Quote:
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country...corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war."
-Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864 (letter to Col. William F. Elkins)
Again, I implore you, “Who Are We?”
Are we a government of the corporations, by the corporations, and for the corporations?
I’m bringing this up in light of Rudy Giuliani’s Health Care Proposal. It proposes up to a $15,000 tax break to individuals who forgo their companies’ health plan and purchase their own. Supposedly the ‘increased competition’ will lower premiums.
So let’s break this down. The government plans to subsidize your health coverage, up to $15,000 a year. Don’t be fooled, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was authored by the Health Insurance Lobby.
All this will do is further ensure the Health Insurance Companies’ profits, it will do nothing for people who can’t afford or can’t get health insurance. Obviously if you’re unemployed or self employed and can’t afford insurance, well you’re out of luck. If you’re sick and saddled with “pre-existings” and can’t get insurance, well you’re out of luck too. If you’re sick and have coverage, this will do nothing to ensure you get the coverage you paid for.
Giuliani is playing to Americans’ over-willingness to pay everything on the back end. Why is it better to subsidize and pay for a ‘for-profit’ system on the back end when the same money could be used to fund a ‘not-for-profit’ system on the front end? It makes no sense. Accompany that with some grand ‘free market’ rhetoric and you’ve got an outline for a corporate coup with fat profits.
Meanwhile, we’re not talking about selling potato chips or gasoline, we’re talking about your health, your ability to survive.
These are the stakes in this election. These kinds of corporate coups are what we’re up against, and I’m sure no doubt why you’ve chosen Obama.
Comments are closed for this post.
