I don't know why I keep hearing The Clash in my head right now, but I do. Now war is declared, and battle come down.
When they kick at your front door
How you gonna come?
-- Paul Simonon, "The Guns of Brixton"
I don't know if we're quite there yet, but it seems to be getting closer, now that President Obama has patiently explained that it's time to eat the crap sandwich:
“Everything there is to say about healthcare has been said and just about everyone has said it,” Obama said. “So now is the time to make a decision about how to finally reform healthcare so that it works, not just for the insurance companies, but for America’s families and businesses.”
Shut up, he explained. Well, I'm not quite ready to shut up just yet. A few thoughts:
- Do you remember how annoyed President Obama got with the Republicans who came brandishing copies of the various behemoth bills at the "summit" of last week? Obama chided the Republicans for using props. Which is why Obama had white-clad leftist doctors standing behind him when he made yesterday's announcement. Actually, I guess those aren't props. Perhaps the correct term is "human shields."
- But this latest iteration of the bill is different, we are told, because Obama cherry-picked a few ideas from the Republicans and lathered them on top of the crap sandwich, like a layer of tasty stone-ground mustard.
- I'm also quite tired of the almost casual defamation of people who work for insurance companies. I have friends and family who work for larger insurers -- most people in the Twin Cities do, given the corporate presence of United Healthcare -- and they are decent, ethical people who work hard and don't rely on dishonest speechifying as they ply their trade.
- And while I'm annoyed by Obama and his low-rent machinations, I'm hardly the angriest blogger on the scene. If you doubt that, check out this guy.
6 comments:
"I'm also quite tired of the almost casual defamation of people who work for insurance companies". I second the motion.
The same ignorance and arrogance exists at lower levels of government. In each of the last couple of town hall meetings presented by Representative Kate Knuth and Senator Satveer Chaudhary (four individual events) those of us in the audience were chastised by either the officer holder or by a goverment worker in the audience for what they interpreted as criticism of government workers after a point was made that government spends too much and needs to cut expenditures. In each case the target of the admonishment did not say anything untoward about government workers other than that some of the compensation, job security, benefits, etc. were pretty darn good in comparison to typical private sector fare and that perhaps some cutback was in order in bad economic times (i.e. the "shared sacrifice" Kate and Satveer often call for when trying to justify a proposal to raise taxes or add regulation).
In at least a couple of instances the perceived offensive comment/question was in response to the office holder criticizing some "wealthy" private sector workers and/or corporate officers for not wanting to pay their "fair share" or paying some employees "too much" and others "not enough" without elaborating on what metrics they applied to make this determination.
How much of what the insurance companies and their employees do that is irritating or costly to their customers is directly or indirectly due to over-regulation, expensive legal mandates, or self-defense against potential law suits or additional regulation? Kate in particular did not seem to grasp the concept that it is not in the best self interest of private sector businesses to irritate their customers
The same ignorance and arrogance exists at lower levels of government.
No question about that, Steve.
How much of what the insurance companies and their employees do that is irritating or costly to their customers is directly or indirectly due to over-regulation, expensive legal mandates, or self-defense against potential law suits or additional regulation?
I don't know the answer to that question, but it is a substantial part of the costs of that business. Based on my experience, there are millions of the trees that Kate Knuth loves so much that must die in order to print forms that are signed, filed and never seen again.
Kate in particular did not seem to grasp the concept that it is not in the best self interest of private sector businesses to irritate their customers.
That's what happens when you work in enterprises that don't have competition.
There are so many things that I'd like to say, but complete sentences would be too harsh. So here are some terms instead: horse's testicle, box of rocks, vanity, moral dwarf, wart infestation, toddlers, jimmy carter, political herpes.
That's a good, comprehensive list, WBP.
Are you sure that the people in the white coats where endorsing Obamacare... or holding straightjackets and sedatives just out of view of the cameras? To force this vote given the way the political winds are blowing and the economic realities the country is facing suggests a Pythonesque response: "You're a loony!".
(My apologies in advance to the mentally ill for suggesting a comparision between them and this administration.)
Lay off the Python Troupe, NW!
Sounds like it's time for Paul Shanklin to revise his parody of "they're coming to take me away" in honor of Obama....
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