The battle of the dirty dollar
Conservatives like to call attention to the risk that the regulatory state can grow too powerful and activist and strangle private enterprise -- and an honest assessment of history shows that, yes, this can happen. It's all too painfully obvious, however, that what we have long faced in the United States is the opposite problem: powerful private interests using their money to buy control of the state. Wall Street money has flowed to obstruct the re-regulation of the financial sector, thus putting us all at risk of a repeat of the Bush recession someday; the "blue-dog" Democrats who threaten to help Republicans stymie real health-care reform have been amply rewarded in cash by the insurance industry for putting its interests ahead of ours. If this fails to qualify as bribery, it must be by the slimmest of semantic technicalities.
We will soon see a major test of strength between the power of the dirty dollar and the power of the voters. The Reid health-reform plan (good summary here) includes that which the insurance industry has fought hardest to prevent: a public option. The plan is far from perfect: the public option will not be offered to anyone who currently has employer-provided coverage, for example, and entire states will be allowed to "opt out", denying their citizens expanded choice. But it will be there, if the plan passes; and the people will have the chance to compare the scare stories with reality, allowing support for further reforms to grow.
We can expect the insurance industry to fight tooth and nail against this. The money will flow as never before, in the effort to defeat the Reid plan. That does not mean they will prevail. The reason politicians want that money is to buy our votes come re-election time. If we convince them that doing the wrong thing will make us angry enough not to re-elect them regardless of what they spend, they will do the right thing.
Two and a half years ago, with the Bush amnesty, we faced a Senate seemingly in the pocket of special interests conspiring against the national interest. It was supposed to be a done deal -- the fix was in. But the people roared, and the politicians backed down.
We can do it again. If we make ourselves heard loudly enough, we can get the Senate to pass this thing. But we may need to be very loud indeed.
We will soon see a major test of strength between the power of the dirty dollar and the power of the voters. The Reid health-reform plan (good summary here) includes that which the insurance industry has fought hardest to prevent: a public option. The plan is far from perfect: the public option will not be offered to anyone who currently has employer-provided coverage, for example, and entire states will be allowed to "opt out", denying their citizens expanded choice. But it will be there, if the plan passes; and the people will have the chance to compare the scare stories with reality, allowing support for further reforms to grow.
We can expect the insurance industry to fight tooth and nail against this. The money will flow as never before, in the effort to defeat the Reid plan. That does not mean they will prevail. The reason politicians want that money is to buy our votes come re-election time. If we convince them that doing the wrong thing will make us angry enough not to re-elect them regardless of what they spend, they will do the right thing.
Two and a half years ago, with the Bush amnesty, we faced a Senate seemingly in the pocket of special interests conspiring against the national interest. It was supposed to be a done deal -- the fix was in. But the people roared, and the politicians backed down.
We can do it again. If we make ourselves heard loudly enough, we can get the Senate to pass this thing. But we may need to be very loud indeed.
posted by Infidel753 at 3:41 AM
2 Comments:
This posting sum's it up pretty well ... you obviously see the "bite" and "game" that's going down.... and many American's are also getting keen to these game's... as I said before...it may take a little time for some to see the game...but eventually by word of mouth or online info or whatever...people are going to get full scale wise to all these game's. Just like the employer screwing the non-union worker and such you mentioned before.These folk's can only get away with this stuff for so long ... especially using the same tactic's.I'll give President Obama credit for pushing it so hard in the start(HCR)...but that's as far as I'll go ...why? Because he didnt attack it as vigorously as I expected and wanted him to. But thank's to those hardline liberal's that did stay in there all the way! For Pete's sake... if not for them...we wouldnt get a pot to piss in ... how conservative can a conservative really be when they let themselve's get conned by their own party leader's?That's not love for America...that's stupidity and selling out America.Conservative my ass!
When you talk about the "roar" of the people...that is what many fail to see.I have posted about this as well over and over in the past,because people get so pre-occupied with simply living.These clown's for decade's have taken a little more and more piece by piece. Simply because American's have so much activities because of our liberties..we are busy making a living,entertaining others and ourselves,our project's,endeavor's and much else. Unlike in some countries million's may not have as much to occupy their time as we do...so they have more time to march in the street's and roar,protest and whatever is needed.Sadly...we have to do as you said...and just not vote...but keep roaring, and roaring.Understand that these hustler's have them basic hustler's instinct's,even though they are a class above the street hustler...but they devote their time to hustling and a buck and power in their case. They were simply able to figure out a way to use capitalism to take a major party and convert it over to their will and choosing is all, because no one was paying attention to them.Give these clown's an inch they'll take a mile.They just simply found a hole to squirm through and all we have to do is tighten it up.Thanx to our technologies we are able to communicate and to organize better that ever too ... we really put these insurance companies ball's to the wall on this one...it's absolutely hilarious...and yes...folk's are roaring up a storm! :)
Thanx......
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