My best guess: ‘Real-life’ health care reform is dead
My very best guess about health care battles currently dominating our nation would be this: In “real life,” we are not going to get truly significant health care reform.
It’s easy to get caught up in all the excitement, and to be overwhelmed by the sound and the fury surrounding this crucial issue. At that point, I know I tend to forget a couple of issues. I think these are the issues which truly determine such major matters as health care in America:
1. There are too many billion dollar insurance companies (maybe even trillion dollar?) and billion dollar HMOs, etc., for anything serious to happen that will benefit the average “Joe Six Pack” (or “Joe the Plumber” or any other “Joe) when all the dust has settled. These corporate robber barons have too much power to manipulate the politicians at every level for any serious reform to get done. Because serious health care reform, i.e., eliminating pre-existing conditions, stopping insurance companies from dropping high-risk patients, and making health insurance both comprehensive and affordable.
2. MOST politicians are, well, politicians. They go whichever way they need to go so as to 1) retain office, and, 2) reap all they can from lobbyists and other money interests because that’s how they remain politicians. Are there any real “statesmen” out there who live, work, and vote according to serious moral principles and ethical values? Well, rumor is that there are and that there always have been.
But the older I get, the more skeptical (cynical?) I become about such critters as honest, selfless politicians — or honest, selfless corporate leaders, as far as that goes.
So don’t look for any really helpful health care reform. Not in our lifetimes, I suspect.
(Caveat: I’m the same guy who said America would never elect an African-American president in my lifetime. Got that one wrong, didn’t I? He he he.)