On the Purported Health Care Debate

Apparently the Obamacare repeal and replace legislation is set to pass the House.

For a month the Democratic Party has been gloating over the fact that Republicans had been unable to accomplish that goal and claiming that proved that Republicans were inept at governance. If it passes, what will that mean? Of course, logic is not the strong point of either major political parties and the Democrats can be counted on to spin away like mad somehow claiming that this too is a victory for them. But what about the American public and healthcare, is that all but irrelevant?

Apparently so.

If the Democrats really cared about anyone or anything other than recapturing power they can then abuse in favor of their neoliberal lords, they would not be goading and insulting the political party in power but rather, diplomatically attempting to improve the legislative proposals offered. Democrats are proving much worse in every way than the Obama era Republican obstructionists, hard though that may be to believe.

On the issue of healthcare, the fact is that neither Obamacare nor its expected replacement address the real needs of the American public. Both are giveaways to the health, insurance and pharmaceutical industries at the public’s expense, mere mirages to fool a too gullible electorate. The much maligned Richard Nixon proposed an answer to the public’s needs in the early 1970’s much superior to Obamacare (see, e.g., Pediatrics ePrint ahead of publication: DOI: 10.1542/peds.2015-1122, Volume 136, number 2, August 2015, http://ihpi.umich.edu/news/nixoncare-vs-obamacare-u-m-team-compares-rhetoric-reality-two-health-plans) or the current Republican alternative, and most of the world has adopted the so called single payer option that real progressives (not the wolves in sheep’s clothing who comprise the Congressional Democratic caucus and their groupies) find essential.

Obamacare is bad and should be repealed, it costs way too much and has ludicrous deductibles. Trumpcare is more economically viable but has too many operational deficiencies and should not be adopted. Defending either plan is much worse than merely counterproductive. For the citizenry, unless you happen to own enough stock in the health, insurance and pharmaceutical industries to make it otherwise worthwhile, it is plainly stupid.

Neither major political party has your interests at heart and your exertions on their behalves on this issue are ludicrous. Let’s stop insulting ourselves and join in new political groups that really represent our interests rather than electing representatives who are bought, paid for and owned by other masters.
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© Guillermo Calvo Mahé; Manizales, 2017; all rights reserved