I believe this saying describes where, we as a country, have arrived on our journey to Health Care Reform. The opposition to health care reform has slipped into a pit of foolishness and trying to court that foolishness is a exercise in futility.
The irony of this dilemma we find ourselves in is, there are legitimate, serious questions that must be asked. No way should we enter into a plan so vast and expensive without exploring every true concern and every valid issue. But to spend time trying to convince Suzy homemaker that there is no similarity between what we are trying to do and what Hitler did, is tantamount to arguing with a fool.
To enter into a debate of such ridiculous accusations is to give up all hope of any real change.
So, why is this happening? Why is one of the major issues of our most recent national election being polluted with this kind of crazy rhetoric? Why is the our President, Congressmen and Senators engaged in this surreal fight against a landslide of false claims and misrepresentations? Why is this going down the way it's going down?
I will tell you what my guess is.
Angry White People.
I look at the crowds at town hall meetings in Pennsylvania and in the south and what I am taking note of is the predominance of older angry white people. They stand outside holding signs accusing Obama of being every thing from a Socialist to a Nazi. They believe there are provisions for “ Death Panels” in the drafts of the presumed legislation. They hold pictures of Obama with a Hitler like mustache and yell vile and reprehensible things from the sidewalk.
Do they really believe this non-sense? Perhaps some were so deprived of oxygen at birth that all the conflicting claims make perfect sense to them, but others must see the absurdness of what they are saying..
Lets look at some of the claims they make.
Health Care Reform equals “Socialism” .
There is a scintilla of truth to that claim, as I see the ideal out come would mean that all citizens of the nation would have health care and it would be a right of every citizen to receive treatment of their ailments and at no cost. The government would be the single payer and we collectively would bare the cost. That concept is fairly Socialist.
But the underlying inference to the socialism claim, is that somehow, “socialized health care would usher in a change in our national sovereignty and cause the loss of our constitutional rights. They carry on as if, the first President of color is somehow out to destroy our great nation. (I actually think some of them truly believe that, I'll get to that in a paragraph or two).
The flavor of their claims of socialism is that we will somehow become the Soviet Union if we allow the government to help sick people get treatment. This is a case of swallowing a camel, gaging at a gnat.
The United States is a Constitutional Republic. Our government functions on the premise of democracy and the there are many things we do collectively, or as a “socialized” unit.
For instance. Medicare, The VA, Public Schools and many other things we might not even think of as collective socialized expenses due to the importance of their functions.
The fire department is one such service. As the city of New York was in it's infancy, there was several forms of fire protection services available. All of which would be classified as “socialist” in nature by most reasonable people today. Then in the 1860's, after the Civil War the fire department went private and was a “paid” service. According to the New York City Fire Departments own history, this change from a socialized services, depending on volunteers, fines for dirty chimneys and a collective approach to fire fighting, resulted in chaos and violence.
“The change created resentment and bitter actions were taken by some who opposed the elimination of the volunteers. This resulted in rough and tumble battles fought on both personal and political levels”
In addition, the new private, paid service only was extended to parts of the city, leaving the outer Burroughs to fend for them selves. If you didn't have the money to pay or were outside of the coverage area, your house burnt to the ground.
After numerous large fires and increased losses by insurance companies, the “paid” fire department went public and offered fire protection to all in the city. They Socialized fire fighting and it's that way today.
The services of the Police and our armed forces are paid for by taxes which makes both of those services fall under the socialized category.
So, there goes the Socialism argument out the window. Are these people saying they want to do away with all other socialized services our government provides? Would the crowds of mostly senior citizens sacrifice their Medi-care to adhere to their political ideologies ? Not a chance.
The Death Panels.
A compete and utterly astounding lie, offered up by the pinnacle if political thought, Sarah Palin.
This one is so easily dismantled that I won't belabor the point. Most Republicans voted for the same “end of life counseling “ in recent years. The slightest bit of research puts this lame claim out to pasture. So, Grandma's ok.
The Obama as Hitler claim.
Do I even need to go there? I didn't think so.
The list of other hair brained criticisms fall into the category of arguing with a fool, so I won't give them any validity by even reciting them.
So what is it then?
The way I see it is there are three segments of this population of anti-health care activist.
The Industries, The Politicians and The People.
The industries are looking at the possibility of a change in the status quo and after last November, they are not taking the coming change lightly. Insurance companies, Big Pharm, Private health care providers and a slew of other derivative businesses are the major force behind the silly stances Politicians and People are taking. That's simple, they stand to lose what they now have and that will affect their pockets and they are not going to let it happen without a fight. Reprehensible, but understandable and fully forecast at the onset of this endeavor.
The Politicians, all of them, right and left are supported in their campaigns by the aforementioned entities and every one knows that politicians can't really be trusted as far as an old lady could throw one. Both sides have undisclosed issues betraying their corporate sponsors. And will only stand for their constituents when the pick forks and torches are in the hands of their former supporters.
Then you have the People. This is really where the power is and that is why the Industries and Politicians have set out to mislead and agitate them. These are the people who elects the Politicians and the Politicians are the ones that look after the Industries profits. Simple.
This is where it gets nasty.
The People.
Obama had huge support among young whites with educations and fell flat with older whites and those without college educations. This fact sheds light on who actually voted for Obama's opposition and stands in opposition to him today.
They are often referred to as the “base” of the Republican party, Middle America and “conservatives”.
They are overwhelmingly Caucasian and they tend to hold certain ideals close to their hearts.
I'm not referring to anybody of any color with legitimate questions and concerns about the task of Health Care Reform. I am pointing to those with the signs and statements that have no basis in reality. These are the “Birthers” the “Tea Party People” the same ones that accused Obama of being a Muslim while at the same time decrying his “crazy Christian preacher”. The people that called our President a “terrorist” and a “Marxist. I suspect, at home, with other under informed Fox News viewers, they called him a “Nigger” too.
These are the remnant of the hard core racist that will never change they way they feel about people of color or Jews or Mexicans. They are the sons and daughters of the racist that held together Jim Crow and enjoyed a lynching . Cut from the same cloth that produced Bull Conners, and George Wallace and David Duke. The believers of White Supremacy. The beneficiaries of white supremacy.
They say things like. “We have to fight to get our country back” and when asked “back from what” they clam up, knowing that if they said what was on their minds, they would be labeled for what they are.
They are Angry White People, standing against any and every thing our first bi-racial chief executive attempts to accomplish.
They are the same camel swallowing supporters of Bush , believers in Iraq's connection to 9-11.
They swallowed camels when it came to the Patriot Act.
They swallowed camels when Bush lied and lied and lied and their proud brave children died in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
They swallowed camels when we spent over $600 billion(and counting) on an illegal war.
They swallowed camels when over 10 billion dollars simply “disappeared” in Iraq.
They swallowed camels when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans
They swallowed camels when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark during the Bush years after he inherited a surplus from Clinton.
Now they gag on the comparative gnat, of providing medical care to Americans, like themselves.
Argue with them at the danger of being mistaken for a fool.
What do you think?
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