Understand that Obama is the enemy
I’m sorry, but he is. He just is.
The private health insurance industry is a bloodsucking Mafia lord that does nothing but drive up costs and block access to the health care people need. It’s a giant tick on the body politic. It contributes nothing; all it does is take. Its very existence is an absurdity: it’s like having a tollbooth between you and your doctor that only occasionally allows you to get through, and then only if you fork over bags of protection money every month for your whole life.
What we need to do is sweep away this con-job racket. That’s what real health care reform would look like.
Instead, Obama is committed to keeping the bloodsucking parasites in business. While some of us are going to spend the month of August agitating for single-payer, the White House is going to spend it reminding everybody that Obama lurves private health insurance:
Myiq2xu is right: Obama’s plan ought to be called the “Health Insurance Industry Protection Act.” That’s exactly what it is.
Donna Darko has a good post on How to mobilize for Medicare for All, which is what the rest of this summer needs to be about. We cannot rely on Obama to lead the way. He doesn’t care. He’s not interested. All he wants is to pass some little bill, something that will keep his Big Insurance and Big Pharma donors happy and that won’t upset the Republicans too much, just so he can claim a victory for his first year in office. It’s a Potemkin village.
If we want something real, we have to fight for it.
19 Responses to “Understand that Obama is the enemy”
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anna says:
So: Does the up or down vote on single payer have any chance of passing, and what can we do to encourage it?
August 4th, 2009 at 6:35 pm EST -
Kiuku says:
I agree. We have to fight for it. It’s not about saving money at this point when we have a system that is on its face unethical. It’s about ethics; not money.
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yttik says:
“If we want something real, we have to fight for it.”
I envy your optimism.
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quixote says:
I post this all the time. I’ve posted it on my blog, in comments, everywhere. It seems to go streaking right by.
This is Obama in 2004, when he was State Senator in Illinois, helping to gut their attempt at widening access to health care. Reported at boston.com, Sept. 2007.
“We radically changed [the health care bill] in response to concerns that were raised by the insurance industry.” (Obama, 2004/05/19)
Damn right, he’s the enemy. Always has been. He told everyone so. I have no idea why it’s such a hard concept for so many people.
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Violet says:
quixote, I just read a surprisingly good article in Salon about Obama’s free-market fetish: Can Obama be deprogrammed?
Comments on the article:
What is this guy talking about?
Sometimes I wonder if Salon hates having the Dems in charge.
Hillary lost. Maybe that is the bigger issue for Salon.
Words can not describe how fucking thrilled I am to have Barack Obama as our president.
Recall that this is Salon: the typically Obama-worshipping, Clinton-hating, sexist cesspit.
Another dude put down the bong long enough to post this:
It took me over half the article to figure out what the hell this guy was talking about. I’m guessing that 90% of the readers will have no idea what “neoliberalism” is and without that the article makes no sense at all. If he had used the words “free-market liberals” we would understand. Add to that that the headline sounds like something only a wingnut could love and the article is hopeless.
Basically, anything that says “omg I pink fuzzy HEART Obama” is good; anything else is incomprehensible gibberish.
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cellocat says:
I love the subtext in that comment: I am so smart (proven by how much I love Obama) that if I don’t get this article, no one will.
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paper doll says:
What we need to do is sweep away this con-job racket. That’s what real health care reform would look like.
Damn straight!! I have been asking people: what do we need insurance companies for? No one has an answer. Even if the companies were good, and gave you the coverage they are supposed to ,they soak up 30% of every medical dollar spent FOR PAPER WORK…that’s it. But they aren’t good. They routinely rook people out of coverage the public paid for and get bonuses for doing so.
Everything the Right wing says about UHC is true of our private insurance criminal system now. Rationing, someone telling you and your doctor what will be , on and on and we pay though the nose for it!
People say, well they have an obligation to their investers…okay, so I’m supposed to be more concerned with their investors than with the public? The answer is to stop making obscene profits off the sick and elderly and get rid of the companies…it’s real simple .
However if we see single payer, I feel it will be billions from now down the road. But it’s important to fight so folks know whatever horror comes out of the oval office, that’s not what we meant.
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paper doll says:
What we need to do is sweep away this con-job racket. That’s what real health care reform would look like.
Until we do, there’s no reform, just lies. What do we need the companies for?? they soak up 30% of every medical dollar spent…for paper work and denying people the coverage they paid for.
That’s all…oh and sending public officials boat loads of cash….maybe that’s why there’s a problem about us getting UHC? …ya think? -
paper doll says:
oops! my other UHC comment DID get posted…sorry for the points repete. I thought sammy got it
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Paula says:
A government run VA healthcare plan, A government run medicare plan, and a government run plan that members of Congress enjoy. Wonder why it’s okay for the government to run these healthcare plans..which incidently receive good satisfaction reviews and whose cost increase at a slower rate than private insurance….but it’s not okay for the rest of America to have the same quality and affordable healthcare. Wonder why these programs don’t seem to fall under Socialism…after all they are government run.
