by BAR executive editor Glen Ford
Barack Obama, like the little kids that used to appear on Art Linkletter’s TV show, says “the darndest things.” He has discovered that the “root cause” of America’s health care cost problem isn’t the insurance companies, or the drug barons, or the hospital corporations. Medicare is the villain. “Disastrously, he has created a situation in which health care ‘reform’ is predicated on stripping Medicare down to the bone.”
Obama Charges Backwards on Health Care
by BAR executive editor Glen Ford
“Obama called on Congress to squeeze half a trillion dollars over the next ten years out of Medicare.”
President Obama this past weekend made a big to-do about taking charge in the health care debate. His phrase-mongers were busy at their specialty: shaping air for their boss to blow without hurting anyone powerful. "Simply put, the status quo is broken," said Obama on Saturday. "We cannot continue this way. If we do nothing, everyone’s healthcare will be put in jeopardy."
The problem is, status quos are usually arrangements that serve the purposes of those in power, and do not break by themselves. Breaking the status quo requires doing battle with entrenched interests. One cannot cajole, lie or primp one’s way out. There is one exit, and that is through struggle.
“We must attack the root causes of skyrocketing health costs,” the president told his radio audience, correctly. But of course, fighting the powers-that-be in health care – the corporations whose quest for mega-profits is the “root cause” of wildly overpriced and criminally ill-distributed health services in the United States – has never been on Obama’s agenda. Instead, like a McCarthyite searching for communists under the bed, the president pointed a long finger at the imagined culprit: Medicare. Obama then called on Congress to squeeze half a trillion dollars over the next ten years out of Medicare, whose overhead is a fraction of the for-profit health sector.
Obama succeeds only in further alarming what’s left of the Left in his party – a sport of his, that no doubt makes him feel courageous. Disastrously, he has created a situation in which health care “reform” is predicated on stripping Medicare down to the bone. That’s a game the Right would love to play, and Obama has given them the invitation.
“Obama, himself, is a principle impediment to real discussion of health care.”
He has given progressives nothing but the finger – and some lefties are finally gathering up enough self-respect to get angry about it. They have come to the realization that Obama, himself, is a principle impediment to real discussion of health care. In crudely freezing single payer advocates out of White House mediated realms of discussion, he has drastically thinned the ranks of serious potential allies in any future throwdown with the corporations. One can only conclude that Obama and his advisors are either bad strategic planners, or that they never intended to confront Big Pharma, Big Insurance, and Big Hospitals in any serious manner.
My own belief is that Obama and his circle understood that any winning Democrat would be required to seem to embrace something that sounded like “universal” health care. A master of ambiguity, Obama convinced those who were not listening closely that he is, at heart, a reformer – whatever that is. Yet even before winning the general election, Obama prepared to govern, as the New York Times noted, from the “center-right” of his party – through Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) operatives like his chief of staff, Rahm Enamuel, Blue Dogs, Wall Street’s many servants on Capitol Hill, and Republicans. It has been quite clear for some time (and crystal clear in hindsight) that Obama’s general legislative and public relations strategy was to silence and neutralize the Democratic Party’s Left. This was thought to be necessary in order to prepare the pubic for some grand proclamation by Obama on his forging of a national consensus – a coming together of business and labor, rich and poor, all regions and sectors, in time of crisis. That’s his kind of music.
When that didn’t happen in the health care arena, Obama’s people simply invented a “consensus” and political “breakthrough” that never occurred. In what we described as “Obama’s Health Care Charade” (BAR, May 13, ’09), the White House in May proclaimed that industry leaders had “agreed” to save the public $2 trillion over the next ten years, out of the goodness of their hearts. Of course, this was nonsense on the face of it, and corporate executives found themselves compelled to announce they had made no such promise.
“Obama’s general legislative and public relations strategy was to silence and neutralize the Democratic Party’s Left.”
Obama will play tricks on his friends in the boardrooms in hopes of making them appear more public-spirited than he knows them to be, but he will never challenge their power, which he sees as legitimate and benign (the “genius of capitalism”). The social peace he seeks, therefore, must come at the expense of those who would upset the status quo: chiefly, Blacks and progressives.
