As national media outlets cover the town hall forums on universal health coverage, there appears to be great hostility amongst American citizens, especially Whites, towards President Barack Obama’s proposed reform. Disruptions, arguments, and fights have been commonplace as the debates continue. Obama has even been compared to Adolf Hitler. What is all this hoopla over?
One of the President’s objectives is to provide coverage for an estimated fifty million Americans without insurance. Yet many Americans feel that they will have to change their current coverage for one that is government sanctioned. Obama has stated that Americans who have health plans they feel are satisfactory may stay with their present provider. There are also billions of dollars that the federal government will be able to use to usher reform by “rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid.”
With the proposed plan by the President, those with preexisting conditions, who are often denied by insurance companies, will be able to get coverage under the federal government’s design. Who could be angry at what seems to be a beneficial program to all Americans. This seems like what a “Christian nation” should do right? The health care system in the U.S. costs the most expensive in the world, but one of the least effective regarding public health outcomes.
However, there is a backlash against the proposed changes from Republicans who feel the reform will be too expensive. Yet, what price can be put on human lives? Essentially the debate about health care reform is surrounded by questions about money. How much will it cost American citizens? How will it impact doctor’s lavish lifestyles? What will happen to the financial pimping of insurance companies….will it go away? There are so many issues that have to be resolved with health care reform that the deadline of October may not be feasible.
Yet there is another issue that has arisen with the town hall forums: “White America’s” outrage against President Obama. Recently, there were new reports doubting his citizenship, a subject that garnered much attention during the 2008 Presidential Campaign. There is also the fear of socialized medicine and government control over health care. Many people are scared of socialism as if it is the Boogie Man waiting to get you while you are asleep. Socialism may not be the answer to economic ills of this country, but I’m not quite sure capitalism is doing a much better job either. I am all for spreading the wealth, especially since I have none.
Examining the ways in which insurance companies dictate whether they will cover patients, reform is greatly needed. Michael Moore’s film Sicko did a very good job at exposing the ills of health care in this country. The issue that government officials need to understand is that this matter can not be rushed. However, I am still troubled by the hostility that has been shown at the forums. Where does it stem? I think race plays a critical factor. The comparisons of Obama to Adolf Hitler are ridiculous. Does “White America” really feel that the President is going to send them to concentration camps and kill them with poison gas? Or are they using idiotic claims to further some clandestine agenda?
Maybe they are miserable that a man of African descent is President of the United States? As a good friend Nicole Jackson mentioned, “people are using these racist and xenophobic attacks on the President to not have a conversation about the real issue at hand…the fact that the wealthiest country in the world has never committed itself to actually keeping the entirety of its” citizens healthy. Many in “White America” believe “they are losing their country” as the U.S. today is not the “America they grew up in.” Well they are right. A Black man serving in the highest position of the United States is not an “America” Americans have lived in for the last 210 years. Which leads me to wonder, how do Native Americans feel about these sentiments?
It will be interesting to see how matters surrounding health care are resolved. Will Obama’s plan become enacted, or will fifty million Americans continue to live without heath insurance?
p.s. “White America” is defined as people of European descent who have absolutely no clue of the America outside of their lily white world. Thus, ALL people of European ancestry DO NOT fall into this category…just a few of them and those people of color who choose to drink the kool-aid of white supremacy.
While debating healthcare reform is a legitimate pursuit, comparisons to Hitler or America becoming socialist are just scare tactics and the rants of sour political opponents. It goes both ways, though. Similar claims were made against former President Bush.
ReplyDelete'Wherever two men meet there will be politics.' That is to be expected.
But there is obvious some sentiment growing in a portion of 'white America' who do resent the progress this nation has made, racially and culturally. I was reading a report on msnbc.com the other day about the growing number of 'militias.' They stand against the government and profess to be for armed rebellion if necessary. As a nation we have failed to realize the non-zero-sum relationship citizens and populations have with each other. For stability to reign, these facts must be put into the concious minds of the people.
This is the type of ignorance that will always be present in America, including both European and African Americans. Fortunately we have a leader that is equiped with the appropriate armour to deal with such ignorance.
ReplyDeleteHe will eventually get his planned pushed through and the process to insure all americans will begin.
The way this issue is being handled is indeed unfortunate, but I think it's important to examine the implications of this issue and what principles and philosophy it represents.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a capitalist nation that, for the majority of our history has failed at upholding one of the essential tenants of capitalism; protection from forced coerscion and fraud. There are many examples of this failing, the most obvious and damaging example is slavery. What this and other events have lead to is a nation with unlevel playing field that is culturally and institutionally maintained. So, president Obama has a difficult task trying to offset the unfair advantages one group of people has over the rest. I think the question is not how do we move away from capitalism, but how do we make sure we live up to its principles.
Well what is capitalism? Like socialism, capitalism is thought of as evil, unfair, and designed for only the powerful to succeed. I don't think this is the case. Many people say that we are a capitalist nation, but I would say we are most capitalist-like nation. Capitalism is about individual freedom and accountabilty. The two are inseperable. If all individuals are free to pursue their happiness then that pursuit must not infringe on others pursuits. We have failed at uphold the accountabilty principle of capitalism. Over the course of this country's history we have steadily tried to improve accountability and fairness. We have not been consistently successful and we have digressed many times, but we have improved. I think the reason why people are so excited about Obama is that he recognizes the need to accelerate the efforts of removing the cheaters and leaches in our society that have become systemic. The question is is he doing it in a way that doesn't undermine the principles of this country that make it the most progressive and economically fertile nation in the world (if you disagree with this sentence I encourage you to spend some significant time living in another nation and observe how its citizens are treated and regulated not how its tourists are treated). (Continued...)
