The Democrats' Authoritarian Health "Reform" Bill and the Ascendency of Corporatism in the Democratic Party
I don’t mean to be a grinch or anything, but this was too good not to post:
If Barack Obama and today’s Congressional Democrats were passing Social Security for the first time, instead of a creating a public program, they would likely be mandating that every American buy an annuity from a private, profit-driven Wall Street firm like Goldman Sachs (who could keep 15%-20% of their payments for overhead, profits and executive salaries) with the IRS serving as Wall Street’s collection agency. If they were passing Medicare today, they would be mandating that every American buy a health insurance policy from profit-driven companies like Aetna, Humana and Wellpoint that would start paying benefits with 40% co-pays and $10,000 a year deductibles when they turn 65.
Democrats and liberals once stood for providing a social safety net through government programs like Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance, which were administered by government employees for the benefit of the American people and not by private companies for the benefit of their shareholders and executives who receive multi-million dollar salaries and bonuses. For over 60 years, they stood for the principal that health care should be a right and not a privilege and that Medicare should be extended to all Americans.
I’m holding my nose, closing my eyes, wearing ear plugs and taking a deep breathe, supporting the “health care reform” bill that Congress will pass in a few weeks. Not because I think it is a great, bold step forward and progressive legislation, but because, for all its terrible warts and mechanisms, it’s still going to deliver healthcare to a lot of people that don’t have it this Christmas.
And I don’t think I could live with myself if I helped stop them from seeing a doctor, no matter how fucked up and sell-out this bill is. Let’s fight to fix it, but not deny people healthcare.
But please, let’s not compare Obama and FDR.
