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Debbie Brasket: Laboring for Basic Health-Care Rights
As we celebrated Labor Day this year, I spent some time reflecting on what we owe to the American labor movement and those who fought so hard for the basic rights and protections that so many take for granted today. Thanks to them, we now have labor laws to protect our children, to keep our workplace safe and healthy, to provide compensation to workers hurt on the job, to limit the workweek to five days and 40 hours, and to provide free public education for our children and Social Security when we retire.
It’s hard to imagine now a life without these hard-fought rights and safeguards. But at the time, the achievement of these reforms was far from certain, requiring amazing courage, sacrifice and resilience in the face of fierce opposition, hatred and fear-mongering.
In so many ways, the fight for basic rights for workers parallels the fight for health-care reform today. Then as now, the opposition consisted of big industrial and corporate heavyweights who saw their stranglehold on American families’ productivity and pocketbooks slipping away. Then as now, loud-mouthed pundits used the bully pulpit to stir up hatred and irrational fears, to distort the facts and to mislead the masses. Then as now, red flags such as “socialism,” “government takeover” and “death panels” were raised in a wild-eyed frenzy to inflame and deceive the public.
Then as now, it was the public sector — good government, not big business — that people finally turned to for badly needed reforms.
Like it or not, basic rights such as affordable health care are won through the public sector, not the private. No for-profit corporation is ever going to announce: “We believe that all people have a basic human right to quality health care, and we’re going to provide that service to all Americans, regardless of their ability to pay for it.” It’s not in their best self-interest to do so. The public sector — good government — was created to do what the private sector can’t or won’t do: provide for the general welfare of all people.
That’s why the people of nearly every democratic, industrialized nation have turned to their governments to provide universal health care for their citizens. That’s why the American people are now turning to our government for legislation to provide health care to those who have been denied it for too long. And that’s why the controversy over the inclusion a public option in our public health-care reform is so silly. Of course a “public option” is essential to provide health care for those who cannot afford it. The “private option” has failed to do so, and real health-care reform will never come from the private sector alone.
It is only with the existence of, essentially, a public insurance company to compete with the private insurance giants that costs can be lowered and efficiency promoted. Medicare, today’s public health plan, operates with about a 3 percent overhead, compared with the greater than 50 percent overheads of the private companies, which include huge salaries for CEOs and big bucks for advertising and cherry-picking clients.
Remember that Social Security and Medicare are both public options that were created because the private sector could not, or would not, provide for its retired and disabled employees. When the Social Security program was first proposed more than 60 years ago, it included a health-care program that, unfortunately for us now, was never implemented.
We’ve waited long enough. The time to provide health care to all Americans is long overdue. In the face of fierce opposition, hatred and fear-mongering, now is the time to look beyond private self-interest and strongly support a public option that will ensure health care to all Americans.
— Deborah Brasket is executive director of the Santa Barbara County Action Network (SB CAN). She can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 805.722.5094. This commentary originally appeared in the Santa Maria Times.
Comments
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» on 09.18.09 @ 05:59 AM
I agree and will add this quote:
“What we face is above all a moral issue, at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundemental principles of social justice and the character of our country”.
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» on 09.18.09 @ 08:13 AM
Thank you, Deb, for your insightful article. I truly believe that it is just a matter of time before the American people will get what they want and NEED = a Universal Single Payer Health Care System. It is disgraceful that our people are suffering and dying and going broke so that the insurance industry can continue its “free market” plunder of America.
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» on 09.18.09 @ 10:24 AM
Oh God more socialist drivel. Debbie, I will not deny the benefits of those hard fought policies; however, missing from your diatribe is the COSTS. Everything has a price, NOTHING is free. It does not matter whether the economic distribution system is public or private; it still has to be PAID for! So who pays for it? Here is the great and classic battle, the ones who think some one else should pay for it and those who believe you pay your own way. So what is that moral imperative? I want something, you gimmy it! Or I want something, so I’ll go out and work for it. In the case of labor law, it was good to protect our work force, but without adequate protection for the businesses providing the work for the work forces the payment has been the stead erosion of jobs. Most of those jobs were the ones that built our economy and expanded the wealth of it. With out wealth expansion, all you get is the same amount of goods being redistributed, some win some lose. With wealth expansion you have more goods to distribute, everyone wins. The best vehicle for wealth expansion in all of human history has been the old American capitalist free market economy. That economy was ditched for our current one the great American ponzi scheme, investor specutation.
