Dr. Marcia Angell MD wrote this thoughtful piece at the Huffington post the day after the Health Care Law was upheld as a Tax by The Supreme Court.
In her piece titled Did John Roberts just give Mitt Romney a gift? she expresses her concerns:
“The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, puts me in mind of the old proverb: Be careful what you wish for. Democrats on a victory lap should watch their step, because John Roberts may have given Mitt Romney a gift. The impact on the health system will be much smaller than the political fallout, because with or without Obamacare, the American health system will continue to unravel — quickly if Romney is elected, slowly if Obama is re-elected.
First the policy, then the politics:
Obamacare is simply incapable of doing what it is supposed to do — provide nearly universal care at an affordable and sustainable cost. The problem is that three years ago, in his futile efforts to win over Republicans (remember the embarrassing courtship of Olympia Snowe?), Obama gutted the law before it was even passed. He made the private insurance companies the linchpin of the new system, and promised them millions of additional customers and billions of taxpayer dollars. He also did nothing to rein in the profit-oriented delivery system that rewards providers on a piecework basis for doing tests and procedures. So with all the new dollars flowing into the system and no restraints on the way medicine is practiced, the law is inherently inflationary….
…Now for the politics. Even though the Supreme Court decision will have little long-term effect on our health system, the political ramifications will be great. To be sure, it’s a victory for Obama, but that will be evanescent. Now the Republicans are on the offensive, and greatly strengthened by John Roberts’ insistence that the mandate is a tax, not a penalty. Remember how hard Obama tried to avoid the T-word?…
…The only way to provide health care to all Americans at an affordable cost is by instituting some form of publicly-administered nonprofit system like those in other advanced countries. After all, they manage to provide universal care at less than half the cost, on average, and their costs are rising more slowly. I have long advocated expanding Medicare (which is a single-payer program) gradually by lowering the eligibility age one decade at a time, while phasing out for-profit health facilities and changing doctors’ fees to reward primary care more and specialist care less.
On July 22, 2009, Obama said in a press conference, “Now, the truth is that unless you have what’s called a single-payer system in which everybody is automatically covered, then you’re probably not going to reach every single individual.” Bingo. Too bad he didn’t hang on to that insight, and use his rhetorical skills to make the case strongly to the American public. If he had fought for single-payer health care at the beginning of his administration, while he had both houses of Congress, and mobilized public opinion behind it, he might have made it. After all, the only thing members of Congress need more than industry money is votes.”
In reponse to her article I said this:
Thanks Dr. Angell,
It is refreshing to read such a thoughtful analysis of the situation.
Health Care in America will only be reformed when the sick incestuous relationship that currently exists between the FDA and Big Pharma is dissolved, drug commercials marketed directly to consumers are abolished, and the toxic, sick, bloated, parasitically infested swamp known as the American Medical Association is exposed as the fraud that it is.
The Alterenative Health Care system in the US defined by Chiropractic, Naturopathic, Midwifery, Herbalist, Homeopathic, and a variety of other healing modalities like Acupuncture currently exists and thrives without government money in a Free Market Capitalist environment. Allopathic Drugs and Surgery medicine should be compelled to halt its Crony and Crisis Capitalism and get into the market, where consumers will decide what they are willing to pay for, not Washington.
Jenny Hatch
I do not understand what was so controversial about what I said. I completely agree with Dr.Marcia in her analysis of the situation, I just disagree with her on where the healing of our Obese Health Care system is to be found.
Huffington Post is NOT an online newspaper, it is a leftist prostitute belching out Statist Philosophy and Socialist Propaganda even in the comment section. My comment was truthful and legitimate. There is a Market Based fix for healthcare, as articulated by the owner of Whole Foods in a wall street journal piece that was published the summer of 2009 when we were all debating Health Care. John Mackey articulated some great ideas and the left organized a boycott of his store because he had the gall to speak out.
I attended a rally in Boulder at my Congressmans office and said these words the summer of 2009:
The Healthcare fix will come with freedom.
Jenny Hatch
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Communicatin’ is now open to all the people of the world, who have ever had a thought worth expressin…. and WHO never really, actually, um (Pausin’ to scratch Head)… had a chance to go to skool and learn all them there idioms n words and such like, whoever said writin’ was fer the educatid and annointed elitistests amungst us?!!!?
*Disclaimer: I support all American Citizens rights to lawfully protest the government and encourage anyone with the will to do so to get off the couch and get active for your cause!
I have spent many hours these past few weeks watching videos and reading online reports about the Occupy Wall Street Activities that are ongoing around the world.
