Likely Developments If the Fake Health Reform Passes

I recently spent several hours reading numerous Daily Kos diaries, (which I never did before, by the way). The diaries often attract a lot of comments.

What I discovered is that if the mandate passes but the public option does not pass, there will be widespread and I do mean widespread civil disobedience, and the Democrats will be severely hammered in the next several elections. Furthermore, many believe that the Republicans are intentionally trying to maneuver the gullible Democrats into ending up with the mandate but no or a weak public option, because they know that they will be able to successfully run against the Democrats for many years to come when the public rebels against the ultra regressive taxation that a mandate without an extremely strong public option is.

Whether it is possible for even a strong public to reduce and keep in check health insurance prices is dubious. It's not clear that Americans in their present state could make a "strong public option" work even if they set out to do it.

It is likely that even a "strong public option" would be a complete flop and would eventually result in heavy civil disobedience and heavy political losses for the Democrats. But you know how the Republicans are: they always want and frequently get the whole loaf. In this case, they are holding out for no public option or a fake, weak public option, while allowing the mandate to slink through, probably through the backdoor. This combination will allow the Republicans to optimize their power to clean up against the Democrats in the elections down the road.

Back in the real world of the American peasantry, there were actually a large number of posters at Daily Kos guaranteeing right here and now that unless there was a true and strong public option, they would refuse to buy grossly overpriced private health insurance from corporations with obscene profits.

Rather, they would continue to in effect be self insured. Interestingly and importantly, several pointed out that they have, in recent years and in the real world, financially come out ahead by paying for health care needs out of pocket rather than paying all the premiums, deductibles, co-pays, uncovered invoiced items, disallowed invoiced items, and other fees associated with a private insurance policy.

Although it was nice to see that Daily Kos folks have become aware of how they are being played in the health care debate, I like Common Dreams better because people there are not as liable to being fooled and played in the first place.

Health care for all and with costs under control is the only way life can be completely worth living. Without it, the country is really nothing more than a hell hole where people die early deaths.

A RESPONSE:

SayBlade September 2nd, 2009 5:04 pm
Yes! There's no such thing as the "free market." Just like there's no Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy or Flying Spaghetti Monster.

There is, however, a god. Apparently it is worshiped by profits and shareholders across the financial universe.

I once thought I saw the flying spaghetti monster at an Italian restaurant, but then I realized I had drunk twice as much wine as usual.

[The above is in response to this article.]