How Obama Is Killing Health Reform

[billyoc]

There is no health care debate in the United States. There’s not even a debate over principles. You’d think a nation intent on overhauling a broken system that presidents going back to Harry Truman have been trying to fix would want to openly discuss what it wants — universal care? Single-payer? A private-public combination? Nationalized insurance? Nationalized care? All very different things. None is being aired in congressional hearings and town hall meetings, with one exception: Tinkering with more of the same.

When even Barack Obama — the last great hope for reforming the West’s trashiest health care system — plays into the rhetorical ambushes of reform’s enemies, it’s clear that the debate has been hijacked by shams over the language of reform rather than its substance. Detractors can lob meaningless phrases like “government-run health care” and “socialized medicine” all day long, knowing that the diversion is enough to keep reform comatose. In an almost hour-long address to the American Medical Association on Monday, Obama couldn’t bring himself even once to say universal health care.

He did want to bat off a “concern that’s being put forward by those who are claiming that a public option is somehow a Trojan horse for a single-payer system. I’ll be honest.” Obama went on, “there are countries where a single-payer system works pretty well. But I believe — and I’ve taken some flak from members of my own party for this belief — that it’s important for our reform efforts to build on our traditions here in the United States. So when you hear the naysayers claim that I’m trying to bring about government-run health care, know this: They’re not telling the truth.”

But Obama was as guilty as those naysayers for equating such things as “single-payer” with “government-run health care,” instead of setting them straight. Medicare is a single-payer, public system. It’s not government-run. It’s nationalized insurance, but it enables private care. It’s similar to what Germany, France and Japan provide all citizens, even (as in France) giving individuals full freedom to have supplemental, private insurance. As such, incidentally, Medicare is also more efficient, more fair, less wasteful, less bureaucratic and more choice-conscious than private insurers. Medicare is one of those “traditions” that work in the United States. Instead of presenting it as America’s single-payer system, Obama chose to dismiss the single-payer approach, dishonestly and by association, as “government-run.” He made the naysayers’ day.

...

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/06/21-3

[HamdenRice]

1. Obama killing reform? By demanding Congress provide a public option?

Or are you just attributing all the obstruction of the Repugs and Blue Dogs to Obama?

I suppose Obama shot that girl in Iran and is also single handedly causing the Greenland ice sheet to melt.

And don't get me started on that cholera epidemic in Congo. Also all Obama's fault.

[billyoc]

3. By using weasel word phrases like "we don't want to start from scratch" to describe the reform.

For the record, I don't give a fuck about Iran, Greenland or the Congo.

[HamdenRice]

6. Most people don't want to start from scratch. He's being a small d democrat

which is pushing for the plan that most people want and that will be the most effective -- reform and a public option.

The fact that he isn't doing what a minority of purists want doesn't mean he is "killing" health care reform.

[quiller4]

13. I don't consider "we don't want to start from scratch" weasel words.

I think Obama is smart to let Congress fight it out and shape most of the bill rather than ordaining from on high what reform should be.

There are places where I am troubled by Obama's moves but healthcare is not one of them.

[billyoc]

18. Well, I do.

[area51]

16. Obama's "we don't want to start from scratch" argument

was completely disingenious. Canada didn't start from scratch either and they have a good single-payer system that works for them and doesn't kill 273 people per day. Apparently neither he nor members of congress can be bothered to talk to the doctors of Physicians for a National Health Plan for facts instead of rightwing talking points.

[msongs]

2. LOL the health scare industry and its lobbyists are writing the so-called reform nt

[Name removed]

4. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hutzpa]

5. Seems to me you're spamming us

2 posts with the same subject pointing to the same link with different headings, WTG!

[billyoc]

10. Show me.

[Hutzpa]

11. here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8486815


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8486836


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8483180&mesg_id=8483180


Just today, I'm sure if I take the time to search, I'll find more...

Your posts are all sniveling and patronizing in a weired kind of way, now if you
can't see that, then you and me have no beef.

[quiller4]

14. "Sniveling" is nice than the term I used. n/t

[Senator]

21. Where's the spamming?

Your "evidence" of spamming consists of links to one piece by a McClatchy legal correspondent, this healthcare reform opinion article, and one audio of an interview with Helen Thomas -- posted 2 days ago.

None of which contain any additional commentary from the poster at all; sniveling, patronizing, or otherwise.

It is your accusation that's being made in a "weird kind of way."

---

[dionysus]

24. triple the bitterness, triple the fun!

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cali]

7. this is silly. the main obstacle to real healthcare reform, as anyone with two brain cells

to rub together knows, is the Congress. Full Stop. Period. And it's simply untrue to say that Obama has conflated single payer with government run healthcare. Far from it, he's repeatedly distinguished between the two.

Dishonest article from you. hardly a surprise.

[lamp_shade]

8. Whoa... Billy. Take it easy on yourself.

[Pirate Smile]

9. Idiotic

More BS, negative crap.

:eyes:

[Cleita]

12. The best debate on the subject was fictional. It was the debate on

"The West Wing" between Republican Senator Vinick and Democratic Congressman Santos. Vinick wanted to give tax credits. That summed up his health care program. Santos declared that extending Medicare for all would be the perfect plan, however, as a realist he knew that there would have to be a choice of private insurances but that Medicare should be available to those who wanted it. There was no mention of mandated insurance or vouchers for buying private insurance in lieu of the buying into the Medicare option. Since the episode was written by Lawrence O'Donnell, Jr., I wonder why we aren't running him for President some day.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Oregone]

19. "There’s not even a debate over principles."

I agree. Just some tinkering on a broken system to try and make everyone happy.

[sisters6]

20. K and R for a great article. Thank you.

[slipslidingaway]

22. Those who threaten the insurance companies are silenced and

there has been no real debate.

[dionysus]

23. another day, another bitter article posted...

[SpartanDem]

25. So Obama shouldn't push for plan he campaigned on?

[redqueen]

26. deleted

[WonderGrunion]

27. If there was truly no debate, I wouldn't see so many blog posts similar to this.

Obama is pushing for and achieving health insurance reform gradually and steadily. It may not be as fast as some wish, but it is happening. This is almost the equivalent to saying that just because glaciers melt at 6" a year, there is no global warming.

[Phx_Dem]

28. I feel a puke coming on . . . .

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke: