Obamacare is a step in the right direction. (image: Shutterstock)
22 November 13
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Affordable Care Act (ACA) is at best a halfway measure. With the same
effort, Obama could have pursued a single payer option and probably
gotten it passed. ACA is said to be Obama's "signature legislative
achievement." It is also a testament to his method. Obama believes in
compromise. He sees rancor and division as cancers. ACA is
quintessential Obamian compromise with all of its contradictions on full
display.
ACA in its current form is cumbersome, technically
challenged, and overly kind to an outrageously corrupt American health
care industry. It does, however, do two very important things: It
provides an architecture for better, fairer health care for many more
Americans, and perhaps more importantly, it opens a forbidden door.
What this new law says is quite dangerous - to some.
It says that the public interest has a place at the table when decisions
are made about how the nation's health care system functions. It says
that profit is not the only consideration when medical treatment is
needed. It says that the health care industry is part of society, and
needs to act like it.
When George W. Bush said he wanted to build an
"ownership society," he meant that he wanted ownership of society. What
the ACA says is no, that's not acceptable.
Have no illusions, ACA does not vanquish the health
care overlords from our lives. It does, however, create a small but
vitally important chink in their armor, and a crucial first step towards
future progress.
Republican members of Congress, on behalf of the
health care industry, are engaged in an all-out, manic battle to derail
ACA by any means necessary. Their desperation clearly reveals their
fear. Minority rule is in decline and the very wealthy minority doesn't
like it.
Go to healthcare.gov tomorrow and sign up. The time for change is now.
Marc Ash was formerly the founder and Executive Director of Truthout, and is now founder and Editor of Reader Supported News.
3 comments:
Obama compromise? Are you kidding? -- A very well written confusing article!
fuck you and your leave a comment!
If you don't like what u read and isn't conforming to your needs, you dont post it -- your full of shit and a poor blog author - go suck obama's nuts
OK then. The reason comments sometimes don't get posted is that they contain foul language like yours.
I did, however, want you to know that it has nothing to do with what you think, but how you express it. Your post gave me the opportunity to call attention to this fact.
Hope you're happy to see your kind words in print. And you've helped prove which side is most uncivil and least willing to compromise. Happy Thanksgiving.
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