Congress reconvened in Washington last week hell bent on beginning the process of dismantling the Affordable Healthcare Act. I don’t blame them. The bill, as it is, isn’t much of an improvement over the healthcare system that existed before it when the American people were at the mercy of the various corporate and special interests that make up the healthcare industry.
President Obama should never have signed his bill. I wouldn’t have. It was so watered down by compromise to Republican opponents that it did practically nothing to achieve the stated goals of reducing healthcare costs and making healthcare universally available to all Americans regardless of socioeconomic status.
Healthcare in this country is still in the corrupt hands of the American Medical Association, medical insurance corporations, drug manufacturers and other businesses that make huge profits doing business at the expense of people who need medical care.
If you are sick and without medical insurance, you are like a straggler in a moose herd that is so vulnerable to the wolf pack. You are going down, it is just a matter of time.
The cost of medical care is staggering and getting more expensive every year. The cost of medical insurance is ludicrous and getting more ludicrous every year. The cost of hospitalization is ridiculous and getting more ridiculous every year. The cost of drugs is out of control and getting more so every year.
Where will it end?
The system is rigged and chaotic, and the wolves in our midst are thriving. Congress has the power to put order to this “hair ball” of a system, but I think we all know that will not happen until the people of this country demand it.
As it is now Congress is bought and paid for by special interests (wolves) with very deep pockets. Outside of election periods it pays very little attention to public opinion so most of the time the wolves get their way. They control public opinion by the adroit use of propaganda and out right lies to keep us confused.
The new Republican Congress is poised to repeal Obamacare even before it presents an acceptable alternative to the public. That would create even more chaos and another political war. We’ve done that twice already.
Maybe we should have a national referendum to decide what we want: Medicare for all or “for profit” healthcare. If Congress decides, it will be more of the same. I don’t trust trust them not to sell us out for business interests. Where the public interest is involved, privatization is inappropriate
Let’s face it. Private, for-profit healthcare administered by insurance companies does not work. It is simply too vulnerable to corruption and many cannot afford the high premiums. It is not in the best interests of the American people, especially the poor.
Expanding Medicare to all Americans will work just as it has for those over 65 years old. Medicare works. Ask anyone who has it. Sure, it’s socialized medicine, but it works. Only the U.S. Government is big enough and powerful enough to administer it.
So, if you want the chaos and corruption to continue sit back and relax while the Republican Congress repeals and then replaces Obamacare with something even more odious.
David Browning
Peachtree City, Ga.
