Evolution of Consciousness

An excellent essay from Paul Craig Roberts: “An Economy Destroyed“

Chris Hedges writes beautifully about war: “Bitter Memories of War on the Way to Jail“; and DMG is entertaining with his look at the fate of Obamacare: “Health Care and the Wages of Sin.”

A good report from Chris Hedges: “Obama’s Health Care Bill Is Enough to Make You Sick,” takes an honest look at the health insurance biz and government in America.

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.”