I really don’t understand why the Occupy Wall Street Activists are upset about the thieves stealing cash and computers. Private property doesn’t exist and we all know, wink wink, that it is good to “spread the wealth around” SHEESH! They are such tools, Stalin called them Useful Idiots…
What is different is the expectations and solutions to the problems suggested by both groups. Â It is this difference that I would like to outline in this blog post.
 I have spent quite a bit of time the past few weeks reading articles, watching videos, and listening to interviews with those political activists involved in the Occupy Wall Street Activism.
As a Colorado Tea Party organizer and Political Activist I believe in building bridges with anyone who reverences the Founding Documents of the USA and seeks to promote Freedom, Peace, and Prosperity.
The recent articles comparing and parsing the two movements have been an interesting juxtiposition…
As someone who organized, hosted meetings at my home, and spent many hours on the phone and emailing fellow tea party activists at both the state and national level I can assure readers that the one constant point of connection with all of us was an absolute LOATHING of Marxism, Socialism, Collectivism, Communism, and Statism in all of its varying degrees and forms.
The 9-12-09 Tea Party I organized was a Celebration of the Constitution of the USA and a Candlelight Vigil for Freedom. We began the event with a reading of the Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and The Declaration of Independence.
I was shocked and amazed to witness hundreds of Coloradans standing in the rain and cold listening and cheering during the hour long reading of the Constitution.
I had brought a few garbage bags to pick up trash after the party, but did not need to use them. I only picked up one cigarette butt on the Denver Capitol steps and since I saw no one smoking, figured it was probably already on the grounds before the party started.
If points of connection exists between OWS and the Tea Party, I have yet to see them. While both groups may be protesting the Political criminals in our midst, the remedy to the problem and the various solutions proposed seem to me to be polar opposite.
Marxism will never bring Prosperity and Freedom, much less Social Justice and equality.
To even imply that Tea Partiers would use and/or promote Collectivist tactics to achieve Economic Wellness in America is ridiculous and objectionable.
I support any group standing up to political tyranny in America, as long as they follow the law. But I heard yesterday that the hundreds of tents set up on a grassy plot of land at the Denver Capitol are being well tolerated by the police and the politicians even though such activities are illegal.
I have to question the willingness of police to allow such criminality.
Jenny Hatch Last I heard their were 1,525 people arrested at Occupy Wall Street Demos. Let’s See… that means that 1,525 MORE people were arrested than at ANY of the thousands of Tea Parties these past two years.
My friend Charlene and I had a great chat on Facebook about the two types of protests, here it is: (My Responses are in Italics) Jenny Hatch
“So who did start this, OWS (or the Tea party for that matter)? Why can’t it be about a bunch of truly pist off, fed up people? Isn’t that what both of these protest/movements are? Why can’t both of these truly aggrivated people come together and fight their common enemy? I am so annoyed with the them, vs. us when it comes to left and right I want to cry. Sorry, I just feel like if both sides looked hard they would realize they are fighting the same battle just with different armor…”
Charlene, I could never stand in solidarity with the OWS activists although I do protest against many of the same institutions that they do. The Teaparty clearly articulated a lawful, peaceful change through legal means…elections. The current crop of protestors, while many mean well, are being manipulated by Marxists who want to destroy the American Free Enterprise System with violent revolution. I pray that the police are able to defend and uphold the law without anyone dying, and I hope the politicians will stand by their oaths of office to uphold and defend the constitution and the laws of the land. Allowing the protestors to “speak” by breaking laws is noxious to many Americans. If I hadn’t posted it, would you have even heard that a woman was pressured to allow a strange man to sleep in her tent, and then she was raped? Didn’t make the national news. I pray that the innocent will go home, especially the females, before this powder keg blows into real violence.
