Monday, November 09, 2009

This really sums up my opinion on the health care matter:

It's from an article entitled "Health Care: Winning a Battle, Losing the War" by James Ridgeway:

Obama and the Democrats have no real vision for a transformed health care system, so they’ve gone for a slightly modified version of business as usual. They’ve cut backroom deals that win a few meager concessions toward the public good, while at the same time ensuring the profits of the insurance companies, Big Pharma, and other health care profiteers by maintaining their basic control of the health care system and rewarding them with bigger assured markets and more and more money. (To make matters worse, at the last minute they also cut a deal with anti-choice members of their own party that will further undermine women’s access what was, when I last checked, still a legal medical procedure.) In other words, they’re doing what Democrats have done since at least the Clinton years–acting like kinder, gentler Republicans, rather than like the defenders of the common people.

A whole lot of Americans don’t like the current health care system, and a whole lot more hate insurance companies. The Democrats might have been able to translate that into some sort of populist support for real change. Instead, they dithered and compromised, and failed to invoke any compelling ideology. Health care ought to have nothing to do with profits. It should be a basic human right in a civilized society. But that’s precisely the kind of statement the Democrats are unwilling to make—so they end up saying nothing at all.

I do hope what has been accomplished so far is simply the beginning - that we'll be able to enact new and better reforms quickly. But, quite frankly, I'm not hugely optimistic. The insurance and pharmaceutical companies are just too powerful and the Democrats are too intimidated.
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3 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:02 PM

    I am not very optimistic either. In the end the Democrats gave in to the special interests and big Pharma. If only the Obama administration had the guts to stand up and tell how it really is, and gather the support of the American public.

    Sad, and as you said earlier, really unnecessary, which makes it more tragic.

    I came across the following story on NPR today, and am forwarding it as it signifies what a lot of people suffer through.

    A Widow Paints a Health Care Protest


    - RPS

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  2. I agree completely. The Democrats lack courage, however, because they are too moderate and conservative -- because there is no truly progressive party in major US politics today.

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  3. Hi, RPS. Thanks for your comment. I haven't had a chance to look at the NPR piece yet but I will.

    Good to have you stop by, Robin Marie. We do need a vigorous and truly progressive party in the US. Sadly, the Democrats are really Republican-lite (as has been often observed.)

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