The Health Care Reform debate

September 7, 2009

Good God! Now the Right Wingnuttia are objecting to President Obama giving a back to school presentation to the nation's children to mark the beginning of the new school year. It was inevitable that this would happen in the current political climate. Patently ridiculous, is the proper reaction here, but as usual we are not hearing that. As with the yellers and screamers at the town hall meetings across the country, who at no time had as their purpose a reasonable exchange of ideas, here we are again with a situation, "...Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. ("Shakespeare's Macbeth")

Lets summarize. These disruptor's are generally not from the districts in which the Town halls were conducted. They in fact were bussed in by Insurance companies and their lobbying groups to do exactly what they were doing. They did their jobs well. I used the town halls example to show the climate existing in this Health Care reform struggle going on in our country right now. If you yell rudely, comport yourself like a jerk and otherwise avoid a healthy change of ideas, you will be effective. That is where we are. It is against this back drop that has made this really inspirational effort by past Presidents and OUR current President, turn into an ugly just ugly situation. Here's the mantra from the crazies. "I don't want the Obama brainwashing or indoctrinating my kids." I found the one hour lesson plan of the President's on line. It is inspirational, thoughtful and encouraging. That is the sum of it. There is nothing the Republics will not resort to to cause problems. The entire thing is disgraceful. Please get over the fact that our new President is a Black man.

Lets get down to what this is really about, in my opinion, right here, right now. Given there are some really debatable points of contention in our Health Care reform debate. That debate is quintessentially American. The Wingnuttia, as I've indicated has hijacked that debate, and progressive action on this monumental Health Care problem is losing ground. Pervasive, but unspoken in clear terms, are the machinations of latent, and most assuredly, in some venues, racism beyond the latent position. Am I suggesting the Republic brain trust are racists? Not necessarily. They are however using the racism that exists in our country as a vehicle to their best advantage. These Republic movers and shakers are the worst kind of moral criminals that exist today. They and the Insurance lobbyists are tapping that irrational pool of fear and hatred that persists in our society. The obvious but below the surface statement: "there is no "Black person" (or use your imagination on the disgusting appellation probably used) is going to tell me what to do or as in the case of the school presentation, influence my children. This is where we are. These immoral tactics and twisted social views writ large, might bring down meaningful Health Care reform.

President Obama will address a Joint session of Congress on Wednesday Sept 9, 2009. I am hoping he can re-frame the Health Care question more clearly. He and his Administration ceded the month of August to the Republics and wingnuttia on this question. I have serious questions whether or not he can affect change. If President Obama loses this battle, I believe the right wing machine will consume the rest of his presidency. This would put the President Obama in grave danger of being a one term president. I have to say that these are not panicky words, quite the contrary, they are a clear headed look at the possibilities. There is some middle ground available with regard to the chief point of contention. That issue, at this point, is the defining go/no-go question for adopting meaningful Health Care reform. That issue is the public option which would be run by the Government. The purpose of the public option is to force Health insurers to keep their prices in line. Simply stated, if the Insurers keep on as they are, people will opt for the much more competitive public option. I love the idea and embrace it fully. All of the efforts discussed earlier are pointed towards defeating this option. Additionally the latent and not so latent racism in our culture is insidiously aligned in opposition to this goal. If the public option is defeated, which it may have been already, I am having a tough time imaging a bill which has much to commend it in terms of comprehensive Health Care reform. We will see what happens after September 9, 2009 and thereafter.

