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Tex Norman (4,271)
Tex Norman


Why Some Object to Health Care Reform

Posted Tuesday, September 29, 2009 (52 days 16 hours ago.) Viewed 76 times.

I do not presume to know all the reasons law makers and citizens oppose health care reform, but here are a few of the reasons I have identified.
  • Some see health care reform as an opening for government to take control of health insurance, they see this as a slippery slope, that this effort to reform health care will result in a government take over of health care and will result in big government growing even bigger.
People with this objection just have a political creed that states that the best government is the government that governs least; these objectors oppose any reform that could possibly grow big government into big humongous government. These are the same people who were and continue to be moved by the words of President Reagan when he said that "government is not the solution, government is the problem."

In my view objectors holding this view are the most honest members of the objector group. Reasonable people can see this issue and come to different conclusions. I believe Government has a function and that there are some areas that are addressed best by government and if we took those functions and contracted them out to private industry they would provide inferior services. Others have seen or experienced unreasonable blocks and delays caused by governmental screw ups and unimaginably high costs. I too have seen illogical regulations and cost to the tax payer that incredibly stupid, but for me, if the function of government is appropriate but the implementation is cumbersome or too expensive the solution is to redress the problems. Others would toss the baby out with the bathwater, and they would do so quickly and easily because they have almost blind faith in capitalism, they believe that nothing done by government will ever be as efficient and effective as the same task in the hands of business. One side may not be able to convince the other but both sides have rationale and honest people can honestly debate the merits of their position.
  • Some who object to health care reform are not totally opposed to health care reform, but they are opposed to increasing the National Debt. Health Reform is not going to be free. Many of these debt laden objectors fear debt because their own personal debt is a constant burden to their lives an they hate debt. Other objectors within this category object to a National Debt because they see it as creating a burden now for their children and grandchildren. Many of us see the deficit is already shockingly huge so how can any responsible person consider adding debt on top of this crushing debt? Some of these objectors might be dissuaded from opposing health care reform if they could be convinced that there was a realistic way to pay for it without creating a legacy of debt for future generations. Some will never be won over because they just object to National Debt period. These objectors may point out that Medicare was predicted to cost a few billion and now costs hundred's of billions of dollars and insolvency is fast approaching that system.
Progressives are united when it comes to the National Debt. Some are more willing to live with debt than others. The progressives tend to believe that some services are worth what they cost. The progressives may advocate for cutting cost and controlling costs where they can, but if the service is important it is important enough to pay for it. Progressives will be much more willing to see taxes increase if that increase is providing services they believe are legitimate and essential.
  • There is also a libertarian undertow at work causing some objectors to seek to kill anything that looks like government interference in their daily lives. Some objectors not only object to health care reform, they object to taxes period. They would provide zero dollars for everything. No money would go to the military, to maintain the Interstate Highway System, nothing would go to support Medicare or Medicaid, they would have no army, but a private army, no police other than private contracted police, the White House and the Buildings of Washington DC would be sold, our national parks would be auctioned off, and there would be no regulatory agencies for anything, not drugs, food, banking, or anything else you can think of. The radical libertarian advocates that there be no government that everyone is on their own, if you want something you pay for it, and if other people can't pay for police protection, or fire protection, or to ensure the food sold is safe to eat, well, that's their problem.
A progressive might ask what our country would look like if we canceled Medicare and Medicaid today. Imagine how many elderly people, and how many disabled children would die without Medicare and Medicaid. Imagine how long America would be free if we just disbanded the military and only the rich had privately contracted military protection for themselves and their businesses. Semolina is a country that has gone years with no government. If you want a hint about what the United States would look like without government, look at the recent history of Semolina.
  • There is an element of racism involved in the opposition to health care reform. There is much debate about this; with many claiming that because we have a black President that his supporters play the race card at every opportunity. This assumption is a double edged sword and it cuts both ways. Yes, there are progressives that play the race card at the drop of a hat, but there are also some that object to anything and everything done by the Obama White House because they just can't accept that we have a President that is not all white. The issue of health care and racism goes back a lot further than just Obama. Harry Truman advocated for National Health Care and when primarily southern law makers realized that this National Health Care would be for both white and black citizens they killed the effort. The United States is becoming more and more diverse, it's citizens are growing faster among Hispanic and black populations, and should the trend continue white Americans will become a minority group. Those susceptible to white supremacy arguments object to the inevitable changes taking place in this country and attacking Health Care Reform is just one of the many ways they make their objections and fears known.
  • Some oppose health reform because they receive campaign contributions from the health insurance industry and that industry is more inclined to continue and perhaps increase their support of legislators who advocate for their interests. When there is language in the bills that clearly state health care will not be extended to illegal aliens, yet they go out and say just the opposite there can be only two explanations: (1) they are unaware of the language excluding illegal's because they haven't read the bill, and if this is the case it is inexcusable, or (2) they know they are telling a lie, but they continue to tell the lie in an effort to derail the health reform effort and please their rich supporters like the Health Insurance Industry.

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Giving Limbaugh A Second Look

Posted Thursday, March 05, 2009 (261 days ago.) Viewed 71 times.

Often I ask conservatives to give their words a second look, and I want to apply this same urging to myself. I have criticized Rush Limbaugh for saying and CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference,) Republicans for cheering these words.

"I disagree fervently with the people on our side of the aisle [he means Republican] who have caved and who say, 'Well, I hope he succeeds.' [the HE is President Obama]. . . I hope Obama fails. Somebody's gotta say it. . . . I want everything he's doing to fail. . . I want the stimulus package to fail. . . . I do not want this to succeed."

Is it wrong for Limbaugh or anyone else to say they hope Obama fails?

