Evolution of Consciousness

David Michael Green has written a lovely eulogy on the effort to reform the American health care system: Did Obama Sandbag His Own Health Care Bill?

As we get down to the wire on Health Care Reform, the intensity rises. Republican obstructionism has finally been shouldered aside, reconciliation will apparently be used, and Democrats must now decide the final shape of their bill.

A health insurance mandate seems to be a given with this bill, the largest remaining question appears to be whether the Public Option will be included. Much hinges on this decision. A Mandate without a Public Option means government will be insisting everyone purchase overpriced, inefficient, for-profit health insurance. This would, of course, please the insurance industry greatly, but it will also incense voters of all stripes. It appears to be political suicide.

But this is exactly what the Donkeys deserve. By refusing to even discuss the highly-proven Single Payer model, they eliminated any chance we had at a real solution. It seems the main lesson the Obamahns took from the Clintonian healthcare debacle is that you have to negotiate with corporate interests, first and foremost, else they will kill your legislation. The problem is they erred too far in that direction, and we now face an industry-pleasing solution that does too little for the actual people involved.

The Democrats have painted themselves into a corner, and it will be interesting to see how they emerge. If they leave the Public Option out, they’ll please industry but alienate voters; if they include the Option, they’ll appease constituents but enrage their paymasters. Knowing these Democrats, they will either: a) capitulate to industry completely (Mandate, no Option), or b) find some Middle Muddle Way, which would include a very weak Public Option, thus accomplishing the neat trick of appeasing and disgusting both voters and industry at the same time.

It’s a tough call. In the old days, I’d have put my money on “b,” but given the deeply fascist state of our government these days, I’m expecting “a.” In this environment, they’ve learned it’s better to serve corporate interests rather than the people.

Glenn Greenwald wrote a good piece on this subject today: “The Democrats’ Scam Becomes More Transparent.”

If the Democratic Party were interested in surviving, it would follow the lead of Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY) in this video…

The Republican ideology is dead, it just doesn’t know it yet. The practice of the current Democratic Party (being an ever slightly more-conflicted, more-subversive version of the out-and-out Republican corruption) is also headed for extinction. Ignoring the citizenry is simply unsustainable in the long run. You can only exploit the people for so long, before they revolt or perish.

I don’t think the Republicans have any chance of surviving, long term, since representing big business is in their DNA. If the Democrats (and I realize that’s a huge “if”) were to come clean and swear off the bribery, they could hasten both their renaissance and the Republican demise. One fell swoop. But that would take courage and foresight, and I don’t see that coming from many entrenched quarters yet. It is, however, refreshing to hear it every once in a great while, so kudos to Weiner for that!

It has been an interesting summer of politics on healthcare reform. We’ve seen and heard plenty of nonsense, with greed and corruption providing the framework, and ignorance and fear filling the air. These human shortcomings are not new, but history also reveals that they can be overcome.

Single-payer national health insurance will eventually prevail in this country, simply because it is the only affordable and sustainable system in the long run. 

Meanwhile, it appears that Obama and this 111th Congress may take some baby steps toward reform, but all indications are it won’t be enough to really stop the bleeding. We’ll all be back to the drawing board soon. The fact is our current for-profit health insurance system is unsustainable, it costs too much and does not work. Until we remove this $400,000,000,000 middleman from the equation, this country will remain sick and in pain.

The good news is that the national conversation on healthcare has begun. More and more Americans are learning some real facts about our common plight. In spite of the massive propaganda campaign directed against us, the truth of the matter is leaking out, little by little, bit by bit. A majority of Americans, a critical mass, will eventually get it. Single payer will eventually win, it is only a matter of time.

So the trick is, in the meantime, remain calm, centered, and patient. Whatever you do, don’t get sick! This is not a good time to require healthcare in America — unless, of course, you’ve reached the magical age of 65, when our national health insurance (Medicare) actually kicks in. Only then can you begin to enjoy the benefits of the single payer system. Before that (0-65) you are merely profit fodder for the health insurance industry.

I had dinner with our representative, Mike Thompson, last night (July 11). An intimate affair with a hundred others.

The good news is that Single Payer advocates showed up in force. There were activists outside with flyers and placards, and many more paid their way inside. I think Mike knew we were coming, as he closed his speech with a big healthcare-reform finish. Then he opened up the Q and A session. The subject of Single Payer dominated that last half hour, and everyone that spoke was for it.

Mike’s rhetorical tautology against Single Payer is that we just can’t have it. (What that really means is that he is unwilling to take on one of his primary donors, the medical industrial complex.) He’s just another off-the-table democrat. One of Mike’s favorite excuses is the mythical American unicorn who “likes his healthcare plan” and is “terrified of change.” Mike is terribly concerned about this person, and doesn’t want to scare him.

Look, we can always find some kook out there who believes anything, but should we base our public policy decisions on the fears of the most uninformed and ignorant among us? Non-kooks would say no. The real reason Mike keeps trotting out this aberration is it is about all the industry has left to fight with. Imaginary fear. This unicorn is the 2009 version of Harry and Louise.

The bad news is that Mike Thompson was pretty much as expected, a career politician who has become comfortable in his position. Let’s just say this blue dog spends a lot of time curled up by the fire, at the feet of Master. 

The most disappointing aspect of the evening, for me, was the high level of prevarication that is tolerated in such a forum. The whopper of the evening was when Mike told us that money has absolutely no effect on legislators. Imagine that! “Attention, lobbyists and PACs, your money has no effect on Mike Thompson and friends. Attention, Health Insurance Industry, your $1.4 million spent every day is being wasted. Go home. Your money is no good here.” 

Folks, I’m here to report that Mike Thompson isn’t about to represent us in congress. He has other priorities. Twelve years of this is enough. We need to find another representative come 2010. Preferably, a progressive independent. Anyone out there?

P.S. It’s a shame Christina Aanestad wasn’t available to cover the event. It was a real public disservice to dismiss such a competent local reporter. Here’s an example: Christina’s report of Mike’s previous appearance at a local business luncheon (last month) caught some of his reactions to the Single Payer protest outside the venue. One of his statements was (paraphrase), “Look, there’s only twenty people out there, and the numbers go way down from there.” At Mike’s dinner, last night, he told the crowd he never said that. It would be harder to refute that if Christina hadn’t recorded it.