As they say crime should fit the punishment. Likewise celebration should fit the achievement. If you want to call passage of the HCR bill a victory, it is a Pyrrhic one. That is why I find it embarrassing to pat our own backs so vigorously as expressed in the recent congratulatory letters from of MoveOn HCAN, OFA and a few other Progressive groups.
Dear MoveOn Friends,
As they say crime should fit the punishment. Likewise celebration should fit the achievement. If you want to call passage of the HCR bill a victory, it is a Pyrrhic one. That is why I find it embarrassing to pat our own backs so vigorously as expressed in the recent congratulatory letter from Justin Ruben.
If we insist in calling this a victory, the praiseworthy trait of the Progressive HCR activists contributing to the victory is their flexibility in letting go of all their principles in order to save two key benefits.
First is sticking together to not let GOP win - unprincipled and short sighted, because the sores planted in the bill for Corporatists will start oozing and will be very visible and hurt us politically.
Second (my only reason) - the expansion of coverage to 32 Million uninsured - is a noble cause. It is for this cause, that we can hold our nose, and support this bill, despite it being full of sores caused by rampant Corporatism. We know that Ins Cos will get millions of new customers charging them ever higher premiums already at rapacious levels. The higher subsidies will just cause the siphoning of Taxpayer Dollars into the Corporate coffers. Yes there are multiple loopholes to avoid regulations. Nothing that can not be overcome by spending taxpayer dollars freely. If we get the coverage - the enormous costs will become visible sooner rather than later and will have to be corrected by treating the bigger sores.
There are two gaping sores in this bill:
- No Public Insurance Option (best cured by Medicare Full Premium Buy In for all).The PO will lower premiums (lower subsidies) and provide Organic Regulation Enforcement.
- Built in delays in provision of every major benefit. This includes Exchanges, Subsidies, Adult Preex Ban and even Medicaid Expansion (yes).
Reasons for #1 we have finally understood - how President's Kabuki** has caused tremendous waste of time, talent and treasure of HCR activists (among them MoveOn) chasing a cause which the Administration knew all along to be a wild goose. Not much can be done about this except to pursue the objective with renewed vigor while closely watching for skulduggery by Dems in the Whitehouse and on the Hill.
#2 is the cause for which we (I) have accepted hole #1 and others. Unfortunately the biggest surprise is the 4 year delays. This will not allow coverage to begin moving and will allow 200,000 people to die waiting. This is a heart break of which the President and Hill Dems seem to be oblivious, even after mourning in every speech about the cruelty of 45000 Americans dying every year for the lack of access to Health Insurance (and thus Health Care).
These two sores define the two major challenges that face the proponents of Real Health Care reform, one that accrues to regular folks not to Corporations and their Corporatist tools. We have to start pushing for Public Option and Elimination of delays.
The flag that flew high at MoveOn and other HCR partners (PCCC, DFA, FDL, AFL-CIO, SEIU etc) should not be kept lowered because the protectors of the flag are punch drunk on a Pyrrhic victory.
The flag must be hoisted again. The march must continue.
Your Comrade in Arms,
A MoveOn Member
**
http://tinyurl.com/KabukiOnTheHill:
"It's all Kabuki theater to cover up the truth that President Obama made a back room deal with the for profit hospital industry that the final health care bill would not include a national public option."
http://tinyurl.com/O-POdeal
"NY Times Reporter Confirms Obama Made Deal to Kill Public Option"
The flag must be hoisted again. The march should continue.
Like a body without a heart.
Unfortunately, it did not arise. Some of the pumpkins turned out to be plastic.
Don't you wish!
We shalll get there and beyond!