On my second pass over considering this question I find that it is possible that the answer is NO. No it is not wrong to wish Obama to fail IF Rush and/or others mean that they want his legislative efforts to fail. There is a difference in hoping that a law doesn't pass and in hoping that once a law passes that it fail at that point.

Let me give one example: George Bush proposed a change in the law that would have privatized Social Security. Had President Bush gotten his legislative bill passed people would have invested their social security money in the stock market. You can imagine how bad that would be now if Bush had prevailed with this idea.

When Bush was pushing that privatization of social security I was hoping that bill would fail. IF, on the other hand, the bill had passed and social security funds had been privatized and the retirement income of millions of Americans had gone into stock market investments, well, then it would have been evil, and stupid, and self-destructive for me to have wished that law to fail.

If Limbaugh meant that he wanted Obama's legislative efforts to fail, or to be modified in ways that would conform to his ultra right wing view of things, well, that would not have been treasonous or evil.

The positive side of having two parties is that you can have a debate over issues and through that debate you can hope that the weaknesses in a position might be revealed. We have checks and balances in our government, with the legislative branch holding the executive branch in check, and the judicial branch balances the legislative branch, and round and round it goes with each branch having regulating powers over the others. In a similar way the Republicans and the Democrats keep each other from going off on tangents, making hasty decisions, and acting on their political opinions with disregard of what actually solves problems.

If Limbaugh and the CPAC Republicans meant they wanted Obama's efforts to fail BEFORE they become law, well, that is just people believing in their own view of things. If Limbaugh and his Republican supporters are hoping that Obama fails even if he gets his law's passed, well, that is just plain stupid.

Which was it? I don't know. I believe Limbaugh just wants Obama to fail and he doesn't care if he fails before the bills pass, or after. I believe this because the stimulus package had already passed and still Limbaugh was wishing for Obama to fail.

Maybe you like the stimulus package, and maybe you hate it, the fact is, it has passed, this is what we are doing to address this economic down turn, and you don't have to think it was the right way to go, but it just seems crazy to wish for that effort to fail.


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The Limbaugh Lunacy Flu Pandemic

Posted Tuesday, March 03, 2009 (262 days 23 hours ago.) Viewed 69 times.

OK, I'm not making this up, here is an exact quote of Rush Limbaugh's words before the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC:

"I disagree fervently with the people on our side of the aisle [he means Republican] who have caved and who say, 'Well, I hope he succeeds.' [the HE is President Obama] . . . I hope Obama fails. Somebody's gotta say it. . . . I want everything he's doing to fail. . . I want the stimulus package to fail. . . . I do not want this to succeed."

News people caught other Republican leaders in the halls outside the CPAC event and asked if they agreed with Limbaugh that they wanted Obama to fail, and I watched three examples of Republicans giving Limbaugh's words the big ole thumbs up, Amen brother, I want Obama to fail.

Is this really the thinking of the Republican Party? Republicans seem to be susceptible to this Limbaugh Lunacy flu and it seems to be turning into a pandemic. This Blow Hole calls for the failure of the President and his economic recovery plan and the Republican sheep are supporting those words. Let's look at this and other way:

A guy on a ship says, "I don't like the Captain of this ship and I hope he fails. I hope he gets lost, I hope a big storm comes up, and I hope this ship goes down to the bottom of the ocean with no survivors. Somebody's gotta say it!"

The words of Limbaugh make no sense, and the echo of other Republicans make zero sense.

If the Republicans believe Obama is wrong they not only have the right to say so, they should say so. If Republicans believe Obama is leading in the wrong direction it is essential that they say so and explain why they think what they think. The nation will be healthier if our decisions are made AFTER the issues have been subjected to debate. We are a mostly TWO PARTY system and we just do better when one party calls out the other party when they see excesses and reckless decisions. BUT to HOPE the other side fails is just stupid. We are all on the same SHIP of state, and if this Nation sinks we are ALL going under!

Why would Republicans want Obama to fail? Obama wants to restore the US Economy to a robust healthy economy with high employment and secure people able to follow their own pursuit of happiness. Are Republicans against a strong economy? Do Republicans WANT the people of this country to be unemployed, or struggling from pay check to pay check? Do Republicans want people to have to pick between paying for medicine or buying food, or paying their rent, or the electric bill?

Let there be no misunderstandings, this is not a poor choice of words, and Limbaugh did not say something when he meant to say something else. Rush Limbaugh said what he meant to say. Rush Limbaugh is rooting for failure of the United States in its efforts to pull us out of a horrible recession. Limbaugh is cheering on disaster, hoping for, and praying for Obama to fail, and a frighteningly large number of Republican's are approving, nodding like bobble-head dolls.

Republicans are allowing this blow hard to represent the party. Limbaugh is being called the unofficial head of the Republican Party. The Republicans have crowned Limbaugh as the voice of conservatism and this seems very sad. How can Republicans hope to serve the good of the nation and support someone who says in his CPAC speech , "I want everything he's doing to fail... I want the stimulus package to fail.... I do not want this to succeed, " and what follows is cheering?

Apparently the Republican Party and Limbaugh the Loon want so badly for their side to be right that they are hoping that the entire nation fails so they will have the joy of saying, "I told you so." The fact that they will be saying, "I told you so," from a soup line seems not to occur to them at all.

I assure you that if I were for total, 100 % dominance of the Democratic Party I would be hoping that Republicans would do what they are doing, rooting for Limbaugh and saying things that show the lower and middle class and compassionate upper class people that the Republican Party is made up of ideologues, with blind faith in their old ideas, and caring nothing for the nation, caring only for the joy of being in charge.


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