Liked taxpayer Subsidies for the Financial Pirates? Then you'll Love Mandates for Private Insurance

[Armstead]

(A relevant post from anotehr DUewr http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8715960 )


Alas, after eight of open free-market pirates running the government we now seem to have a disguised version of Corporate Socialism. It is perverting the basic concepts of liberalism and progressivism, and giving even more wealth and power to the same gang of corporate oligarchs.

Obama is continuing in the Clinton tradition of assuming that the interests of the oligarchs are the same as those of average people and the poor.

Many people find it annoying that the government pumped millions in "bail out" money into Wall Street, asnd now those firm are making big profits -- while continuing their greedy raracious ways.

Well, mandated health coverage without a public option is the same damn thing. Looting the public treasury to benefit the fat, powerful and happy.

Mandates are never pleasant. Getting Social security removed from the paycheck is a pain in the butt. Howewver, it is based on a public compact. The compensation is that it is funding a public retirement plan that will ultimately return those benefits when you get old or otherwise need it. You are not paying for a vacation home in Connecticut for some corporate executive or investor. You are not helping to increase the power and wealth of corporations over you.

But a mandate that forces people to buy insurance from the same corporations that have been screwing the public for years? That's bad enough.

But those who oppose a public option -- or who support a meaningless public option -- are happy to do that. They claim that this will be offset by subsidies or some kind of tax credit for those who can't afford it or who don;t qualify for Medicaid.

Bullshit. That is Corporate Fascism. It is a transfer of people's own money AND the public treasury by force into corporate coffers by force.

That is a total perversion of the basic principles of liberalism.

If we are to have mandates, then we should have an option that is affordable and available to everyone, and that is not a private for-profit entity.

If there is to be no such entity -- or if it is so narrow as to be meaningless -- then don't force people to pay for a private product. And don't take public money (taxes) and deliver it to the door of the corporate insurance oligarchs.

[midnight]

1. K&R!!

[midnight]

2. Wow someone has unrecommended this.

[MNDemNY]

6. on orders from the W.H., no doubt.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. Yup, I wrote about this last Wednesday too

Here is part of that a blog, "Political Convergence: Bank Bail Out Profits and the Public Option"

..."If Democrats succeed in imposing on citizens the mandatory purchase of health care insurance from private insurers without at least offering a credible public alternative as a bailout from complicity in the way that industry operates henceforth, know this. Democrats will "own" that industry in the public mind as surely as the Feds own General Motors. At least most GM car owners are relatively happy with their cars, even with occasional safety recalls. But how will Americans react to continually increasing private insurance premiums, and the "death panels" those insurers will continue to employ the next time someone they love must face one?

Do Democrats really want to be known as the Party that bailed out the Private Insurance Cartel?"

The full blog:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8709470

[Armstead]

4. What frosts me is these executives will continue to live high off gthe hog -- at our expense

At least with the bank bailout, there was a psychological wall between the money we had to shell out in taxes and the portion that went to support huge profits and bonuses of mega banking houses.

Not much consolation, other than psychological.

But if the government tells you that you HAVE to buy insurance from corporations, knowing that it is going to enrich them, that psychological barrier goes away.

You're right, when people are forced to buy private insurance, the resentment factor will go very high -- High enough that more people will buy into the GOP free market mantras and their charges of Democratic "socialism" aagain.

[slipslidingaway]

5. knr #4 ...now back to 3 n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. I am behind our Democratic leadership from the President on down

A mandate without moving forward with a public option would have been impossible for me to support. Now let's make sure that every member in the Senate Democratic caucus understands that they must vote for cloture of any Republican fillibuster, and if it takes (political) threats to make them understand that, so be it.

[inna]

8. KR+4.

unreccers must be really at work today! :)

[ProSense]

9. "Well, mandated health coverage without a public option is the same damn thing"

What are you complaining about now?

[Armstead]

10. I am complaining about peopole being forced to buy private insurance

I am complaining about being forced by law to become a customer of an awful company.

The only way i could supoport a mandate is idf everyone -- EVERYONE-- has the choice to buy into a public health coverage plan wiuth rates that are affordable for them.