I agree that an innocent woman being raped is horrible but isn’t that what freedom is about,, to refuse that person access to her tent and not participate if she was told that guy had to sleep in her tent. I for one would be like, no, um get the hell away from me, no one will tell me I have to share my tent when i feel I don’t know that man well. I am not saying it is her fault, but like so many of my and the younger generation we have been sheep for so long, it is taking a while to wake up from being led around and told what is in our best interest. It is an organic movement much like the Tea Party was in the begining and it isn’t about left or right from what I can see or about a corporate “sponsor” or political one for that matter, that is why so many people are scratching their heads and can’t figure out the “list” of demands, lol. BTW, I haven’t participated in any of the marches and I am just a lonely independent that is observing both sides with interest. I just see two groups of people fed up with the way our country is being run and want a change and they are trying to do it the best ways they know how to go about it. The TP people think that change will come from the electoral process set in place, it has been greatly corrupted and is barely hobbling along with crutches and infection, however. The OWS, is doing what their generation knows best, to defy, to rebel, to get upset, because basic human nature is to rebel or give up when being lied to, oppressed, and controlled they chose the 1st option since the second one wasn’t working. Also, just like all “movements” (both the OWS and TP) you will have the crazies, the evil and subversives, in time they are usually weeded out by the core group that is true to the goal. Sorry, just my 2cents. I really respect your comments and love to have someone to talk with that I know is seeing the issues facing our country. I dont’ want you to take my rants (lol) as an attack, just trying to see where all sides stand ♥
Don’t ever apologize for sharing your opinion. I have spent many hours watching videos and reading articles about both movements and how the media interacts and portrays each group. The writing is on the wall in my opinion and those in the streets now are being duped by the Marxists amongst us. I bet 80% of them are good, honest souls who just want to have some justice, and believe me, I DO TOO. But it has to be fought for in the system we have, not after a violent overthrow of the American System. No justice will be available to anyone if we enter into a Global Collective, which is what the goal has been all along for those evil doers at the top.Â
I agree, infiltration in both aisles by the “evil” people is so sad. It all ties in with the begining of (and call me a conspiracy theorist) but the Fed Reserve act and the “banking” systems takeover, maybe the illuminati, maybe not but just doing the bit of research I have, I see that this two party system is ruining America, creating a divisiveness that I really don’t see in the average population. Yeah, some people are more superficial, some more learned, some more or less trying to live happily, love their friends and family. Yes, differences abide but I think that is where it is so beneficial to see others opinions and them to see yours but still be respectful. If I had to say something that makes me like either movement is that they both are fed up and doing something about it. I may not agree 100% with either side but I love the conversation both of these movements have started….BTW, if you could name one change that you think needs what would it be?
Charlene, The Conspiracy is no theory. I have read so many books linking that early group of Psycho Socialists to just about every dark and evil thing that smacked the American Family during the 20 th Century. The greatest change will come when parents chose Family Sovereignty. When Mothers take personal responsibility for the health, education, and welfare of their own children and then do the daily work necessary to give them a happy and healthy life, that is when we will see real change. As for the greatest need, I believe it is for Mothers to get their butts back in the kitchen and beat the conspirators at their own game. The evil doers know that if they can traumetize women during birth, get them hooked on anti depressants and bottle feeding baby….they can take the whole family down a very long and expensive path of disability and disease. Answers? Homebirth, Ecological Breastfeeding, whole foods (especially when Mom is pregnant and breastfeeding), and keeping children away from vaccines and drugs in favor of orthomolecular medicine and nutritional therapies when ill. That is my definition of Utopia. These lifestyle changes coupled with a strong spiritual life that encourages complete fidlity to spouse and children is what will restore the family to its proper place in society.
Agree, I think that so much of what you said is why people are upset, some can’t even articulate why. If you look at when our country really started it’s downward spiral is when women bought the lie to be better, to be whole to be accepted is to be more male, ego driven and competetive. This has been an AWESOME discussion! ♥
You might be interested in reading the LDS health code known as The Word of Wisdom. It mentions conspiring men right at the beginning of the section. Mormons have often interpreted this passage to mean Cigarette Companies, but I believe it encompasses all of them, every single person who has conspired to poison and intoxicate people for profit and genocide. It always makes me laugh when I hear a fellow Mormon claim they don’t believe in Conspiracy Theories. I often wonder if they have read this section of scripture where the Lord himself said that Conspiring Men would try to destroy for profit. I think you might enjoy reading it:http://lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89?lang=eng Thanks, it has been a lovely chat… Jen
More Articles on the various crimes at the Occupation:
Here is an interview with John Hickenlooper, Governor of Colorado explaining why he made the choices he did around the Occupy Wall Street of Denver Demonstration. Click to view video and read article
Here is the press conference video of the Governor of Colorado and the Mayor of Denver explaining how they justified the cleanup of the Occupation camp out at the capitol. I believe the police handled it perfectly!
It is refreshing to read such a thoughtful analysis of the situation.
Health Care in America will only be reformed when the sick incestuous relationship that currently exists between the FDA and Big Pharma is dissolved, drug commercials marketed directly to consumers are abolished, and the toxic, sick, bloated, parasitically infested swamp known as the American Medical Association is exposed as the fraud that it is.
The Alterenative Health Care system in the US defined by Chiropractic, Naturopathic, Midwifery, Herbalist, Homeopathic, and a variety of other healing modalities like Acupuncture currently exists and thrives without government money in a Free Market Capitalist environment. Allopathic Drugs and Surgery medicine should be compelled to halt its Crony and Crisis Capitalism and get into the market, where consumers will decide what they are willing to pay for, not Washington.
Jenny Hatch