Its simple folks, Local and all the liberals can have all the feel good crap they want when we as a country start making real wealth to pay for it. Otherwise these libs will just start stealing it. Once the whole sale theft of wealth generating capital is redistributed to a coddled, institutionalized, dumb down public, the engine sputters to a halt and the pie starts to shrink. That’s great if you are in a protected elitist class, sucks for all the rest of us.
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» on 09.18.09 @ 10:58 AM
Those of us who are opposing the present health care package are not industrial heavyweights or greedy corporations. We are tax paying, middle class citizens who may back health care reform, but not in this form. We need real tort reform, not an elusive study, and immigration reform before we can have effective health care reform.
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» on 09.18.09 @ 11:04 AM
An50, once again you have no idea what you are talking about. The proposal to pay for this is very clear. 2/3 from eliminating waste and 1/3 from premiums and removal of the wealthy Bush tax cuts. You do not like what it says. I will pay more with the removal of the Bush tax cuts but it is the right thing to do. You get what you pay for .
In every other democratic country in the world basic healthcare is provided and is a basic right. Businesses are more competitive because of ti. In addition, making a profit by collecting premiums and distributing payouts, (THE GREEDY INSURANCE COMPANIES), is illegal in every country in the world except the U.S. Why? Because it allows the insurance companies to extract billions from the system, deny coverage to the needy, deny different procedures all in the name of profit. Every year about 45,000 people in this country die as a direct result of our private insurance system. We already have the money. We spend nearly twice as much as the next country and get much less for our money. We can afford it now and you know it. We already pay for the uninsured with the most expensive last minute care in our emergency rooms. Wake-up and stop with the categorizing of people. This is not about you. I am a big free market advocate but there must be visible, verification and checks and balances. Unfortunately, there are too many in America that will do anything for a buck and need supervision and regulation. The past 8 years has made this crystal clear.
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» on 09.19.09 @ 06:42 AM
SBCAN + PUEBLO = ACORN
Follow the money!
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» on 09.19.09 @ 10:20 AM
Your overhead numbers are incorrect. Medicare numbers understated because much overhead is done by private companies, Insurance company overhead is nothing like 50%
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» on 09.19.09 @ 04:39 PM
Dear Debbie,
Please explain your credentials to opine on this complicated subject.
Thanks.
Jon
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» on 09.19.09 @ 07:54 PM
ATTENTION!! Congress Has The Votes Needed To Pass A Public Option - TODAY http://bit.ly/TCq7O
Why A Strong Public Option Is Essential - By jacksmith - Working Class
Robert Reich explains the pubic option: http://bit.ly/dDYSJ http://robertreich.blogspot.com/
John Garamendi on the Public Option and the Grassroots: http://bit.ly/TJMty
It’s not just because more than two thirds of the American people want a single payer health care system. And if they cant have a single payer system 77% of all Americans want a strong government-run public option on day one (86% of democrats, 75% of independents, and 72% republicans). Basically everyone.
It’s not just because according to a new AARP POLL: 86 percent of seniors want universal healthcare security for All, including 93% of Democrats, 87% of Independents, and 78% of Republicans. With 79% of seniors supporting creating a new strong Government-run public option plan, available immediately. Including 89% of Democrats, 80% of Independents, and 61% of Republicans, STUNNING!!
It’s not just because it will lower cost. Because a strong public option will dramatically lower cost for everyone. And dramatically improved the quality of care everyone receives in America and around the World. Rich, middle class, and poor a like.
It’s not just because it will save trillions of dollars and prevent the needless deaths of millions more of YOU, caused by a rush to profit by the DISGRACEFUL, GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!