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Kiuku says:
I don’t want insurance companies between patients and doctors. The mistrust and paranoia regarding tax paid medical coverage is that the government will step in and interfere with people’s personal health. It’s ridiculous. What’s really behind it, is the fundamental ideas of the American culture with regard to sickness and health that need to be changed. Contempt for the sick. Contempt for women. It’s people who are afraid to lose their perceived privilege: men, mostly who want to control women’s access to reproductive healthcare. It’s the idea that people can control health and illness and it’s just not true. What is true is that with regular checkups major problems can be avoided while they are minor. Give people access to health care. People are choosing to remain sick and die or go into debt larger than their house. So the American dream is completely destroyed by this health care system when your health debt is greater than your house debt. It is a backward idea that people should have a job first before their health. Even abolishing health insurance and making people pay out of pocket would be a step in the right direction because health insurance is driving up the cost of simple procedures, making it impossible for the average person to pay out of pocket.
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Hammer of the Dyke says:
Oh, the spin machines, funded by the health insurance industry, are whirring away at maximum rpm on any forum which tries to advocate for government-run, or at least government-regulated, healthcare. The latest scare tactic is, “OMG! I don’t want the gubmint to know that much about me!” since the “When has the gubmint ever done anything right?” meme has lost some steam, given people’s actual experiences with the depredations of the insurance industry. I feel like the guy in that “Airplane” movie: “Looks like I picked a bad week to stop sniffing glue!”
At least with a title like “Obama is the enemy,” fake posters like “Huan” won’t show up to deliver a huge, steaming pile of bullshit to derail the discussion: “Experts agree, everything is just fine. Any contrary data is just a sampling error.” Or, “It could be worse! If we do away with this wonderful system, we’ll have gulag medicine and the only doctor you’ll be allowed to see is Dr. Mengele!” Or, “I come from a country that has socialized medicine, and because of waiting lists, my husband had to have his head cut off because of gangrene.” Or, “Living with government run healthcare has resulted in insanity. I know, I was there.” Or, “If everybody gets healthcare, then nobody will have healthcare.” Or, “I don’t want the government to come between the insurance company and my doctor.” Or, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of gold, or maybe a pound of flesh.”
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Hammer of the Dyke says:
Here’s Rachel Maddow’s take on the latest shenanigans:
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leis says:
I love the “i don’t want the government to know about my personal business” Do you live in a fucking cave? Where were these people when fuckwit was gutting the constitution and ANY right to privacy it protected? Then fuckwit 2.0 votes to protect those that helped to break the law. Seriously, people are idiots.
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julia says:
This is a bailout for the Insurance companies.
As much as I like Hillary Clinton, she was planning on it, too. When you are financied by the mafia, you work for them. Both Hillary and Barack were funded by the Pharmaceutical Industry.
NHS is cheaper, covers everyone, LOWERS doctors costs if you prefer to see a docotr on your own, and most of the rest of the world has it. Even in Brazil, where there are some really awful hospitals, you can see a specialist for one tenth of what it costs here. Appts are usually one hour long, and s/he will give you their cell phone number if you have any questions. There were also many more women doctors and dentists than there are here.
I am very worried about my own future in this country. They will pass a mandate. If you don’t have insurance you will be fined. Considered a criminal. And paying hundreds of dollars a month for insurance does not mean that your insurance will actually pay for medical costs.
I’d rather spend the money on raw fruits and vegetables and stay healthy.
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donna darko says:
The greatest enemies of real health reform based on health industry donations are:
Obama
Baucus
Reid
ConradOpenSecrets:
Health industry donations in 2008
Barack Obama (D) $1,408,800
Hillary Clinton (D) $575,296
John McCain (R) $426,478
Mitt Romney (R) $186,7001 Obama, Barack (D) $19,457,080
2 McCain, John (R) $7,397,147 -
Hammer of the Dyke says:
Here’s a short film, at the bottom of the article,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....53160.html
of what health insurance companies are really all about. They are finding money to stir up gangs of brownshirts, who are easily persuaded to act against those wanting healthcare reform (and, incidentally, against their own interests). They have money to flood Congress with lobbyists. They find the money to appeal endlessly the judgments against them. They only serve the purpose for which they are chartered as corporations – to limit their liability and to turn a profit. How does this square with doing the right thing, again? I’m not seeing how introducing an immoral/amoral and greedy actor into the situation is yielding great benefits.
The next over-the-top nonsense being spewed is that a public healthcare plan will not adequately cover the elderly. I believe the brownshirt gangs have been convinced that Grampa will be soylent green in no time. I’d laugh, but these folks are true believers {Al Gore sigh}.
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donna darko says:
More from my link. Clinton and Obama were not the same. Look at more numbers that cannot just be because Obama was the nominee and because Republicans were not likely to win.
OpenSecrets:
Health industry donations in 2008
Barack Obama (D) $1,408,800
Hillary Clinton (D) $575,296
John McCain (R) $426,478
Mitt Romney (R) $186,700Securities & Investment
Barack Obama (D) $14,788,852
John McCain (R) $8,641,821
Hillary Clinton (D) $6,358,806
Rudy Guiliani (R) $5,054,395Commercial Banks
Barack Obama (D) $3,242,403
John McCain (R) $2,269,147
Hillary Clinton (D) $1,443,291
Mitt Romney (R) $800,726 -
datechguy says:
As a conservative I of course don’t support the current health plans being offered and am offended by the thuggish behavior of the administrations SEIU buddies but there is one good point to be made here.
If the question is to cover the uninsured I can’t see why Medicare can’t be extended to the uninsured, it would be less costly and less unwieldy then the new plan as people already know the rules and it wouldn’t involve creating a new healthcare monster but just expanding the monster we are already familiar with.
That would also prevent the giveaways to the FOO (Friends of Obama) and perks to congressional money men that the current plan would entail.
It’s still a bad choice but the best of the bad choices in my opinion.
