I think we all have to be honest with ourselves in that the public option that we're likely to get is not going to be the one that Teddy Kennedy dreamed of or Progressives had in mind originally. What we will get is going to be a "living document". I'm convinced that over the next 10 years, granted we continue to elect Congress people like Berne Sanders and Allen Grayson, we'll begin to see the private sector find loop holes to abuse the American people. We'll also see Representatives continue to introduce amendments to legislation that closes those loop holes. I'm confident that so long as the GOP continues to "just say NO", we'll continue to build the Progressive Caucus, continue to positively amend legislation, and eventually end up with a sound single payer system that covers ALL Americans at a fraction of cost. A "Medicare for All" if you will. If you think it would be detrimental to peoples care then do me a favor. Call your mom or grandfather or uncle who's over 65 and ask them how they feel about their Medicare. Ask them if they'd be willing to drop it. The resounding answer will be "NO!". The good of the people rest in the hands of their leaders. I'm confident in those Progressive leaders in which follow and support, and trust the well being of my health, and that of my families health.
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W. Christopher Epler
Kerry Lauerman
Just Cathy
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May I suggest that you check out Noam Chomsky ( the ultimate political/social guru of the planet -- he's also a documented genius). Chomsky always surprises me because in the midst of his encyclopedic realism and vast take on things (which goes back decades and extends to the entire planet), he also reminds us that activism in American has increased profoundly! It's good to be reminded of that. The woman's movement, the environmentalism movement, the gay movement, the civil rights movement, various anti-war movements, etc. SIMPLY WEREN'T THERE in the 50's and 60's or were just beginning to come to life.
He's grimly realistic and reminds us that the current American political strangle hold on the planet didn't begin until after WW2, and is no worse than the obscene"British Empire" which lasted for about 35 years -- and before them, it was more of the same from others oligarcy's. In short, power (and money) really do corrupt and have done so for millennia -- the "Have's & the Have Not's didn't begin with Bush.
It's helpful to not get stuck in our contemporary bubble of evil. That bubble's been tossed back and forth for centuries.
Bill
So, we have mostly a single payer, but the money is going to non government employees.
The same thing will continue to happen.
The only difference is how things are treated between the original payer and the person getting paid.
Just pay them the right amount to do the right thing for the right people and we have utopia.
Get it a bit better and we have rationality.
More realistically, how can we do worse than now?
I'm optimistic.
I'm in the process of writing my first novel. No title yet but the premise is a fictional recreation of this nation from abut 1960 or so to present day strictly under Republican and Christian conservative rule, i.e. No minimum wage, no equal rights for blacks or minorities, women aren't prevalent in the work place, they're under paid and harassed, cold war results, Vietnam's still being waged under rule of "incompetent war fighters" such as Cheney.... You get the jist. I'm still researching civil rights era information and trying to interview those who fought for equal rights in that era. Thanks for stopping by.
Aaron M. Norcia