Wow. This is good. I have to share this with you. I wonder if you-know-who is listening? What a great job of cutting through the noise and describing how the Big Picture pivots on what’s going down.
I told my wife that Moyers was speaking the language of our fathers: having Uncle Sam in our corner, on the side of the people, working for the betterment of people’s lives. This is probably our last chance to get it right, before we descend into ever-increasing cruelty and anarchy. My God, what if anyone could just buy into Medicare? Who doesn’t want to save money on health insurance, especially coverage you can trust?!? All those screaming idiots could buy new pickup trucks and save America. People could follow their hearts instead of staying chained to jobs they hate. No one would go bankrupt from medical bills ever again. This would be HUGE — and the right wing in this country would be shattered for decades to come.
That’s where Moyers is coming from. But as I said in the comments, if Obama bunts, it’s all over.
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Lyndon Johnson once famously said that the difference between liberals and cannibals is that cannibals don’t eat their friends and family members.
Well Joseph, if you’re implying that Moyers is attacking the President, I don’t see it that way. Seems more like he’s laying things out, cutting through the noise: depending on what the speech reveals, Obama is either for the insurance companies or the people. The former would amount to one helluva broken promise as well as a terrible blow.
A big moment in history as he steps up to the plate: if he bunts, it’s all over for the Democrats. It really is an extraordinary moment. From what I’ve heard so far, though, he’s about to throw it all away.
John, what you have here is one professor lecturing another professor. Both of them are Harvard elitists who know what is good for more lowly persons. But what they really are is two clowns bumping into each other in the dark. Moyers did have one good observation though, Washington is no place for mincing indecisive do-gooders.
Joseph, I honestly do appreciate your experience and insight. You also have the right computer.
However, or in any case, this lowly person would like to see an end to unnecessary suffering and exploitation by insurance company pirates! It also seems to me that Moyers is with the angels of our better nature here.
Haven’t seen anything yet to tell me Obama won’t blow it, of course, and a lot more things than health care are liable to fail if he does…
It is a known fact that the health insurance industry has a profit margin of about 2%, the same as Super markets. Apple’s profit margin is about 20%. Who are the pirates? Indeed, 60% of all health insurance companies in the country are non-profit.
The administration found out the unpopularity of insurance companies and slickly switched from “Health Care Reform” to “Health Insurance Reform”. Didn’t you notice? My son is as naive as you are. I told him the other day. He then said “And it has hurt me.”.
Lyndon Johnson passed all of the “Great Society” goodies piecemeal and with bipartisanship – and he was not a popular man. The present Demos should look back on history.
76% of America doesn’t have a clue what he wants. And his ever changing massive proposal is easily cut to shreds, as it should be.
I believe that we should direct our energies towards tort reform, interstate accessibility, and the actual people now without health care.
Well, if you didn’t have Medicare, God help you if you ever really got sick.
I’ll leave it to others to argue, but I think you should listen to your son. Really listen.
If I didn’t have Medicare, I probably would have died years ago. But I am not a whiner. I don’t care. Whether I deserve Medicare was determined by Lyndon Johnson and his “Guns and Butter” tap dance to deflect criticism of the body bags returning. In any event, I worked hard for it all my life, as you have.
I have found no true leader admits inner sensitivity. IF she does, they eat her alive.
Glad to hear that.
And please forgive my clumsiness. I should have known as much, even though you’re apparently responding to an earlier edition of my previous comment (before I caught myself projecting and edited the damn thing). My own experience of being raised by farm animals has me looking for manure in all the wrong places.
As for Medicare, 48 more weeks to go, and I’m counting every one. Already looking forward to my first physical exam in over 12 years. Will they tell me I have six months to live? Do doctors still use tongue depressors? Will I have to “cough”?
So much to learn, so little time…
Hey John!
Thanks for sharing Bill Moyers on Health Care – He is an interesting person.
You’re very welcome, David!
BTW, it’s getting kinda cool here… and I’m thinking of building a [gasp] fire.