The Frankfurter School

There’s a frenzy of messages out right now trying to shape public opinion and get you to view the health care bill as a huge victory not only for Obama and Democratic party, but for all Americans. Like me, you probably are crushingly disappointed in this bill, and suspect that we could have done better. Unlike me, however, you may not be willing to actually bring yourself to say “I oppose this bill,” either because you aren’t sure about all of its provisions or because you believe something is better than nothing. I have some good news for you, and a warning. You don’t get a vote. Actually on your own, your opinion about this bill matters very little. Collectively, our opinions do matter, which is why the Democrats and insurance companies are trying so hard to shape it. The signs should be familiar by now: emotional appeals with little-to-no substance (“this bill HELPS real people”), scare tactics (“this is our only chance, and terrible things will happen if we don’t pass this”), and the systematic discrediting of the “crazy” people who oppose it (almost exclusively directed towards the left flank, have you noticed?).

This bill hands over complete control of the health care system to corporations and provides taxpayer subsidies to those corporations with the ostensible goal of providing people with insurance, which it must be repeated, is not the same thing as medical care. It bans exclusions of pre-existing conditions but doesn’t regulate how profits will be sustained on those more-expensive patients. It spreads the insurance net to more people but doesn’t put enough controls on how those plans function. It makes it illegal not to buy insurance and creates new taxes on some middle-class people to pay for this insurance company giveaway. The idea that we will pass this now and “fix it later” is so absurd on it’s face it’s amazing how many people buy it. It’s true that Social Security and Medicare were altered after passage, but in those instances they created a new government programs that once accepted were then strengthened. This bill does exactly the opposite by strengthening private corporations and giving them 100% market share, institutionalizing their monopolies, and handing them taxpayer money to pay their lobbyists, CEOs and shareholders. What exactly do we think we’re going to “fix” later?

The reason we get such bad bills like this one is because there is enormous pressure being exerted on members of Congress from lobbyists and the media, almost all funded by industries standing to profit from the outcome. As a counterweight to that, there is a small but growing band of progressive bloggers, what’s left of organized labor, and public opinion. Guess who wins? One of the most puzzling features of this tug-of-war is that somehow they’ve convinced most of the Democratic base that they too are in Congress, and that they must be pragmatic and compromise their values. So at all steps of the legislative process, increasing as we near the finish line, Democrats throw up their hands and think, “well this is the best we can do and I think I can learn to like it!” And off to the right the country goes.

In no successful political movement do people accept compromise so willingly and even enthusiastically. Politicians compromise; people have ideals. If you aren’t opposed to this health care bill, with no pressure on you and no reason to compromise, WHAT KIND OF PROGRESSIVE ARE YOU? You and I are private citizens. Who is pressuring us to sell out our ideals? Why can’t we oppose this bill and be angry? If people who care about achieving universal health care can’t even hold the line against the insurance industry in their own personal opinions, how can we possibly expect our representatives to stand firm for progressive ideas? I am calling my Representatives and telling them how I feel. They need to hear from me and be reminded of my values so they can weigh that against the other pressures they’re under. After all, they’re the ones that have to govern, not us.