Jimmy Carter proposed a national health care system in his bid for re-election in 1980. He laid out his plan in a televised debate with then Republican candidate Ronald Regan. After an eloquent description of his vision of what a comprehensive national health care system can look like, and what it could do to improve the lives of millions of Americans, the Gipper responded with a perfectly timed "zinger", "There you go again." The perfectly pitched sarcasm in Regan's voice was enough to stifle a well articulated and thoughtful argument laid out by the incumbent President. It seems then that imbecility is more than enough to counter intellectualism, a technique that works just as well today.
Now in 2009 we are presented a new opportunity to address the immense needs we have in our health care system. Our President has formulated a plan that takes away the monopolized power of commerce possessed almost entirely by the health insurance industry and put it back into the hands of We The People. This would be done by adding a number of regulations designed to protect Americans, as well as institute a not-for-profit health insurance option much like the one enjoyed by millions of senior citizens in this country. This initiative would do much in the way of improving our overall health outcomes, which are sorely lacking. It would also cut into the profits of such colossal health insurance giants like United Health Care. UHC C.E.O. Stephen Helmsly went home with a salary of nearly three and a half million dollars this year alone ($3,241,042). He has made over $700,000,000 in the last few years in stock options as well. So there are literally billions of reasons he and the rest of the corporate usurpers of American suffering are fighting to maintain the status quo. And what better weapon to fight reform with,(well besides billions spent on lobbying, bribes a.k.a campaign contributions, and misleading advertising) but morons! That's right! Good old fashioned home grown, in-bred, gotta check with Fox News for my opinion stupidity! There they go again! And it's working!
Republicans are effectively dismantling Obama and the so called Democrats' plans for health care reform one idiot at a time. They are successfully implementing a seek and destroy campaign of extraordinary magnitude (Dr. Klahn...look it up!). They seek the truth and then proceed to destroy it, urinate on it, and rape its dead corpse. Death is indeed the lynch pin of this operation of deception. HR32oo offers a provision that would fund end of life counseling for elderly and terminal patients in this country. It would help people construct wills so that their assets go to their families first instead of creditors. Doctors would be paid by the government to help people prepare for that difficult moment when one has to decide what action to take when things take a turn for the worse, and families have to make the hardest choice of their lives. What a great idea right? How noble a thing to empower ailing Americans to claim their dignity and see that their loved ones are taken care of. Well the health insurance industry will be damned if they will have to compete with something like that, they paid good money for those senators and congressmen! The answer to this generous provision: DEATH PANELS! You are probably asking yourself, "Death panels, that doesn't sound anything like the HR3200 plan?" That is because it is not! It is literally made the fuck up, by some evil cronie lobbyist law school spinmaster. Then they go tout this bile on national television! But they don't just send anyone out to do it, they send an icon, the one and only Sara Palin! A venerable hero to the white-trash, Jesus never said anything about helping the poor, hypocrite base of the Republican party. Her irresponsible remarks sent the misinformed right wing wackos into a frenzy, and who comes along to poor gasoline onto the a fire ignited by empty-headedness but Sen. Chuck Grassley: "There gonna pull the plug on Grandma!" What?!?! No!! No you lying fuck! Did you even read the bill? Seeing as you are drafting a version of it, maybe you should! So now the idiots of America are having a conniption, and big health insurance has the beginning of what is an army of ignoramuses. Of coarse that bit of red meat was plenty to fire up the forces of dumb-shittedness, but the GOP would throw a few more hemorrhaging chunks of sinewy deception out into the angry mob. Things that tug on the nerves of insecure Americans, who would rather concern themselves with intolerance and bigotry rather than focus on the real reasons their lives are not worth the bullet they should suck on. Things like the Mexicans! "There gonna give the illegal aliens free health care!", those commies. Pretty much any change that will cut into the profit motive in order to bring justice to the people of this great country is some form of socialism or another to these scumbags. Even though section 246 explicitly states that no federal funds will be used in the provision of health care for illegal aliens, the Republicans somehow were able to pull from HR3200 that it would give the illegal immigrants a free ride at the expense of the tax payer. Add a few more morsels of garbage like a government take over of health care, and socialized medicine to the pot, and you have bullshit stew! Perfect for giving your enraged army of dolts the energy they need to protest a policy that will by in large help them all!
