Evolution of Consciousness

A look at the “Health Care” section of the “Open for Questions” feature at change.gov reveals a powerful desire from American citizens for single-payer healthcare. An overwhelming majority of the comments on healthcare, numbering in the thousands, asked for essentially the same thing: single-payer (or HR 676). The ratio of yes/no votes on these comments ran about 20 to 1 for single payer. This indicates that the disinformation machine from the insurance/pharma industries is losing its grip on the public. I credit the movie “Sicko” for much of this awareness (if you have not seen “Sicko,” now is a good time). 

I think we are on the cusp of a great battle, essentially between the ascendant plutocracy (governance by the wealthy) and that silly old dream of democracy (governance by the people), and I see the healthcare crisis as representative of this larger struggle. 

For more than seventy years, base money interests (currently in the guise of health insurance and big pharma) have prevented us from adopting the vastly superior single-payer system. The rest of the world has benefitted from this simple concept, but America has not. We lag behind — paying more, getting less, becoming sicker — so a greedy few can continue enriching themselves at the expense of the many others. It’s been an obscene development in this country, and is a direct result of the ideology that puts profit before people.

The majority of American people (and physicians) want single-payer but an extremely wealthy, self-interested minority does not, and thus far they have managed to have their way, because big dollars mean big influence in government. Many Americans have suffered, and many have died, as a result. The for-profit “health” industry continues pumping vast sums from their ill-gotten gains into government, and HR 676 continues to languish — stuck “in committee” — in the House of Representatives.

For those of you in California’s First Congressional District, you should know that your representative, Mike Thompson, has not yet co-sponsored HR 676 (93 reps have, and he’s had years to do it). A quick look at his campaign finances (opensecrets.org) reveals that the “health” industry was a major contributor to his recent re-election, which most likely explains Mike’s reticence to support HR 676. PACs usually have candidates sign “position papers” before the money passes hands, and it is easy to imagine this one saying something like, “I will not support the single-payer solution.” This all-too-common example of concentrated wealth wielding disproportionate influence in government is probably the single greatest impediment to true democracy in this country, and we need to eradicate it from our system.

Tell your representatives (House and Senate) to support HR 676. Tell Obama the same thing (change.gov). Speak up. Join the millions who are trying to turn this ship around. It will take a lot of voices to overwhelm the money interests, but the numbers are in our favor — we only have to use them. 

Let’s take this country back.