Republican ACA Obstructionism: Smokescreen for BROADBASED Shock Doctrine Attacks

[Faryn Balyncd]

Republicans could never admit that the ACA was a centrist plan that in its essentials was the Heritage Foundation designed 1993 Republican plan. To do so would destroy their propaganda. So they portray a centrist health care plan (which Republicans formerly endorsed) as "socialism", and mount a late hour obstructionist drama (which was doomed to fail) in order to placate their base, and in order to set up a crisis in which:

1. They hope to get a deal gutting SS and MC, and

2. They want it done in the context of a fight "about "Obamacare", so they can continue to peddle the ridiculous (but widely believed) lie that "Obamacare" is an attack on Medicare..... In this fashion they hope to accomplish their goal of gutting Social Security & Medicare, but escape paying the political price, since their propaganda machine will peddle the meme that "Obamacare" created the crisis and bears the blame for cuts to SS and MC.

Now, a Tea Party favorite House Republican (with one of the "most conservative" ratings by the Club for Growth and the American Conservative Union) is now pushing for exactly such a (so-called) "compromise". Moreover, Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL) now frankly ADMITS that the original opposition to "Obamacare" was done to "maintain credibility" with the Republican extremist base (since Republicans "ran on repealing Obamacare&quot , but that the REAL OBJECTIVES are "rolling back entitlements" and "tax reform" (for the 1%).


Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL)

Bloomberg reports that Ross is supportive of a "deal" that would include (you guessed it) "means testing Medicare", chained CPI, and would lead to what right wingers label "tax reform"

Ross is not alone:

“You’re starting to see a shift in the thinking among members of the conference from all factions,” said Representative Charles Boustany, a Louisiana Republican. Boustany said he would also back a deal that didn’t delay the health-care law’s individual mandate -- a requirement that Americans who lack insurance purchase it through government-run exchanges -- if it also repealed a tax on medical devices, led to entitlement cuts and created a process for tax reform.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-04/tea-party-s-ross-says-debt-worth-yielding-on-obamacare.html

What Ross describes is, of course, classic "Shock Doctrine" strategy as described by Naomi Klein.



But, of course, corporate media will be too busy mimicking Fox News/Koch Brothers memes (in the corporate media's never ending quest to disprove the lie of "liberal media bias&quot , to discuss the methods of Shock Doctrine Disaster Capitalism.





President Obama's job will not be made easier by the "false equivalencies" promoted by a corporate media intent on promoting endless "compromises" between centrist and ever more far right extremist positions.

Our President's negotiating position will be strengthened by an perceptive, active (and yes, DEMANDING) Democratic base that recognizes the political reality and that strengthens the President's hand by clearly communicating that compromises that weaken essential programs are not acceptable, and through mobilizing such an assertive and articulate Democratic base, actually reversing the ever more rightward tilt in the public discourse.

The reason our President explicitly told us our job, to "hold my feet to the fire", is because reversing this ever-rightward tilt (of public discourse & debate) is what strengthens his hand.

"Your job is to hold my feet to the fire. . . So, you need to be out there everyday raising these issues, telling us when we’re doing the right or wrong thing. . . My role is to be President of the United States. . . "



http://www.stanforddaily.com/2011/12/01/a-foot-in-two-worlds/

And in this age of a dysfunctional, derelict corporate media, our President needs us to do our job more than ever.

[Mnemosyne]

1. K&R for more visibility. nt

[liberal_at_heart]

2. Luckily when nothing else will rouse democrats, SS will. I don't care what crisis they manufacture.

Cuts to SS will never be acceptable.

[grasswire]

6. we will have no say

If TPTB cut a deal, we will not have any say.

[robinlynne]

7. You mean citizens? Didn't Obama already propose chained CPi a long time ago?

[Uncle Joe]

14. Then the Senate will need to be made aware that the people know that Chained CPI is nothing but

death by a thousand cuts.

[sabrina 1]

19. I'm not sure about that. I've seen a few Dems support eg, the Chained CPI after

it was 'put on the table' by this President. And I saw Reid's letter last week offering to discuss the 'issues Republicans are concerned about' if they will agree to end the shutdown.

I wish I felt confident that the same refusal to back down on the ACA will be apparent on these other issues.

[robinlynne]

20. exactly.

[nenagh]

3. Leon Panetta was on Wolff Blitzer last week. The stalemate is easily fixed Panetta said.

Get Obama and Boehner in a room together. No one else. Not Reid, Pelosi or McConnell

Have them talk about chined CPI ... Entitlements..etc..

I've been stewing about it since I watched Panetta and Wolff. No more CNN for me.

