After months of trying to play nice with the Republicans, Max Baucus releases a bill with no public option and no republican support. It’s a watered down piece of pro insurance industry legislation that won’t actually make things better, and probably will make things worse.
With a requirement included to force people to buy insurance, this has gone from a piece of healthcare reform bill, to the golden goose that will create millions of new customers for insurance thieves (and that is what they are) that are already pulling in immoral amounts of profits on the backs of dying poor and middle class people.
Is this just about healthcare? No, it isn’t. Since the 1960’s, the left has been rolled by the right, even when we have won elections. On the issues, from healthcare to education to environmentalism, to election reform, the people of this country consistently back progressive positions (if not democrats), yet we fail to govern from a position of strength every time we are elected. We are distracted or bullied by the far right.
When Bill Clinton got busted for the blow job heard around the world, it was after a long and winding witch hunt that started with special prosecutor Ken Starr looking at Hillary’s real estate dealings. The total tab was about 75 million dollars. Anyone remember how much George W. Bush spent up to investigate 9/11? 14 million. How does the right do that?
I’ll tell you how; they are the school yard bullies grown up. They are really an insecure and undereducated lot who use force and intimidation to make up for their short comings. What about the left? Well, we are generally inclined to negotiation and compromise. We like facts and studies. Knowledge and inquiry make sense to us, and we feel as if, given the right information, the right will "get it" and find common ground with us.
We are wrong. They will not come to their senses. They rely on their gut, and their gut is controlled by fear. They’re afraid of change. Whether it’s electric car (only for sissies up here in Idaho) or openly gay people, they just prefer them to go away.
The people who "represent" the right, politicians, corporations, pundits, and preachers are not interested in change. They are, and always have been interested in one thing; power. They are experts at manipulating their base, and they feel no moral obligation to not manipulate them. They will do what they have to keep the status quo.
All through high school, I had a guy who didn’t like me much. He was bigger and stronger and more popular. I couldn’t just avoid him, we had classes together and played four years of football together. In my senior year, I accidently stepped on his toe while waiting in a line for a drill at football practice. He pushed me in the back, called me a name and told me to watch myself. I finally turned around, looked him straight in the eyes, and said "Why don’t you just kick my ass and get it over with. Let’s go." He immediately grumbled something incoherent and turned his attention to a friend. He never bothered me again.
Mr. President, you are dealing with people who would screw themselves over just to see you fail. They do not respond to intelligence or compromise, or those silly things like facts. It is time you turned around and looked them in the eyes and called their bluff. The majority of American people truly need healthcare reform (not "insurance" reform.) If we can’t get that from a Democratic administration with a Democratic congress, then a lot of progressives need to stop and re-evaluate why we are supporting you.
Mr. President, roll up your sleeves, put on your brass knuckles and get ready to throw the first punch. The cowards will back down if you stand up. They always do.