However, the real world intrudes on Obama’s political theater. He was so busy putting single payer Democrats in quarantine, he allowed the so-called “centrists” to make their own deals with the health care industry. For example, Montana Sen. Baucus, whose Finance Committee followed Obama’s lead in banning single payer supporters from testifying at its “hearings,” is vowing to come up with a bill weak enough to draw substantial Republican support. Sen. Ted Kennedy’s plan would expand Medicare, the program Obama wants to scapegoat. New York’s Sen. Charles Schumer swears that he will not allow a national plan that would undercut private insurance companies.
The big secret is that Barack Obama doesn’t have a health care plan, just a bunch of vague statements. In this regard, he is truly the hollow man. Every corporate interest in Washington now has the opportunity to write their profits into the legislation that finally emerges.
The 80-strong Congressional Progressive Caucus and the 41-member Congressional Black Caucus both endorsed a national health care plan along the lines of Medicare for all. The two caucuses heavily overlap, and strong majorities favor single payer. In a more sensible world, progressives on The Hill would have made their presence felt much earlier, before the obituaries had been written on single payer. At the vortex of the confusion is Obama, both the actual corporate politician and the imagined ally. With smoke, mirrors, and duplicity, he has spread confusion among the enemy – which as far as he’s concerned, is us.
BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.
Comments
Thanks for the great info! It
Thanks for the great info! It has helped with my research a lot
inchirieri masini
This is a talent all
This is a talent all politicians have, to talk about the right thing to do like, better health care for more people and than transform it into a project that benefits the ones that have supported their campaigns and who knows what else. That is why I hate politics.
Drug Rehabilitation Center
tattoo designs
tattoo designs
Nothing can ruin your day
Nothing can ruin your day like a cold sore. If you want to kick this condition now and forever, check out this site to know more about cold sore treatment.
VoIP stands for voice over
VoIP stands for voice over Internet protocol and refers to the ability to combine Internet and phone service into a single service. Visit this site to know more about VoIP service providers
Medifast Coupons
I think Obama really wants to have the basic need of an individual. Health is very important. <a href ="http://www.wvweightloss.com">Medifast Coupons</a>
reverse email search
reverse email search
To many, the juxtaposition is
To many, the juxtaposition is self-evident confirmation of the intersection of the two men's missions.
http://www.SanDiegoRealEstateandHomes.com
thanks.
good site.
business cards
Health Care
I agree with the President. The Health Care is too much that it become object of obsession among businessman.
BPO Philippines
I just hope Obama continues
I just hope Obama continues pushing because if health care keeps going up there will be panic.. Sydney Airport Parking
cheap luggage sets
Great article. cheap luggage sets
tire rack coupon
Thanks for sharing this article. tire track coupon
obamacare = fail
sorry, but barack obama isn't really interested in helping Americans get good health care, because if he was, he would be working on fixing the system that's already in place, like medicare, instead of passing a bill that's over 1,000 pages long that no one in Congress has even taken the time to read. But, then, that bill wasn't designed to help us, anyway, it's designed to help Nancy Pelosi and the likes of her.
electronic cigarette
Obama Policy
Creative article and we are point out the Obama policies . Konferenslokaler Stockholm
health care
One can only conclude that Obama and his advisors are either bad strategic planners, or that they never intended to confront Big Pharma, Big Insurance, and Big Hospitals in any serious manner.
receive internet fax
life insurance
life insurance -
onward
I think it'll be interesting to see how this plays out. The health care system is one of those topics that's just so chock full of complexity that it is difficult to take a stance on.
Sink | Locksmith | Lace Wigs
| Clinical Trials
aparts en pinamar
The info on this site is excellent as per usual.
apart hoteles en pinamar
This post is really worthy to
This post is really worthy to read..thanks for sharing the this news with us..i appreciate your work..this information is very much useful to me. http://www.inchirieri-auto.com
forex trading system
The nation's health is important, they should resolve this problem as soon as possible.
forex trading system
He is not in charge
Obama thinks that he's in charge, forget about it
mattress bedroom furniture at http://www.freshbedroom.com
what he thinks of himself is
what he thinks of himself is not so important than what he does. Wholesale Mens Watches
is obama a smoker? asking coz
is obama a smoker? asking coz of his dark lips. Email Lists
great post, thanks for the
great post, thanks for the useful tips .......
