Well, that was quick. Here I thought that Obama would at least wait until Monday before he caved like a bitch to the Insurance and Republicans. Ooops, my mistake!
You know, if he would have done what he should have done, we would have not only a public option, we would have Universal Healthcare. Oh, I know, something like that should scare wittle ole me to deaff! Thanks to him and his staff not having the balls to not only call these mother fuckers out on their bullshit and lies, but to even stand up for themselves, the U.S. public will go without.
They keep mentioning that 50+ million people here are without healthcare. That's true, but it's probably a lot more. There's just a few things that that statistic doesn't cover. The people on VA health insurance plans, the people on Medicaide and Medicare. There are also V-Chip and other programs for children. Then there are the people who are covered by government programs not mentioned, those in prisons, government facilities, the immigration offices, those no-so-free clinics that the government runs. Did I forget to mention all those politicians who have free medical care for life? Throw all that out there and you get almost 200 million people.
There are 350 million people in the United States, Legally and Illegally, all are counted in that figure.
Now, we are down to 150 million people with insurance of some kind. Now, time to do a little math here, don't let the shouting from the "Grass Roots" Mob distract you. 85% of those people have substandard insurance. The standard being 'you get what you pay for, equal coverage for equal compensation' or in other words, they don't have a deductible that won't break them if they need to even look at a hospital, much less visit one. Their coverage is a joke and is useful only to provide false peace of mind. They've been scared in to buying these bullshit policies that don't really give them any protection (and these days, you need protection from both the doctor's bills and the health insurance industry itself).
So, kiddies, what does that leave us? 22.5 million people who have an HMO that determines when they live or die. Oh, they didn't tell you? Your insurance may seem golden, the premiums might actually be reasonable, but there are enough loopholes in a standard contract to fight you on until whatever is killing your ass actually wins. Then, in that case, your bills become a moot problem, just like you. Kudos, darling!
These are not some fantasy I made up. Yes, I've done gross generalizations, but to anyone with half a brain the truth is obvious.
As anyone who has been paying attention knows how this thing played out, there were several mistakes made. The first being allowing those blood sucking parasites in the Insurance Industry to continue. This is a sick and twisted industry founded upon the fears of stupid people and allowed to grow fat from bullying scare tactics. You know, if someone came in to your store and told you "You're going to die, if you don't pay me money to 'protect you' from your problems, it will harm both you and your family" they would be arrested and charged with Racketeering. Allowing this quiet "do you want to suffer financial ruin if you happen to get sick" racket to continue has stolen billions of dollars and countless lives.
What Obama should have done was declared war on the Insurance Industry. Everyone knows they did on him. He could have stood as a figure of justice, putting an end to decades of fear mongering and oppression. Instead, he quietly smiled and said 'I believe in the American People and their ability to think rationally about healthcare reform'. There is no rationality to a mob. Just look at the protesters, they brought guns and knives, they've hung people in effigy! They've faked violent attacks to get sympathy, they've declared the president an illegal alien and compare him to the worst war criminal in history. You should have sent in the police the moment these people started to disrupt the democratic process of debates and dialog between a representative and their constituents (which, you know, is technically a crime).
Mr. President, I know you will never read this, but that isn't the point. You were placed in a position of power to listen to the majority of the people, to not only represent us but to make the decisions that best protect us. By cow-toeing to these lunatics and their corporate masters, you have failed in your job. Worse yet, you have betrayed your oath.
Each night I go to bed hoping I don't get sick. I'm one of those 50+ million Americans who doesn't have health insurance (or a job to pay for it). You can comfort yourself with whatever lies that help you sleep better at night, but when you wake up, a few more of us who could have survived the night with proper health care will be gone.