Topic: Health Care
Will Obama Have Veto Courage? Most likely the health care reform bill passed by Congress will not be true, needed reform. So, will President Obama have the integrity to veto it?by Joel S. Hirschhorn
(libertarian)
Friday, October 2, 2009
Odds are pretty good that after some tortuous meetings and awful compromises by House and Senate bigwigs whatever health reform law is passed by Congress will not be close to what most thoughtful people want. Especially not what progressives and liberals wanted from a Democrat controlled Congress. Will President Obama act with integrity?
Whatever goes to President Obama for his signature will probably do very little to curb the countless excesses by the health insurance industry and, therefore, do next to nothing to curb personal and national health spending. It will almost certainly impose some new taxes that ultimately will impact a large fraction of the population, possibly by taxes on health insurance benefits or through higher insurance premiums and/or copayments and deductibles, or even worse coverage. Even if there is some type of government option, which does not now seem likely, it would likely be constructed so cleverly that few would take advantage of it.
This and more deceptive actions will result because of the huge amount of money spent by the health insurance industry and its allies on both lobbying and countless ways of funneling money to members of Congress.
This much is now obvious. Even many Democrats, especially in the Senate, have been thoroughly corrupted by health industry money. Brain dead and callous Republicans, of course, have behaved as badly as they possibly could to protect their industry friends.
So it comes down to this: Considering his lackluster behavior during the reform debate, if the long awaited but disastrous health reform law reaches the White House will President Obama have the courage to veto it? Will his thirst for health care reform and unbounded desire for accomplishing what others have failed to do overwhelm the inescapable truth that next to meaningless reform is worse than no reform? Will he be brave enough to tell not just the millions that supported him to begin with but the whole population that Congress failed to do what justice demanded? Will he have the moral determination to tell the truth that corruption of Congress by industry wrecked the democratic process and failed to give Americans what they sorely need?
At this point I am betting that Obama will not have the courage to do any of this. No, I think Obama will behave like all the other lying politicians and claim victory and find all kinds of ways to eloquently describe how the stinking congressional action moves the nation in the right direction. He will look right into the camera and tell his fellow Americans that he has not given up the fight for all necessary health care reforms, but right now this is the best and most that can be done.
If my prediction is correct, then I can only hope that many, many Americans will see the ugly, disappointing truth and become committed to not reelect Obama to a second term, especially progressives and liberals and especially those that know in their hearts that real health care reform would have produced a single payer government insurance plan open to all Americans, like Medicare for everyone.
There should be a limit to what compromises are embraced when it comes to something as deeply personal and critical as health care. Health care reform really should be seen as the ultimate test for President Obama and whether he gives us the change we have been waiting for and what millions believed he would deliver. If genuine health care reform is not produced by Congress, then it should become crystal clear to even the most distracted, devoted and dumb Americans that our democracy is definitely delusional. That's what President Obama should think about. A corporate-owned democracy is no democracy at all.
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The views expressed in this
article are those of Joel S. Hirschhorn only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Joel S. Hirschhorn is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
How you managed to score as a libertarian is just further evidence how the Nolan Chart is fundamentally flawed. That is all I have to say to you at this time.
Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: 2009-10-03 08:21:39
HI Joel,
Since there is absolutely no chance of congress crafting a bill that will both eliminate government manipulation and intervention in the healthcare industry and effectively block future regimes from re-entering the industry for all time, I agree with you, the reform necessary to provide the best coverage for the most people in a sustainable market isn't likely to ever hit Obama's desk.
I also agree that whatever form this present attempt at the destruction of our current quality and quantity of care takes, will be signed when it does hit Obama's desk. To a progressive authoritarian, any measure that gives government more power and the citizens less choice, worse quality and the lowest availability is worth signing today. This is because they know there is always another session where that steamroller can be run over our healthcare again and again until they manage to completely reduce these aspects to the lowest common denominator while providing incentives for the best and brightest in the field to leave the USA.
Progressives are never too concerned with destruction of liberty in one fell swoop. Increments over lifetimes is their best strategy because that strategy last longer than the individuals who oppose it...they only get one lifetime.
Today's proposed reforms will only ensure that folks who oppose them will have a shorter lifespan in which to do so and far less prosperity to fuel their opposition.
Given these consequences are likely while the intentions behind your advocacy of the progressive agenda are not at all possible to result from your desired legislation, it looks like you align very well with the description you have offered for congressional republicans.
I wouldn't wish the outcomes of the reform you desire on my worst enemies, nor would I wish them upon you despite my proclivity towards schadenfreude.
Posted By: Richard Backus
Date: 2009-10-04 00:47:01
We are going to get a 'universal health care system' which will fail to cover the 40 million now not covered and. even worse, subject them to legal penalties and perhaps jail. Only in D.C. is this legerdemain possible. Obama will go along with it, and will fail, I believe, to get elected for a second term because of it. What a joke this is on all of us.
This "reform" will be a disaster. This is an authoritarian decree.
Joel is a "progressive" in thought. There is no way he scored libertarian on this chart. Being largely a libertarian site he might have figured he'd be listened to more by saying he was libertarian.
What prevents the public option not sneaking in after they merge the bill in committee? If both houses pass a bill without a public option, I have a feeling by the time it reaches Obama it will have that in it. Whatever the case, you can count on premiums rising because of the insanely high taxation this bill will cause to everyone.
BTW, did you lie to get labeled a Libertarian or is the Nolan Chart quiz that flawed?
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