Democrats Pass a Republican Health Care Bill

[Andronex]

Here is where the true beauty of the two-party capitalist political system kicks in.
Spiralling health care costs threaten to bring the system to a halt, with a crisis not unlike that of the 2008 financial meltdown. The problem, however, must be solved within the framework of capitalism, without damaging the material interests of the major corporations in the field. . . .

The reality, of course, is that the working class must be forced to pick up an increasing portion of the costs of health care. There is always the possibility that this might stimulate a plebeian revolt, not something that the establishment desires. So in the face of that threat of unpleasantness, the two parties have a division of labour, which must not spoil popular perceptions of either of them. The Democrats need to pose as champions of the popular classes they ostensibly represent; the Republicans must appear to champion the "free market."

To the Democrats falls the task of passing the corporate bailout "Republican" bill. They have the majority in Congress. Their problem is how to sell this to their base, with the growing anger against for-profit health insurers complicating matters. Of course, there is a lot of smoke and mirrors about a public option to divert the masses right up to a vote. But this ploy must be abandoned in the end. The whole enterprise could sink at this stage of the game.

This is where the Republicans come in, teabags waving aloft. Pounding the podium in faux-hysteria, they posture as the saviour of the free market, implacable enemies of totalitarian government, the only ones standing in a thin red line against the advance of socialism. The Republican tirades work their magic both on their own base and on the base of the Democratic Party.

The teabaggers get energized, mobilizing in protest, raising visions of brown-shirted hordes in the minds of the Democratic base. "My God, we have to beat these fascists," becomes the mantra. Which is exactly the political cover that the leaders of the Democrats need to bring home the bacon, and pass the bailout bill. Which they do, with much congratulation all around by most of the liberals so insistent on a public option only weeks earlier.

So both parties have strutted on the stage to the satisfaction of their supporters, to all appearances doing what they were elected to do. And the health insurance bailout is accomplished. As a piece of stagecraft, it's a thing of beauty, as I said at the beginning.

E.J. Dionne, 20 March 2010 <http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/flanders230310.html>

[nightrain]

1. knr. yeah, it was great political theater.

[Skittles]

2. a dog and pony show is not great political theater

I believe the response was Jon Flanders, to Dionne?

[Tutankhamun]

3. It was immediately apparent from day one of the "battle" (dog versus pony) over health care reform

that we wouldn't have any meaningful reform. When Obama sat down at the negotiating table without, at the very least, using single payer as a bargaining chip, it was clear he'd already thrown the game.

[Tansy_Gold]

6. But it passed! It passed! And you're just being negative!

:sarcasm:

Reality will hit in a year or two and it won't be pretty at all.

But they got their signing ceremony and everyone will have coverage and it's just wonderful isn't it?
:sarcasm: just in case


Tansy Gold, choking on her own bile at this point

[sabrina 1]

4. So many people coming to the same conclusion.

It was pretty transparent. Especially when the question of 'reconciliation' came up, earlier said to be impossible, suddenly became possible and then they couldn't explain why, when they no longer needed the magical '60 votes', they still couldn't include a PO.

And the tea-baggers magically appeared once again, as they did during the summer. Someone has been playing three dimensional chess, but they weren't on the progressive side.

Good article by Dionne ~

[Ozymanithrax]

5. But the Republicans didn't vote for it...so you premise is inaccurate.

[yurbud]

7. that about covers it. like the puppet show in the war on terror--we're allies with the Pakistanis

and Saudis, they give money to the Taliban and al Qaeda to fight us and use the fight to steal from whatever country we claim al Qaeda is in.