America's Healthcare, at the nexus of need and politics

I watched a little of the Sunday talk shows this morning, and I was forced to retreat to the AMC cowboy movies, because the entire fare was Newt Gingrich, little dick Cheney, his daughter, and the endless discussion of Rush Limbaugh's, "with talent on loan from God," blowhard commentary, Yawn, stretch, look out the window. Somewhere in all this baloney, I did see some comments by Robert Reich, former Clinton administration Secretary, voice some dire warnings about about health care reform. He is well connected in Washington and he is warning that we must take action now on the tremendous opportunity we have to literally shake the tree and reconfigure the self/profit serving healthcare apparatus that we have presently. He says that the Big insurance and big Pharm fix may be in and now is the time that we need to rock the legislators and demand that a single payer system and a public option be available. Big lobbying money says that a public option will create unfair competition. I am a perfect example of why that claim is false or at best self serving. I have what amounts to a public option: Medicare. It was a Godsend when it was enacted in 1967. I am grateful for the coverage. It turns out that Medicare is not quite enough coverage given my income level and health condition, So, I have the option to purchase, on the free market, supplemental insurance. I have done so and I am OK. In my view, that is a fairly healthy marriage of public and private. Big Insurance loves Medicare because it takes all the unprofitable people out of their production and profit equation. A sound and viable public option is absolutely critical to the forty six million people in America that have no medical insurance. We should be ashamed of ourselves; that is, our legislators. As we speak, there are millions of dollars pouring into the anti-public onslaught, and the majority has gone to or will go to those legislators. The question is this: Profit or solid Medical Care? Given what we can observe and the cold hard facts, profit is winning. The real answer is not at all difficult. Do any of the legislators have the courage to say no to the big money cabals?

A concurrent question is the "Single Payer" objective. Of course the Republic meme is "Government can't do anything efficiently and correctly. There are numerous historical examples that simply trash that stupid claim. TVA, Federal Highway program, Nasa........ I could go on, but why, the bought and paid guy won't accede to example and the reality blind conservatives are so inculcated in their dogma that it is a hopeless case to make any attempts towards them. (But, I guess that is what I am doing. We have to try.)

Of course big insurance, big pharm, and to some extent big medical do not want single payer. Frankly, a single payer will cause them to dismantle a very awkward, bulky, and expensive billing and documentation system that each of these entities and their affiliates have in place. Humm! Where is the bad in that? Uh Oh, common sense is coming to bear. Why don't we reduce medical costs by tens of billions of dollars by invoking a single payer system? Same old answer of course, profitability, Income would be lost. In the whole "anti" herd, there is never any mention of the number of people who could be treated by dramatically lowering those costs. In fairness, we even hear, to a lesser extent, objections to placing present medical records into an electronic format. Something about privacy, yada yada and so on. That's fine, but lets get back to the real answer. Yep, it will save billions, but will cut existing profit kingdoms.

Let me give you an example of the cost cutting writ small. I have medical records at three different Doctors offices. I am trying to get into a clinical trial with UC Davis med center. The med center needs the records from the other Doctors. I have had to use my time to initiate this, but that is OK, I have the time. I will say the multiple telephone calls verifying what I had asked for when I signed the release forms were annoying. Now, inturn each office spends some time and a small amount of resources obtaining, compiling, and sending the records. There is cost involved. For a single transaction, the cost is not much, but of course, multiply that by millions and that is a pretty good piece of change. Remember now, this process starts up again at the recipients office. Now, I ask you which is simpler, the rigmarole I just mentioned or if the administrator obtained my records, with my permission, on line. I rest my case. So again I ask why are we getting guff even on something as straightforward and obvious as this. Up jumps that word again, Profit! There is in place infrastructure that deals with this medical evolution. Oh, lets not forget Republic intransigence.

The time is right now, everyone! If we lose the grip on this slight handhold in the wall and it will be many years before it will present itself again if the tamping down process succeeds. Come on folks, I mean everybody, call the legislators daily. Apparently, we don't do torches and pitch forks any more, I guess we will have to rely on shaking up the legislative branch. I am not convinced we, the populous have the guts to start and stay with a campaign. Remember, my countrymen, the hot air from the halls of Congress, the big money from lobbyists,and the rants from the operator of this little keyboard will continue unto resolution, satisfactory or not. What I want all of us to do is keep a daily count of the lives bright with promise and deserving we lose each day because of inadequate or no health insurance. The number is significant. Please check into it and you will be as dismayed as was I.

