Source |
Afscme Local 444, retired
In a civilized and genuinely democratic socialist society, there would be a debate about how society provides health care to millions of people. This is a healthy democratic process, only natural given the sheer numbers involved. We have the resources, we have the money, we have the human resources to implement such a program and so on. There would be back and forth and the sharing of ideas and views all with the same goal.
In a civilized and genuinely democratic socialist society, there would be a debate about how society provides health care to millions of people. This is a healthy democratic process, only natural given the sheer numbers involved. We have the resources, we have the money, we have the human resources to implement such a program and so on. There would be back and forth and the sharing of ideas and views all with the same goal.
Not so in a capitalist society where health care is a
business, where the main aim of the sickness industrial complex is profits.
In the wake of the Predator in Chief Donald Trump, Democrats
are promising the world and are offering ideas on how to fix what is the most
expensive and inefficient health care system of all the advanced capitalist
economies. But
as Bloomberg BusinessWeek points out in its last issue, when it comes to
health care, as far as the Democrats health proposals are concerned, “Even their most moderate proposals aren’t
likely to get past a hostile industry.”
One might wonder how they can make such a claim given that
in a recent poll, 41% of Americans prefer a Medicare for All plan with 71%
supporting a choice of a private insurance plan and a government one, the “Public Option”. Joe Biden is
resurrecting the public option after Obama dropped it and Warren and Sanders
are arguing for a Medicare for All plan.
That there is so much support for improving the dysfunctional health care system in the US, some might wonder why the 41% figure is as low as it is. But it is a confirmation of the dire state of healthcare in the US that we have 41% of the population supporting what amounts to replacing private insurance with a national health system given the massive propaganda and fear mongering against such an idea. The propaganda against making public a social need like health care, is phenomenal. The Medical Industrial Complex in the US has swelled corporate coffers to the tune of billions of dollars along with the bank accounts of the health industry and pharmaceutical company executives as well as many others associated with the capital management, business.
That there is so much support for improving the dysfunctional health care system in the US, some might wonder why the 41% figure is as low as it is. But it is a confirmation of the dire state of healthcare in the US that we have 41% of the population supporting what amounts to replacing private insurance with a national health system given the massive propaganda and fear mongering against such an idea. The propaganda against making public a social need like health care, is phenomenal. The Medical Industrial Complex in the US has swelled corporate coffers to the tune of billions of dollars along with the bank accounts of the health industry and pharmaceutical company executives as well as many others associated with the capital management, business.
Industry lobbying groups like, The Partnership for America’s Health Care Future that represents
insurance companies, drugmakers, hospitals, and other industry players
according to Business Week, has already spent lots of cash with an ad campaign
spreading fear and terror, one might call it “shock and Awe” telling people that the end of the world as they
know it will be upon them if health care is socialized.
No matter what options are being floated they all lead to
higher taxes, higher premiums and poor quality care the messages. Hospitals
will be closed, doctors hard to find and so on. This is the message we will
hear day in day out from the mass media owned and controlled by the same
unelected group of people who sit on the boards of hospitals, pharmaceutical
companies and so on. They are all connected. I urge the reader to go read a bit
of labor history in the genesis of the organized labor movement and the
struggle for the 8-hour workday. You can read headlines in the capitalist press
of the day how universal idleness will be the result and the country will be
ruined, the economy collapse communists will kill us all. The propaganda
against anything market driven, any influence of working folk in the running of
society is immense, strengthened by the pathetic and cowardly role played by
the heads of organized labor nationally, and we still get 41% basically supporting
abolishing the insurance companies dictatorial rule over whether we get health
care or not.
Look at how the serious journals of capitalism use language.
One reason the Democrats will be blocked from introducing these electioneering
promises is “The lobbyists may not have a
vote in Congress, but they have demonstrable influence over the legislative
process.”
What this means, “demonstrable” ,(demonstrable = provable,
apparent, obvious) is that their influence over the legislative process has
been proven over time. But how can that be as they don’t have a vote? But they
do have a vote. These industries have organizations and billions of dollars,
they are capitalist associations don’t forget, that come together to represent
the economic and political interests of this class of people.
And more importantly they have two political parties that they fund and whose individual legislators they bribe.
In the political debates we only hear the point of view of
capitalist economists and capitalist politicians. Big business representatives
if you prefer this term. The corporations have two parties and those of us
whose existence is maintained through wage labor of many types have no party at
all. We have no voice in the US body politic.
Is it written in the religious tracts of the Judeo Christian
world that taxes will go up if we all have medical care that actually fixes us
when we need it? Is it written in hese tracts that it is impossible to have
health care with a small group of people reaping billions and making profit
from such a basic social need? Of course
not.
The philosopher Karl Marx explained that the dominant ideas
in society are the ideas of the class that governs that society. As I have
stated many, times before, the “Divine Right of Kings” did not spring
from the head of the feudal peasant or serf any more than the philosophy that
people with white skin are more intelligent that those with dark skin was
thought up by a black man or woman. These ideas are taught, are introduced in
to society, they are class based and have a purpose, that is the maintenance of
social control and power by the class that rules.
Source: Forbes |
No matter what they say, the Democrats promising these
things cannot win them in a body politic where the corporations own both
parties. We will not come near winning them until we have a party of our own,
independent of Wall Street, big money and big business. I do not want to stray
too far here, but the DSA (Democratic Socialist of America) is making a
disastrous mistake supporting Sanders and we should remember that Eugene Debs,
that great American socialist that DSA likes to hold up as an exemplary example
of American socialism, did not support capitalist parties. DSA has the resources
and numbers to open up new front for labor and working class people.
Perhaps the most important issue ahead is the economy.
Manufacturers are not re-investing capital in their factories. Manufacturing
output is down 1.6% since December and capacity utilization at US factories in
July was the lowest in two years.
The Trump war with China is exacerbating this as is his many
other insane activities. Capitalism need a certain amount of stability in order
to make profits. And as Marx again pointed out, debt can allow capitalism to go
beyond its limits, allow it to stay the course a little while longer before
profit comes to a halt and the system seizes up. But at some point that debt spigot
is cut off, has to be called in. Factories are shut, workers laid off, value
destroyed.
Amid all this it is important we see the big picture, recognize that the Democrats cannot resolve the problems we face.
No comments:
Post a Comment