Comments on: Late Night: Choosing Sides While Looking in the Mirror

By: gamd521

gamd521 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:32:40 +0000

Generally respected people like Krugman, Dean and Weiner come to the belief grudgingly that the net result from the proposed bills do more good than harm. They believe that the process of trade offs is inevitable.

More money going to insurers is acceptable if it also leads to more people covered by insurance. A PO with very limited scope is good even if provides minimal competition, moreso given that it was very nearly gone just a few weeks ago. The proposed restrictions imposed on private insurers is better than no restricions at all, the ability for HHS to bargain for lower drug prices for the PO is something anyway. And the fact that there is nothing to prevent cost increases by insurers is just overlooked, since the overall price tag comes within the set target.

From this perspective trade offs are accepted as being unavoidable. But of course they are not. And at this point nothing short of widespread protest will make a difference. And this time what should be demanded is not the PO which is just to easy to undermine, but rather for a more expansive Medicare. To this end we should demand that the Kucinich amendment that proposes Medicare to all be voted upon and ideally scored by CBO.

Perhaps Medicare could be phased in to cover the lowest income earners first, while allowing anyone else the chance to buy into Medicare as premium holders if they so choose.

By: selise

selise — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:25:56 +0000

It’s a place infested with managers but no engineers or architects.

great comments by you and JohnEmerson @3. thanks.

By: tinman1967

tinman1967 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:31:28 +0000

Remember it’s Rahm.
Rahm calls the shots, Obama makes the speeches.

By: montanamaven

montanamaven — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:34:03 +0000

I think you are close with “process wonks”. It’s a place infested with managers but no engineers or architects. They kicked out the people who want to fix things like health care, global warming, war… They are the keepers of the status quo…the corporate state…the corporation of America…Democracy, Inc. Archer Daniels Midland motto: “The consumer is the enemy. The competitor is our friend.” Substitute citizen and other party and you understand why we are so screwed.

By: Hugh

Hugh — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:19:39 +0000

Since Roubini got his reputation, he has been waffling a lot. I found his take on the “recovery” to be unmitigated mush, as in if things get better they will get better but if they deteriorate they will get worse. John from Sacramento had a diary on Roubini and the current bubbles and my criticism there was that he was talking about things there that we have been discussing for months.

By: emerson

emerson — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:26:42 +0000

Interesting conceptuation.

By: Larue

Larue — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:23:58 +0000

N Bless You N Ron. *G*

By: emerson

emerson — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:23:39 +0000

Why Roubini?

By: Teddy Partridge

Teddy Partridge — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:21:50 +0000

Today's assignment must have been to make up new words. Sirota made up controversialize without a blink.

By: Larue

Larue — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:19:44 +0000

I’m aligned with your posits.

And I’m angry about what we have to deal with.

I’ll let history resolve itself.