[FourScore]

4. I'm scared. n/t

[grasswire]

5. been saying this for days now

Obamacare is the battering ram; the pretext to destroy it all, and create chaos in the land.

[2naSalit]

8. Thanks for your post

we are in deep shock doctrine territory and EVERYONE needs to be aware of what is happening and that our very lives are at stake in the sense that we would have any choices about anything. The time is now and all those folks with their minds on their communicator/tracking devices need to WTFU.

I have no reasonable answer to offer but I also understand that the time for reasonableness may be slipping by us with each passing day.

[bbgrunt]

9. watch out for the deal

[Uncle Joe]

10. I believe you nailed the situation.

Thanks for the thread, Faryn Balyncd.

[2banon]

11. So pleased to see this analysis articulated more and more..

and receiving more attention now.

Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine, written/published before the crash should be required reading (and now there.s a film) by the entire establishment, most especially rank and file party members.

Thank you for the good work faryn balyncd!!

[blkmusclmachine]

12. The GOPee is America's #1 Terror Organization.

America, Meet Bathtub.

[Populist_Prole]

13. We have to keep strong and firm but in the end it can't work for the GOP

While it's mouth breather base may rail against the ACA on BS tribalistic grounds, they will not go along with SS/Medicare cuts. The president will not go along with them to get a deal. The teabaggers will just have to be slowly marginalized...and they are.

[lark]

18. I hope what you say is so, but I have my doubts.

This president has presented chained cpi as part of his budget. He will cut social security's increases, if he thinks that's what he needs to do for a debt ceiling deal He's proven over and over that bipartisanship is his main mantra, not helping the working class. He can't give up cuts to SSI or Medicare or the Dem party will be undone for decades to come. It will be giving the reich wing the lever they've always wanted and absolutely worst thing that could happen to the working class in this country, because it will put the 1% in 100% control of the government and we will be well and truly fucked.

Deficits aren't the problem, it's the social programs that Repugs want to hurt because they know the president that signs off on that will kill his party forever. It's the TPP and Fracking that they want, along with cuts to "entitlements" and Obama wants those too. Our only hope is that once again the Reupugs won't take yes for an answer. It's saved our bacon so far, but hate to depend on them for anything, the mfers.

[KoKo]

23. I agree. All this hooplah over ending ACA..but, it's the "behind the scenes"

that the real negotiation will be going on. Behind the curtain.

They started with dissing people with Disabilities as a Huge Scam because of some 60 Minutes show. And that meme will get lumped into "Means testing SS" and Chained CPI along with all those folks on Medicare who will need to get onboard with vouchers and hook into the ACA's programs of Private/Public.

With the Trade Deals and Fracking being pushed so we can be "truly independent" and not do all these Middle East and African interventions we've been doing (this they will throw out to the Left of the Dem Party, hoping to entice them to get onboard.

[pnwest]

15. K&R.

[MaeScott]

16. K and R. nt

[sabrina 1]

17. Excellent OP and more and more it is becoming evident that they only

used the ACA as an excuse to get the cuts to 'entitlement' programs their bosses have been working on for so many decades.

The President hopefully will show the same strength in refusing to negotiate away any benefits to the most needy as he has on the ACA.

[Zorra]

21. "...active (and yes, DEMANDING) Democratic base that recognizes the political reality

and that strengthens the President's hand by clearly communicating that compromises that weaken essential programs are not acceptable, and through mobilizing such an assertive and articulate Democratic base, actually reversing the ever more rightward tilt in the public discourse."

Couldn't agree more, great OP, thanks!

[KoKo]

22. Recommend! Richard Haas and Steve Rattner (GM Deal) were on MSNBC

this a.m. carrying on about how people with disabilities were abusing the system and we had to reform "entitlements" to stop this abuse. The "Reform of Entitlements" is definitely on the Table for the Debt Ceiling battle.

We will probably see more of these mouthpieces out there claiming Medicare/SS Fraud and Abuse with stats from the Heritage Foundation and the Petersen Group all over the MSM.

Rattner is considered Dem Leaning because he was Obama's "Car Czar" in the meltdown where they took over and reformed General Motors. But, when I've seen him on business shows he sure sounds like a Republican to me in his views.

[sabrina 1]

24. That's how they do it. They get people angry at the 'lazy' people on welfare and

then they get the support they need to cut these programs.

Anyone talking like that is a Republican. Rattner, like so many others these days, will attach themselves to whichever party is in power to get what they want. It's what is making the whole 'two party system' a joke. They move from one to the other now with ease. See Clapper and Comey et al.

I sure hope this was not a set-up but we'll find out very soon.