<a href="http://creditidprotection.com">credit id protection</a>
obama is very impredicatable
obama is very impredicatable . . best driver updater
I'm looking forward to yours
I'm looking forward to yours additional posts also i got any inspiration for my paper.Best regards
Roxanne
mattress bedroom furniture
same here, very helpful posts
same here, very helpful posts disneyland paris holiday
Obama Charges Backward On Health Care
The Obama well-being charge arrangement is irritating to mess a number of serious flaws in it's scheme. I recently visited a terminally hard college ally of mine. He was originally denied even a visit to the sanatorium.
holidays to red sea
The rates of weight related
The rates of weight related diseases would drop for example if the obese would get their weight back within a normal range. It would be much cheaper to pay for a dietician to assist someone with weight loss counselling then to pay for long term diabetic care.
driver updates
Learn everything you need to
Learn everything you need to know about the Forex Market and its tools: robots (fap turbo), signals (automoney), courses and more!
Here at: www.forexrobotmarketing.com
Most effective way to advertise your business
http://www.VariantNET.com
Our web design studio has been developing corporate, product and project-related websites for years. We will gladly develop a visually appealing and easy-to-navigate website that fits your requirements and current needs.
Check our portfolio at: http://portfolio.variantnet.com/
This is incredibly
This is incredibly informative and I’ll be retweeting it to my followers straight away. Congratulations on your success; you’ve achieved it very quickly. You should be proud of that.
online printing
this posting is very good. In
this posting is very good. In my mind with share u all participant A comments is generally a verbal or written remark often related to an added piece of information, or an observation or statement.
Watch Tv Online
i totally agree with u alodie
i totally agree with u alodie ..
Lyrics
Of course, this was nonsense
Of course, this was nonsense on the face of it, and corporate executives found themselves compelled to announce they had made no such promise. wedding invitations
It can feel lonely out there
It can feel lonely out there blogging and not having anyone comment or answer back — even if you know folks are visiting. I always think of comments like applause, even if they are negative. At least it’s feedback.
Watch Movies Online
There are so many Americans
There are so many Americans who have no sufficient health care coverage these days.
online fax service
This is a good list for all
This is a good list for all of us to remember when blogging. I find it hard to garner comments, and feel that it’s okay to be wrong and still maintain credibility. Thanks for this post, I love your blog, so keep up the great writing.
Girl Games
ebay coupons
I hope he knows what he is doing. My God guide him with his decisions. <a href ="http://www.buzzle.com/articles/where-to-get-ebay-coupon-codes.html">ebay coupons</a>
The Senate opens a three-day
The Senate opens a three-day blockbuster of hearings on Tuesday, calling 54 administration officials and environment experts to try to push ahead on a climate change law before a meeting in Copenhagen that is supposed to produce a global action plan on climate change.
igre igrice
naru
which he sees as legitimate and benign (the “genius of capitalism”). The social peace he seeks
Home Contents Insurance
President Obama, on a
President Obama, on a whirlwind visit to Boston yesterday, linked Governor Deval Patrick’s political fate to the fate of the nation, telling Patrick supporters at a downtown fund-raiser that the governor had made the kind of hard choices the country needs to make to put itself on a stronger course.
Watch Movies Online
On "Washington Unplugged"
On "Washington Unplugged" Thursday, Politico's Mike Allen spoke with CBS News' Bob Schieffer about the Obama administration's efforts to marginalize its opponents, especially the Chamber of Commerce, big business executives and Fox News.
Leading Web Directory
One can only conclude that
One can only conclude that Obama and his advisors are either bad strategic planners, or that they never intended to confront Big Pharma, Big Insurance.
defense Games
Breaking the status quo
Breaking the status quo requires doing battle with entrenched interests. One cannot cajole, lie or primp one’s way out. There is one exit, and that is through struggle.
free games
i agree
i agree with that
Casino Online Bonus al deposito gratis
Not sure how Medicare is the
Not sure how Medicare is the villain . I personally think it is the drug companies and the insurance companies.
The health care situation needs to be fixed urgently- ths is so absurd.
ella- digital radio scanners
great
here are so many Americans who have no sufficient health care coverage these days. Being hospitalized is no joke. Without any health care, I can only see a few who could afford all the medicals. Apex Professionals LLC
Obama Needs To Represent
We need to move forward obama. This nation cannot handle move back to the dark ages.
We'd have to catch fish to feed our hungry families. We can't just buy cichlids.