Friday, August 14, 2009

Obamacare: Starting to Get Through My Thick Skull

Too often I find that people who challenge "Obamacare" are trapped into defending the somewhat lousy, and much, much too costly system we have now, where government regulation effected the inflation of costs through the insurance companies.

The nauseating thing is that Obama and his spokesmen are explaining until they are blue in the face that it is NOT a "government takeover" and NOT a nationalization of health care, and anyone who considers it such is a right wing extremist or conspiracy theorist.

BUT, when you challenge Obamacare to any run of the mill citizen who is in love with the plan, they respond by pummeling you with reasons for why the nationalization of health care makes sense... (no wonder us "extremists" think Obamacare = piecemeal nationalization of health care).

So, let's take a run at this again -- Obamacare is not a government take-over of health care and will not result in a nationalization of healthcare, but us narrow-minded backwoods imbeciles who don't understand why Obamacare is going to be so great need only look at the sheer wonder of other nationalized health care systems to see how great Obamacare is going to be? I think I'm starting to get it...

Admittedly, the reality is that too many of those who oppose the plan are opposing it because it is spearheaded by Obama. But all the same, many of those who blindly cheer it on, until their voices are hoarse and the rest of us are bleeding from the ears, are supporting it with similarly simple-minded logic (because Obama has presented it). This happens all too often, with many areas of policy - a troop escalation by Bush is anathema to those who turn a blind eye if ordered by Obama, and a war run by Bush is gloriously handled in the eyes of some, but even if troop levels are increased by Obama, he's failing us miserably on national security in those same eyes. Then again (back to health care), there's a massive, muddled middle, many of whom are somewhat apathetic, and many others who either oppose or support the plan for much more well thought out reasons. Sadly, those thoughtful ones, wanting to discuss practical solutions are obscured in the background, drowned out in the din of polarized voices...