E-Verify to remove from every honest business, workers who came here illegally; those who don't will suffer severe penalties. This is a murky back-door way for hard-line Liberal Democrats to sneak past all verification measures, which would approve a path to citizenship for lawbreakers thus giving them access to--YOUR--health care? All Americans GOOGLE--NUMBERSUSA, to uncover the deceitful way they plan to cheat all legal workers and citizens? America is already on the road to irreversible OVERPOPULATION. Do all the people out their who are suffering from a compassion syndrome, believe--ALL--Americans want to pay even higher taxes to support corporate welfare, for the millions they have already hired? I don't think so?
The issue raised by so-called conservatives will either be effective or not with respect to independent thinkers. Some of these independent thinkers are liberals and progressives who are not in lock-step with pro-illegal immigration politicians even if they have a big "D" after their names. They may not vote for Republicans, but some may choose to not vote for pro-illegal immigration Democrats either.
If you are opposed to so-called conservatives, that's good.
If you want to be effective in your opposition, you have to join in convincing the politiicans who represent big business to enforce the laws prohibiting illegal immigration.
The issue is not whether a particular "health care bill clearly states that illegal immigrants would not be provided for" but whether the law will be enforced or ignored.
Clarity is not the issue.
We have laws which clearly prohibit illegal immigration and the employment of illegal aliens. Too many people know that this Administration, like the previous one, and the one before it, and the one before it, will not enforce the law.
No, they won't realize that they are being lied to because those folks aren't thinkers. They are looking for someone to tell them what is "really" going on so they can sit on their b u t t s down at the corner grocery and argue for hours about how much better they had it when Bush was in office.
How do I know that? It is my brother's M.O.
On the issue of coverage for illegals, no it's not in the bill, that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be. Not only is doing so the moral thing to do (our neighbors to the North have no such provision; for sound economic reasons), but it's the fiscally conservative thing to do. Illegals are not immune to accident and illness, but many are involved in employments (such as agriculture) which are more hazzardous than most. This makes them frequent visitors to Emergency Rooms. The use of Emergency Rooms as Primary Care Psysicians is considerably more expensive than traditional care.
Guess who will get stuck paying for this expensive care? Therefore, if opponents of Health Care Reform were actually conservatives they would demand coverage for illegals.
on both the right & left.
Our government is run by Corporate Capitalism . . . the richest 1%.
That ain't democracy.
Big Government under Clinton didn't do much for the working class
and deregulated Wall Street.
Big Government under Bush gave us two wars and Corporate Welfare.
Big Government under Obama continues the Corporate Welfare,
will probably give us Insurance Industry Healthcare,
and just might add a third war with Iran.
Anybody wanting Big Government for any reason is just playing into
the hands of Corporate Capitalism bc they will always own the Big Government.
Although for different reasons, many on both the right and left would like to
see Big Government go the way of King George.
You even stated that Corporate Capitalism and the richest 1% run the government but then you blame the government. If government is weakened how will that reduce the power of the Coroporate Capitalists? In fact it will have the oppostie effect because even though so many public oficials are in the pockets of big business there are still those few who provide a check on corporate power. A weak government will just leave the corporations to lie cheat and steal as much as they can and leave the consumers with no protection at all!
I've thought the same thiing and said so myself several times in conversation. Where were these people while Bush & Cheney were misappropriating all our tax dollars to get several companies of their friends > RICH. It's mindboggling that these people don't mind the Bush Administration neglecting the country yet when this new administration wants to invest in its citizens they go bonkers.
Thank you!
But many protesters have been pushing specific policy items for years - decades even - and are just now getting respect from the "mainstream" media, even as the "mainstream" becomes less so. I suspect this is due to the rise of the unfiltered internet. Everyone has access to information today.
The two-party ideology is not flexible enough to cope with the diverse range of ideas out there. The "not my party" filter weeds out too much useful content. Even more dangerous, the two parties have agreed on large swaths of policy(such as the megawar budget), leaving most voters disenfranchised.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waoQekLKSGE
And Obama is still talking about of both sides of his mouth on this issue. He says that the bill won't give health care to illegal aliens, but then he turns around and says that he wants to provide amnesty for illegal aliens (oops, he calls it a "path to legalization"). I've got news for you. Legalizing them will make them eligible for Obamacare. He's being completely disingenuous whether you want to admit it or not.
