But the actual Socialists in America disagree.
"As I understand it, we have taken over the country," says Kastner, who is a proud member of the Milwaukee local of the Socialist Party. "The Republicans in Congress, the talk radio, all through the health-care debate, they've been saying its proof that the Socialists are in charge. Can you believe it?" ...I can't say for myself if his criticism of Health Care Reform is accurate at this moment. But I find this fact interesting to know.
a bemused Myrtle Kastner notes that her party appears to have taken complete charge of the U.S. government – or so House Minority Leader John Boehner, various and sundry sulking Republican politicians, and their amen corner in the media (led by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity) would have us believe.
What surprises Kastner is not merely the fact that the party, which sometimes has a hard time filling all the chairs at its meetings, organized the takeover without informing her – or, to her knowledge, any other Socialists.
What seriously surprises her is that the health-care reform legislation that's been passed by Congress would be characterized by anyone who knows anything about economics or politics or history as "socialist."
"I'm afraid it's not socialized medicine," she says of the plan, which maintains private health-insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and nursing homes – most of which saw their stock values rise after the legislation was enacted.
Indeed, the Socialist Party stands in opposition to President Obama's approach.
"This is not a healthcare reform bill," says Socialist Party USA co-chair Billy Wharton, "It is instead a corporate restructuring of the American healthcare system designed to enhance the profits of private health insurance companies disguised with the language of reform"
As a Canadian who lives in a country where universal health care is a way of life, I say IT IS ABOUT TIME for the U.S. The Bill is NOT perfect but Republicans and Democrats have a golden opportunity to fine-tune it down the road. Republicans need get over their dogmatic fantasy of the bill being repealed because there is simply no going back. The far right wants to whine about the Europeanization of America, well I say in this case, let the Europeanization begin! On top of that, I think there is one more thing America can learn from Europe but that's another story and topic for another time.
ReplyDeleteI say de-fund the bill after the elections. The US government has never done anything efficiently.
ReplyDeleteIn a few months we have to face the "cap and tax" initiative which will cost us dearly.
A government which chooses to tax the people beyond essential and affordable levels is an oppressive government that requires replacement.
May it be done by way of the ballot box.