As some here glow with pride and gleam with joy over the Senate vote on this "piece of social legislation" I on the other hand shake my head in disgust. For me, what I see actually coming out of this bill is the start and official launch of the Insurance-Industrial Complex, and am reminded of the farewell speech by then President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
So, I've taken a relevant part of it and pasted it below.
The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together.
Now, we all know how that turned out. The "military-industrial complex" is easily controlled, monitored, and kept in check by our astute and ever vigilant Congress. It merely consumes about half of the federal budget to one degree or other, and requires a mere $600 billion or so a year to maintain. A fare price by Roman Empire standards.
I snark, but if about one third or more of the hours you work go to paying taxes, then about half of that goes just to propping up the MIC.
Again with some modification:
we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military insurance-industrial complex.
It is good that millions more people will be (forced to buy) covered by insurance, I guess, but what is ignored, overlooked, or perhaps even cheered is the integration of the business of private insurance with the federal government.
That is to say, not only are you being ordered by the Federal Government to purchase a private sector product thereby engorging their profit base, but your tax dollars will be given to these private sector conglomerations as well. This will in essence expand their sphere of influence. As we've seen in the military-industrial example, in order for this kind of scheme to function over time, the "unwarranted" influence of the (choose industry) _________-industrial complex will demand more and more of the federal revenue be diverted to it. It's not like we haven't seen this pattern before. But with the added impetus of the 'fear for our lives' to motivate our servitude. We will become slaves to their demands for fear of 'losing coverage'. We'll be indentured to the system and so many of our working hours will go just to pay for it leaving us with less and less wage for ourselves and for consumerism. We will continue to find ourselves consumed with the consumerism of health insurance.
The facts bare this out. It is a failed approach to governing. Why anyone would cheer it I have no idea. Why the administration didn't fight harder against it, I can only assume, is because they're all for it.
I have a very bad feeling future generations will rue the day this bill was passed. And as the bill nears passing, we find ourselves that much closer to losing a bit more of the soul of this nation. We are losing it to corporate interests.
This bill represents a failure of our government to actually govern.