tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post2609526035118547854..comments2023-10-28T03:07:12.758-07:00Comments on Mirror On America: The Healthcare Fight: Where the Battle Lines are DrawnBrian http://www.blogger.com/profile/07872444863142531165noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-3556763688408269272009-08-09T16:17:37.961-07:002009-08-09T16:17:37.961-07:00Here is an interesting and very powerful argument ...Here is an <a href="http://www.pnhp.org/blog/2009/08/08/reply-to-critics-of-%E2%80%9Cbait-and-switch-how-the-%E2%80%98public-option%E2%80%99-was-sold%E2%80%9D/" rel="nofollow">interesting and very powerful argument for rallying around single payer</a> by Kip Sullivan of the Physicians for a National Health Program. It delves in detail on the political infeasibility argument of enacting single payer versus the current battle over a watered-down public option.<br /><br /><i>Conservatives never base their opposition to single-payer on the ground that it is “politically infeasible.” They oppose single-payer on policy grounds and they say so. The “political feasibility” argument is used exclusively by proponents of universal health insurance who profess to admire single-payer systems but who refuse to support single-payer legislation in any meaningful way (and often support legislation that impedes single-payer’s progress) on the ground that single-payer cannot be enacted, soon or at all.</i><br /><br />My own take: I support reform of the healthcare system but I am not quite sure if I can support HR 3200 as the reform to rally around. I prefer HR 676 or S 703. There is a movement behind single payer which has been in existence since the 1980s. And I do deplore the aggressive, brownshirt tactics of the right wing in trying to shut down debate and use intimidation to defeat even the modest public option that the Obama administration is proposing.redantehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15608670655422465211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-65802366437815647672009-08-08T13:34:17.668-07:002009-08-08T13:34:17.668-07:00Echoing a sentiment expressed at the TPM blog Anti...Echoing a sentiment expressed at the TPM blog <a href="http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/anti-health-care-reform-protester-encourages-physical-violence-use-of-firearms.php" rel="nofollow">Anti-Health Care Reform Protester Encourages Physical Violence, Use Of Firearms</a>, given the EXTREMELY modest nature of the reform being proposed on the table, things have gotten out of hand crazy really fast.redantehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15608670655422465211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21083673.post-29180575527116739842009-08-08T12:38:56.515-07:002009-08-08T12:38:56.515-07:00Unfortunately, single payer was never considered. ...Unfortunately, single payer was never considered. There was never a realistic shot of getting it through. So Obama shot it down early.<br /><br />But what bugs me is that they have conceded once again by killing the idea of a serious public option to compete with private insurance companies. The current plan being considered has no real public option. That was stripped out in committee negotiations.<br /><br />What we are likely to get is a watered down plan (like I suspected all along)...and it may make things worse than if they had done nothing at all. <br /><br />If I were advising Obama, I would seriously consider abandoning this thing.... or at least shelving it for a year or so. As I mentioned before... it was stupid of them to try this during an economic crisis. It was just plain stupid.<br /><br />What Obama should do now is retreat for the time being... wait until after 2010.... hope that they can pick up a couple of Senate seats (probably not likely...but you never know)...and wait until the economy improves and try again. 2010 (under a slightly better economy) or 2011/2012 might be better. He needs to get control of his message early....and have a complete plan on the table that he can market. THEN go out to sell it. Currently...he's trying to sell something that he doesn't have completed yet...and this allows the Republicans to define what's in the plan (in other words...make up whatever lies they want).<br /><br />But probably the biggest problem is that Progressives/Dems are unable to compete with the Right when it comes to the media war. Progressive voices are outnumbered 10-1, and they don't have a media infrastructure to speak of. This is why they never have control of their message...it's always defined on Conservatives terms. Republicans control the news filter. <br /><br />Until this changes.... the Obama Administration, and any other Democrat Administration, will continue to have this problem.<br /><br />Even CNN and MSNBC are using Right Wing talking points. CNN interviewed Rick Scott yesterday as if he was a legitimate authority on Healthcare. They didn't ask him any probing questions... just softball stuff. (This is one of the spinsters behind the anti-healthcare efforts...spreading lies, promoting protests, etc).<br /><br />Combine the media imbalance with the fact that there are racial undertones involved in people's opposition to Healthcare Reform (and other initiatives) and the fact that we have a dumbed down population in this Country....that seems to fall for just about anything...and we have a government that can't govern and a nation that may not be able to fix itself. <br /><br />I have never seen so much racism and irrational xenophobia displayed publicly in this Country. Obama is forcing racism to boil over in people....<br /><br />Folks seem to be losing their minds at this point. Rational thought (which Americans rarely seem to have anyway) is gone.<br /><br />I have also never seen so many uninformed, ignorant Americans.Brian https://www.blogger.com/profile/07872444863142531165noreply@blogger.com