There are a few people who examine Obama's plans to reform this nation and are nervous and somewhat apprehensive. The majority of the Obama detractors have a vague sense of this nervousness and spout every bit of extreme comparison and association they can think of. This is what's happening now, but it doesn't make ideas behind the venom invalid.
ReplyDeleteSo what are the ideas? I think the main concern is who is going to pay for these plans? The answer is the American people. For many this is an easy sell as many people think the government could our tax dollars more effectively. Others think that since the rich have probably earned their money in dishonest ways they owe it to the rest of the nation's less wealthy to give back. The idea is there are fifty million Americans that need health insurance but can't afford it and that the wealthiest of us can and should provide it for them. The problem on both sides of this argument is that neither side is willing to thoroughly examine if the rich deserve to pay and if those who can't afford health care deserve to receive payment for it. I suspect the majority of our population thinks that the rich should pay simply because they can afford it and the poor deserve to receive simply because they lack. Unfortunately this philosophy also undermines capitalism, in the same way it has been undermined over the course of this country's history; there's no accountability.
If we are going to improve how this country functions while upholding our principles of freedom then we must move to establish institutions that hold accountability as the measuring stick for success. This means that those who do give should either give of their own free will or there should be a clear and specific reason for them being forced to give. Moreover, those who receive should be those who have demonstrated the capacity for responsibility. You excersize this principle every time you stop and think whether or not to give to a homeless person on the street. You don't give even one penny to the homeless man who just finished smoking crack and is holding out his hand for more money. The reason for this is you know your money won't be put to good use. So maybe you decide to get involved with the local shelter or help out with drug awareness in your community. The idea here is YOU decide how to help if you decide to help at that man at all. Imagine if you were forced to give one dollar to that man simply because he didn't have. This is what people who call Obama a socialist fear, the ones who understand the principle behind this plan. (Continued...)
The potential problem with this plan is the same problem with welfare; it creates a niche for those who are willing to sacrifice their independence for the amount others will give to them. The problem with welfare from the governmental side is that it creates the illusion of having dealt with the problem of lack of fair justice and access to opportunities.
ReplyDeleteUnder the principles of capitalism it's the government's job to protect its citizens not ensure that they have a minimum standard of living. That is the cost of having individual freedom, there is no guarantee that you won't be homeless. The other side of that freedom coin is that you should never be forced to contribute to something you don't agree with. You can't sustain one without the other, although we have tried as a nation for most of our history.
This country has a lot to answer for, but let's be critical about how that we decide to answer by first examining whether or not our freedom must be compromised to do so. Regardless of where we start in life we all should have to earn what we get according to our ability. This idea is unnerving to many people across the socioeconomic spectrum . And at each level these people have found a way to avoid living on their own merits in order to live off the earnings of others; from the crack smoking homeless man to Bernie Madoff. A government that doesn't do its job enables leaches, especially rich ones, but it doesn't correct the problem by indiscriminately limiting the freedoms of all citizens, even if we can afford it. Like the situation with the homeless man, the issue is not whether we can afford to give, it's whether or not we are free to decide.
Think very hard about whether or not you can accept capitalism's standards and what are the limitations of the alternatives. Correcting the holes in our principles as a nation is an unenviable task, but I wonder sometimes if we are preparing to sacrifice the principles that keep us rooted to this nation.
Let's all exercise our freedom to judge and think critically not just about what Obama's health care plan is supposed to do, but whether or not it agrees with what we want from our nation. Then let's finally decide if we can afford it economically AND philosophically, because it's our philosophy that guides our actions and principles as individuals and as a nation.
round of applause for that thoughtful and critical response. wish more of the nation thought that way.
ReplyDeleteCriss commentary on the US Health Care issue.
ReplyDeleteWhile racism is a major factor in the media chatter the other major factor is the idea of American Identity. Since rugged individualism is such a key component of the 'traditional' (i.e. - white) American identity, it is hard for even the poorest of Americans to consent to something that would probably help them just because the idea of collective organization & collective responsibility is so antithetical to the prevailing image of the 'rugged individualistic' American.
Mind you, it should come as no surprise that ideas like collective responsibility are traditional values for African people (as well as Native Americans & Asians, Pacific Islanders, etc.). Not much research is needed to prove this fact - just reflect on your Kwanzaa Principles - Ujima?????
So basically, race & the Super Selfish Individualistic concept of American Identity are key factors which prevent an intelligent discussion & consideration of this issue.
Check out this Aljazeera comment regarding the flaws of the American Individualistic Identity. I QUOTE =
"Millions of people now firmly believe that "big government" is evil, that they should not be forced to pay taxes for any public services and that the true-blue American (white, of course) "goes it alone", with his grit and his guns, instead of relying on and participating in a wider community."
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/08/200982075754210254.html
I have come in after some very accurate and insightful posts to which my addition would be superfluous and unnecessary. I will however state the following...
ReplyDeleteThose who oppose President Obama, his policies, and his race are constantly accusing him of attempting to turn America into a Socialist nation. The fact of the matter is that America is already a Socialist nation. Let us not forget that we live in a country where 2-3% of the population owns 98% of the wealth. The rest of us are fighting for scraps and are given what's left. We are given the ILLUSION of choice...for example, there are at least 15 different gas stations represented in the city of Detroit. Don't they all use the same petroleum? That example rings true throughout American society. We cannot allow the senseless debates distract us from the real issues of poverty and crime facing our communities...
To H. Weaver,
ReplyDeleteDuly noted my friend.