The Five Opponents of Health Care Reform

[babylonsister]

Steve Benen
Posted: August 14, 2009 10:27 AM
The Five Opponents of Health Care Reform

snip//

It's too often overlooked, but there's nothing partisan or ideological about this -- everyone is getting screwed by the status quo. We're all paying too much for too little. A huge chunk of the country is uninsured, underinsured, or uninsurable, and the system is blind to how you voted in the last election.

snip//

I tend to see them in five distinct factions:

* The Greedy: There's a fairly small group of people who profit handsomely from the broken status quo. Regular Americans are getting screwed by the system, but The Greedy are getting rich. Reform puts their profits at risk, so they're fighting back to protect their livelihood.

* The Partisans: If President Obama does what many presidents have failed trying to do, it will likely make him more popular and make his presidency successful. The Partisans care more about Republican gains than the national well being, so they're fighting to prevent a major Democratic victory because it would be a major Democratic victory. For an example, consider Bill Kristol's infamous admonition to Republican leaders.

* The Tin-Foil Hats: If reform passes, the government will kill their grandparents, create "death panels," lavish benefits on illegal immigrants, and mandate that ACORN volunteers live in their basement. The Tin-Foil Hats have active imaginations, and believe their own ridiculous conspiracy theories. They're likely to benefit from reform, but the voices in their head discourage them from believing it.

* The Dupes: Probably the largest group in opposition to reform, The Dupes tend to believe what The Greedy, The Partisans, and The Tin-Foil Hats have told them. When confronted with accurate information, The Dupes suspect the media, Democrats, and their lying eyes aren't to be trusted. After all, Sean Hannity wouldn't lie to them, would he? Like The Tin-Foil Hats, The Dupes stand to benefit from reform, but are skeptical because they don't know who's telling the truth and who isn't.

* The Wonks: The smallest of the groups, The Wonks are conservatives who actually care about substantive policy details, have read the proposals, and believe there are better ways to improve the system. They're looking for a meaningful policy debate, and are slightly embarrassed by their allies' dishonest temper tantrums, but The Greedy, The Partisans, The Tin-Foil Hats, and The Dupes have decided to ignore The Wonks. They don't scream at town-hall meetings and they don't show up for 9/12 strategy sessions.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-benen/the-five-opponents-of-ref_b_259556.html

[FormerDittoHead]

1. Too Nice. The truth is that outside of "the powers that be", it's RACISM.

I'm not fooled. The 'outrage' is coming from people who think that single payer is code for WELFARE, and they don't want 'their' money going to benefit 'lazy' people for something they pay dearly for themselves.

They see the lines at the ER and think that if single payer goes through, that's going to get even worse. (when it fact it would get better).

Understand that's not what's DRIVING the discussion, those are the rich are as usual, pulling the strings in the media and in the astroturf groups, but it's the motivation for almost all of those you see at the meetings.

Racism is the focus of the greed, the conspiracy theories, etc.

The 'death panels' are Obama's Vince Foster - they just find something they can pin to the wall and go for it.

[babylonsister]

2. I agree, but he doesn't really have to point that out. It's pretty evident. nt