It’s not just because every expert in every field, including economist, and Nobel laureates all agree that free market based healthcare systems don’t work. Never have and never will. The US has the only truly free market based healthcare system in the World. And as you all know now, IT IS A DISASTER!
It’s not just because providing or denying medically necessary care for profit motivations is wrong. Because it is WRONG! It’s professionally, ethically, and morally REPUGNANT!, Animalistic, VILE and EVIL.
THE REASON THE PUBLIC OPTION IS ESSENTIAL:
The public option is ESSENTIAL because over 200 million of you are trapped in the forest of the wolves. Which is the forest of the DISGRACEFUL, GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX! With no way out except through needless inhumane suffering, and DEATH. While the wolves tear at your flesh, and rip you limb from lib. Then feast on your lifeless bodies like a dead carcase for transplant parts.
At the most vulnerable times of your lives (when you were sick and hurting), millions of you have had to fight and loose cruel, but heroic battles. Fighting against the big guns of the DISGRACEFUL, GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX! in the forest of the wolves. All because you have no place else to go. You have no other CHOICE!
But the PUBLIC OPTION will give you someplace safe to go. And it will give us someplace safe to take you. The public option will be your refugium (your refuge). Where the wolves cannot get at you when your down, hurting, and vulnerable. Where everyone who needs it can find rest, security, comfort and the care they need. Protected by the BIG GUNS of We The People Of The United States. THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE AND COUNTRY ON EARTH.
This is why it is so critical that we do not lead another 50 million vulnerable, uninsured Americans into the forest of the wolves, without the protections of a Strong Government-run public option. We The People Of The United States MUST NOT LET THAT HAPPEN to any more of our fellow Americans. If healthcare reform does not contain a strong public option on day one. YOU MUST! KILL IT. Or you will do far more harm than good. And millions more will die needlessly. Rich, middle class, and poor a like.
To those who would continue to obstruct good and true healthcare reform for the American people, and who seek to trap millions more vulnerable Americans in the forest of the wolves. We will continue to fight you. We are prepared to wage all out war against you, and will eagerly DESTROY! you. Time…is…UP! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! No Co-op’s! No Triggers! NO INDIVIDUAL MANDATES! without a Strong public option on day one.
Healthcare reform can be the GREATEST! Accomplishment of our time and century. A time when future generations may say of us, that we were all, AMERICAS GREATEST GENERATIONS.
BUT WE MUST ACT!
I therefore call on all my fellow Americans and the peoples of the World. To join us in this fight so that we may finish becoming the better America that we aspire to be for everyone.
SPREAD THE WORD!
I have been privileged to be witness as many of you fought, and struggled to take your first breath, and your last breath on this earth. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Life is precious.
Whatever the cost. WE! MUST SUCCEED.
God Bless You My Fellow Human Beings
jacksmith - Working Class
Things You Can Do To Help NOW! http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2009/09/tired_of_watching_people_die_n.html
No Triggers! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-rosenbaum/a-trigger-for-the-public_b_277910.html
Triggers http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/weve-seen-these-triggers_b_283583.html
Krugman on heathcare (http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-healthcare/)
Senator Bernie Sanders on healthcare (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSM8t_cLZgk&feature=player_embedded)
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» on 07.20.10 @ 06:55 AM
Debbie, you miss the point. The truth is Americans like to fail, or more accurately, they believe that failure is part of what makes America great (crazy, I know). In fact, they ENJOY not having the quality of life taken for granted in virtually all other western industrialized nations. It makes them more independent, resourceful and somehow superior (nuts, I agree). Once you understand that a sizable percentage of Americans believe they SHOULD suffer as a consequence of the failings of their society, their government and through the brutality of runaway greed (they call it “capitalism” because it sounds better) it all begins to make sense (no, it doesn’t but there you have it). Right wingers especially have a deep seated MARTYR complex and due to their self-loathing feel that suffering is what they deserve and in fact is somehow noble. So, please, when you preach to the drooling masses, keep in mind that they don’t WANT a nation of compassion, efficiency or even one that’s particularly enlightened. My advice? Leave them alone and let them die. They deserve that much.
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