finally.

The vote on healthcare reform is upon us: The Defining Moment, Paul Krugman, nytimes.com

A simple question: Why does it take our elected officials so long to act in our interest? No, I’m not a naif who doesn’t comprehend realpolitick. I get it, sadly… I’m just so disgusted with Washington, D.C. and the bums who run it.

Trillions of dollars are lost, and the vast majority of crooks walk away, richer. Meanwhile, the economy collapses ruining the lives of millions. War crimes are committed, laws – both national and international – are broken, and none of those who ordered the illegal and brutal actions are held to account, instead some flunkies are put in jail as scapegoats. Meanwhile, thousands upon thousands die for reasons that are harder and harder to justify by means other than imperial hubris and profits.

Health care, an obvious necessity in a modern state, has been left to greedy managers and snake-oil salesmen promising unending good health and erections that last for days – you just gotta pay for it. We may be the best at the really hard healthcare issues such as transplants, but we are way behind most advanced economies in terms of basic healthcare, infant mortality and preventive medicine. What’s the old saying? “If you’ve got your health, you’ve got everything”. Exactly. And we’re one sick country.

It seems like a no-brainer for free-marketeers; if you want a productive workforce, you need a healthy workforce, right? Taking the burden of healthcare off of the backs of corporations (and pensions, for that matter) would allow the corporations to focus upon making products and delivering services instead of servicing debt. We’ve created a system of corporate feudalism, where people are afraid to quit their lousy jobs for fear of losing their health insurance. Is that… healthy? Worse still, you hear all sorts of illogical and unreasonable objections to even a public option from citizens repeating the objections of the hoy-polloy – for free. For example, you hear people say they don’t want “government bureaucrats” in charge of their healthcare. What, pray tell, is the difference between a government bureaucrat and a corporate bureaucrat? A bureaucrat is a bureaucrat no matter who signs her paycheck. I could go on, ad infinitum. Don’t get me started on tea bags.

We’ve given all the carrots and all the sticks to the rich and powerful. We complain about Russian oligarchs ruining their country. Well, it takes one to know one! And anyone who says that the United States is the land of opportunity and that all it takes to get ahead is hard work is either completely ignorant of the statistical facts or delusional, or both.

I agree with Krugman; this is a defining moment, and not just for healthcare. I’ve sent emails and made phone calls to elected officials. I’ve signed countless petitions. Let’s grab the reins of democracy back from the K Street kleptos and the corporate charlatans now. It’s our country. Vote the bums out! Take your country back, what’s left of it anyway.

Where’s H.L. Mencken when you need him?

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My ubuntu download still isn’t finished… it’s chugging along at 26.3 kB/s (sigh!). I’m gonna be here until Tuesday.

Filed under: politics