So onward they charged, to the town halls and the tea parties! They waved signs of Obama as Hitler, and brilliant decrees that only the likes of our founding fathers could concoct like:"Keep the Govment out of my Medicare!" "It's socialized medicine!" they exclaimed. "Obama is a socialist!" and "It's a Government take over of health care" were shouted with a passionate fervor by angry Americans who donned bags of lipton tea from their plastic hats, no doubt stolen from the very truck stop they work at. Once again the Republicans and Corporate America were successful in convincing Americans to fight vigorously against a piece of legislation that would not only improve their quality of life, but protect them from the predatory practices of the so called health insurance industry... there they went again!
There they go again, lying, bribing, pandering, and deceiving there way to an end that will keep the money flowing into their greasy little pockets. There they go again, using the very people they are ass fucking on a daily basis to lead the battle against reform that would help them in a time that help is greatly needed by middle and working class Americans. There they go again, sucking what is left of the life blood of this great country dry. There they go again, taking and taking, and giving nothing in return but a giant middle finger to the majority of Americans who only want to stay alive. There they go again, destroying what is left of what this country is founded on. There they go again, feeding you lies and stupidity to destroy justice...there you go again...letting them do it...there you go again.
Whether they've been effective is yet to be determined. I agree the right's methods and messages have been ugly, and if this reform stalls and fails, I'll say they succeeded.
ReplyDeleteBut this is still in progress. The bill inches forwards ever so slowly, and as long as the House Progressive Caucus stand firm on the public option, this can be a success. If it passes with a health insurance mandate and without a public option, it'll be a big win for the pharmaceutical and insurance industries. For Republicans, too.
This particular reform battle is indicative of corporate lobby influence in government, and until that can be curtailed, we citizens will all be losers, bargaining from a weakened position. (in this case, leaving single payer off the table and starting with the public option as a bargaining chip to be spent away) I'm glad the left has been so successful to date at forcing the PO on the Democratic majorities and Obama.
When viewed in vacuum, which is what you've done, the Reagan's comment works in context to your point. However, history can't be viewed in a vacuum. "There you go again" was Reagan's response, but he followed up to to say that he opposed Medicare/Medicade in favor of another program that was put on the table. "There you go again" also refers to Reagan's overall criticism of financial policies in general during the Carter administration.
ReplyDeleteOne of Carter's Campaign promises was tax reform, something that didn't occur during his administration. His administration was also plagued by double-digit inflation, oil shortages, high unemployment and a few controversial foreign policy decisions.
The American people had little to no faith in government. Carter spoke of this during his "malaise" speech. The economic and foreign world was very similar to how it was during the most recent presidential election and much like that election, a candidate that spoke of "hope" and "change" came along and got American's on his side.
Add that to the fact that Carter repeatedly refused to debate Reagan and Libertarian candidate John Anderson (one of the more successful 3rd party candidates since teddy Roosevelt's "Bull Moose" campaign). Both Reagan and Anderson were able to publicly debate each other and attack Carter. This was a poor move on Carter's part and when he did agree to debate Reagan (two weeks before the election) he tried taking an ineffectual offensive and allowed Reagan to simply out-debate him with more than just buzz words.
Carter's biggest mistakes were his ineffective cabinet, the windfall tax program (which congress repealed in 88 after deeming it lead to a greater dependancy on foreign oil), and his biggest mistake, turning a democratic Congress (notably Tip O'Neil and Ted Kennedy) against him.
Carter was a great humanitarian with grand ideas, however like Ulysses Grant, poor decision's haunted his presidency. Reagan (like Obama) said the right things at the right time.
Sure it might not be as fun as fun as resorting to Beck-like tendencies or throwing around antiquated political idioms and calling people silly nicknames (Gipper? c'mon) but looking at history in proper perspective and not with rose-colored 21st century googles tends to help.
I should also make it clear, that while I agree with your point, I think that the set-up to your thesis is flawed.
ReplyDeleteAgain, what Reagan actually did runs contrary to the point I was making, as he hadn't done it yet. Carter wasn't laying out a grand plan for healthcare reform. He was calling into question Reagan's voting record in regards to Medicare-Medicaid. Of course Reagan opposed Socialized Health Care, he's a Republican, if everyone loved the idea it would be a reality right now.
ReplyDeleteThe function of Reaganomics was to outspend and break the Soviet Union. That in combination with the USSR's war in Afghanistan worked.
The economy of the 80's as stabilized was Carter putting Volcker as FED Chair and Reagan reappointing him.
While "there you g again" is what a lot of pundits like to point to, "are you better off than you were four years ago" rang truer with most voters.