I know. I know. Cut off nose. Spite face. But honest to bejesus, if we go to all the trouble and expense to achieve control of both elected branches of government and still get no health care reform, as promised, politics clearly isn't the problem or the solution. The problem is the unaccountable health insurance system.
Why do insurance companies have eternal streams of cash to spend every day, year after year, decade after decade fighting single-payer or even a single public option? Why are they free to keep this fight going? How do they always manage to coral reform back toward the status quo? They have those billions of dollars to buy public opinion and Congressional votes because we give it to them. We stop giving them the money through our exorbitant premiums and they will have to choose between their bonuses and paying off Congress, end of report.
Could this be costly, difficult, and even dangerous? Yes. Is it worth the risk? I'm starting to think so.
The system is rigged to prevent boycotts of course. In Massachusetts insurance mandates actually force everyone to pay premiums into the health insurance preservation funds. There is even a plan for a national mandate to force us to give these crooks our money. Mandates prevent boycotts and limit choice. If we let these mandates go through there will be huge financial penalties for individuals and small businesses who opt out. A boycott in MA will require some good old fashioned tea party action.
Boycotting insurance companies is draconian (but less so than my other suggestion - dissolve the US Senate). I have conditions that will put my health at risk if I can no longer afford medical treatment. But I am already near the brink of financial ruin just paying premiums and co-pays. I basically have nothing more to lose. I would rather give what little money I have left to my local gym than to the health care ponzi scheme.
Maybe we should take the super-conservative game plan to end Social Security and Medicare by so breaking and under-funding the system that it can't be repaired and apply it to the health insurance companies. When it comes to health insurance companies it is time to starve the beast.
In the meantime fight for the Weiner Amendment in the House offering Medicare for All. It is the only single-payer debate that we have left.
//snark>