Here's a solution: Give us the enforcement that we never got after the last amnesty. How many illegal aliens have jobs here? And how many Americans don't have jobs? Maybe I don't want to pick vegetables or work in a garment factory or work in construction, but there are plenty of out-of-work Americans who would love to have those jobs now. Let's look out for Americans for a change. Dems want the future voters and Republicans want the cheap labor. In the meantime, the average American gets the shaft. We can't be the welfare system or the jobs supplier for the entire world. We're already broke. The cupboard's bare.
Illegal crossing is the result of 100 years of oppression in Latin American by the US exploiting their resources and polluting their land... (LOOK IT UP) so suck it up and stop sending companies over there paying them 50 cents an hour.
I do agree that we should amend NAFTA to help Mexico. NAFTA sucks. And both parties have been responsible for perpetuating it. Better yet, take some of the jobs that have been sent to China and send them to Mexico and South America. It'll help our neighbors to the south and be a kick in the gut to China. That's a win-win.
My plan? Enforce the laws using e-Verify (I know, it's ONLY 99% effective, right?) and prevent illegals from being able to work here -- period. You don't have to round them all up. Many will go home on their own if they have no options here. Cut...them...off. And I couldn't care less if they have American-born children. They can take their kids with them or find other arrangements for them. It's not our fault that they came here illegally and started dropping kids. We've been paying their tab for a long time, but we are broke now. We can't afford to keep doing it. Politicians and big business created this situation, but the American people have had to shoulder the burden of illegals for too long. It's time to reverse the tide and make our borders mean something again. We're full. No vacancy. We're already sinking. We can't keep taking on stowaways.
But I disagree about the unemployment rate. I read today that the teenage unemployment rate is 50%. FIFTY PERCENT!! I went to McDonald's yesterday and everyone there could barely speak English. Where did teens work why I was young? At McDonald's and other places like that. They can't even get those jobs now. And look at the raids on companies that employ illegals. What happens when the illegals leave? The lines of people wanting those jobs stretch down the street and the pay goes up. Some jobs -- like picking fruit -- would most likely not be done by Americans. Illegals don't just take those jobs, though. They take factory jobs, construction jobs, and jobs in the service industries. 25 years ago, those jobs were done by Americans. Like you said, though, corporate greed drove companies to hire illegals at cut-rate wages in order to boost their bottom lines.
If a company can't stay in business without hiring illegals, it shouldn't be in business at all.
Illegal immigration is not a "scapegoat" issue. It's an issue of basic supply and demand. There are a lot more workers than there are jobs. And Americans should come first. We can't employ the whole world. We can't even keep our own people employed.
For myself, I trust neither political party in this debate. How can I. Both sides of the isle have accepted millions of dollars from the very industries they are supposedly writing legislation to regulate. (who knows, some of it may be copied verbatim from their contributors)
In any sane society this whole mess would be an obvious conflict of interest. In the United States Congress it's just business as usual. The longer the debate lingers, the higher the money count gets.
I would like to offer a simple solution to our over priced health care system in one sentence.
"The interests of the patient are diametrically opposed to the interest of those making a profit from them."
All of our health care is "for profit" That is their primary concern. In no case does patient care come first. "Society can be judged by how it treats it's most vulnerable" How will we be graded?
to the interest of those making a profit from them."
Good point. And in a society such as this one that
pursues the dollar as an obsession (the 'bottom
line,' it's actually a contest, as in 'survival of the
fittest), that would be correct.
In a society that considers the quality of life for human
beings as a worthy goal, profit would be secondary.
In fact, that's how many businesses are started--in
spite of the dollar obsession-the contest.
It's corrupt Acorn ..ACLU,snobby elitism from Hollywood ,Liberal college professors, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Howard Dean, Barney Frank. It's about Our president apologizing all over the world for our bad behavior. It's the love affair with the Main Stream news media that doesn't hold BO accountable. We can't say "Christmas"...etc,etc,etc...I could go on and on ...but I think you must be getting the point.
All we are doing is trying to get *one* of a number of corrupt immoral industries to reign in their spending and allow more people to receive health care, without a single word concerning the actual product we receive with our insurance.
If we were really truly genuinely interested in reforming and improving Health CARE, then we would be talking about medications, procedures, equipment, tests, doctors, nurses, and hospitals. But, we're not. We are exclusively discussing insurance, which may lead to lower costs to receive the dangerous poisons that people pass off as Health Care, but no one cares that we are actually receiving dangerous poisons as health care