Veterans demand responsibility

I am a Veteran, however, I have never been one to participate or advocate these "Pet a Veteran" occasions. I always found that the participants, while well meaning, were essentially disingenuous and hypocritical. Most of these same people were the very ones who cried out the loudest to send our young to war, oftentimes, for dubious purposes and motivations. During the runup to a conflict, a lot of these folks were more than willing to place your children in this horrible danger. Then after the fact, they come to the parade and wave flags and weep at the poignancy of the moment when the honor guard carries the flag past them. Then they go home, satisfied that they had properly honored the Veterans. The citizen’s lives go on. However, the Veterans who died are still dead. The maimed and horrifically injured Veterans are still maimed and injured. Their lives go on sort of! I may hear: "So, you are telling me we can never commit our citizens to War? What would you have us do?" My answer is "Don't be stupid! Think before you speak." World War II required a complete national commitment. Our survival was at stake. Of course we commit whatever resources are required to prevail. A clear-cut decision was required and the cost of lives and treasure would simply have to be borne. Another example: The Civil War, horrendous in its toll in lives, the lives that were lost were our own citizens no less. Do I think the Federal Government needed to commit whatever resources that were needed to preserve the union of the United States of America? Yes, absolutely, yes. The preservation of our union required that supreme act. Our Revolutionary War is perhaps the most pristine example of a purpose that is higher than oneself with regards to war and the attendant casualties. We committed the necessary lives and material to form this precious entity we call the United States.

So, you see I don't advocate war, but there are instances where it is justified and necessary. The three examples I just mentioned, it seems to me, verify that claim. So, you ask me: "Why are you against honoring those who served with a parade and recognition?" I reply: "I do not object to the expression of thanks." I object to the fact that the very same people who line the parade route, did not line the streets when our military were placed in foolish, immoral, and illegal jeopardy. I cite Vietnam and Iraq. There are many more instances, but those two will do quite well for my purposes here.

During Vietnam, there was widespread protest. It is important to note that the protest came primarily from the young. Typically, not the folks you would see waving the little American flag as the Veterans day parade units went by. In fact, any of the protesters who might show up stood a good chance of getting their ass beat and/or arrested. Again, the people waving the flags sniffed their noses and muttered "Damn Hippies". I submit the following question. "Who were the loyal Americans in this instance?" It is a good question because it can be answered in terms of emphasis and degree. Was it Mom and Pop waving the flag or those "Damn Longhairs"? I submit to you that it was those "Damn Longhairs". Why? Because they risked something for what they felt was right. It is that simple. Mom and Pop herded their kiddies’ down to the parade and when the festivities were completed, then they all went home. They were all filled with self congratulations and patriotism. They took from the festivities. They gave nothing! 50,000 Americans, in the case of Vietnam were still dead and I can't even talk about the wounded, injured and maimed.

Where was mainstream America during the ramp-up to Vietnam? I realize participation in this conflict was a gradual slope. But where was Mom and Pop America before the dizzying speeds were reached? Those "Damn Hippies" had it right. Remember how we treated them? Our Vietnam Veterans deserve so much and received so little. This national disgrace ranks up right alongside the fact that we were even in the war.

This brings me to the present. Here we are losing lives in a country called Iraq. Huh! I am not even going to get started on the immoral/illegal..... aspects of this debacle. It is already documented that this Administration led by bush is an abject failure. History will record the crimes of this man and his cabal. Where I want to go again is : Mainstream America, where are you? You had every opportunity to say no to this substandard, in the extreme, President. Here again, you marched in lockstep and to date nearly 4,000 of our youth are dead and tens of thousands maimed and wounded. It is obvious to the world that invading Iraq was and is an obscenity. Yet, you will be down on the street waving the little flag as the kid motors by in his wheelchair. Why weren't you out in front of the Whitehouse at the beginning of this fiasco? Why aren't you right now beleaguering your elected representatives to end this immoral adventure in Iraq?

Just some good advice: If you truly honor the Veterans and service men and women, protect them as the precious national resource that they are and insist loudly and authoritatively that they be used only under the most righteous and necessary circumstances. Do something for them other than filling yourself with patriotic zeal, at their expense, during a Veterans Day parade.

As a Veteran, I want, very much, the thanks of my fellow citizens, but, I am simply arguing that I want that thanks to be genuine, heartfelt, and committed. Citizen, Don't use me to satisfy your conscience. I am not yours to use. As a Veteran, I was an active part of our Democracy. I want you to become an active part in our Democracy in all circumstances that apply to the use of this precious resource. Sucking up the atmosphere around a Veteran is not getting involved, it is theft of their soul.