It seems to me the divisions that have been revealed her is pretty indicative as to why a cohesive movement towards an equitable health care system has not succeeded. Granted, I don't come from a background where I have a well paying university job. It's been a few years since I've had employer provided health insurance. I know what it's like to be a struggling single parent without medical coverage. By that same token, having returned to school I do understand the academic aspects of the debates and recognize the practical "real world" applications that are involved. It's also important to note that many people who do come from the university environment or teach have flexible schedules which makes a degree of valuable activism and involvement possible. <br>
<br>I haven't seen anyone who has supported the Obama plan claim that it's perfect, or that no one will fall through the cracks. I would say that many people here are saying lets take what is being given and make improvements to this. In order to really advocate for a single payer system we need to challenge the corporate run system of government that is already in place. How much democracy can we really have in a nation where the vast majority of wealth is in the hands of a small group of people? I've been critical of the arguments for single payer, not because I think people don't care, but because I think it's unrealistic at this point. Much of the deregulation of industry and media that took place during the Reagan years has done much to help create the current mess we are in and this is not something that can be fixed overnight. A part of me thinks that we may end up facing a revolution at some point where our current government gets overthrown before we can really make needed changes to the power structure. But, is that something that we, as a people, are ready for?<br>
<br>My maternal grandfather, who lived through the great depression, predicted that we would come to this point when Reagan was in office. He was born in 1901, after Teddy Roosevelt became president, and was in his 40's (FDR administration) when his youngest child, my mother, was born during WWII. He was also happy when Medicare came along because he was amongst the first generation of Americans who could take advantage. He probably would not have lived as long as he did without the medical services he received as a result of Medicare. I remember being in my late teens and early 20's and listening to my grandfather tell me how the economic policies of the Reagan administration would create problems down the road. He would probably support a single payer system of health care. My father used to work for the Dept of Public Aid and the IL Dept of Labor and he himself has advocated for single payer for many years now so I do understand the reasoning and the arguments behind it and I agree that is the best solution. However, until we can reach that solution we can take what we can get and use that as a platform to work towards progress. <br>
<br>- Marti<br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 6:59 PM, unionyes <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:unionyes@ameritech.net">unionyes@ameritech.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
<div bgcolor="#ffffff">
<div><font face="Arial" size="3">To Jenifer and the rest of you that think the Obama
so called " health care reform bill " is so great and that any of us who
criticize it don't care about their fellow human beings.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial">First of all, I want to ask Jenifer if she has health
insurance and if so what type ?</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial">Secondly, this posting by Dave P. sums up my feelings
perfectly.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial">WE, the working poor, Myself included, are the ones who
will NOT benefit from this Bill.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial">Easy for many of the rest of you to say it is so great
when you already have health insurance and won't have to face the prospect of a
fine and still have no health care.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial">As Dave P. states below, Single Payer IS the ONLY REAL
public option.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial">Again, most of you who support the Obama plan, already
have health insurance and / or you are relying on info provided to you via the
corporate media and the democratic party.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial">Who along with the repubs prevented for day one ANY
discussion about single payer.</font></div>
<div><font face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial">David J.</font></div><div class="im">
<div><font face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div style="font: 10pt arial;">----- Original Message -----
<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(228, 228, 228);"><b>From:</b> <a title="pengdust@aol.com" href="mailto:pengdust@aol.com" target="_blank">pengdust@aol.com</a>
</div>
<div><b>To:</b> <a title="ls1000@live.com" href="mailto:ls1000@live.com" target="_blank">ls1000@live.com</a> ; <a title="jbw292002@gmail.com" href="mailto:jbw292002@gmail.com" target="_blank">jbw292002@gmail.com</a> ; <a title="galliher@illinois.edu" href="mailto:galliher@illinois.edu" target="_blank">galliher@illinois.edu</a> </div>
<div><b>Cc:</b> <a title="Peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net" href="mailto:Peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net" target="_blank">Peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net</a>
; <a title="discuss@lists.communitycourtwatch.org" href="mailto:discuss@lists.communitycourtwatch.org" target="_blank">discuss@lists.communitycourtwatch.org</a>
</div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, March 25, 2010 10:54 AM</div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Discuss] [Peace-discuss] Fw: What hath got
rot?</div></div>
<div><br></div></div><font color="black" face="arial" size="2"><div class="im">
<div>As an anarchist and a "precarious-shit-worker" who does do the 'grub-work,'
I take offense to this "<font face="Calibri">individualistic
libertarian anarchists</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">"
claim. We, anarcho-PSWs, do not have cushy university jobs with health-care,
sick days, vacations, living wages... or the time, privelege, and luxury
for academic debates. It is true, those of us who make around $1000/month will
NEVER, EVER be able to afford the $200-300/month minimum premiums to fucking
corporations after paying some $400 in rent alone! [Add $200-300/loans in
student loans, $150 in other bills, etc... and there's nothing left for food.
Keeps me in my boyish figure I guess <i>;-)</i> ] Simply, everyday life is
always a losing battle... we're working-poor and we're FUCKED, this is
real. And, the $700 penalty on top of taxes will only make things worse!
Now, for those who make some $40,000/yr this all may be doable, and an
improvement, but for many of us who don't it's completely impossible unless the
feds pay %100 of our premiums.... i.e., SINGLE-PAYER. So, single-payer is
the ONLY improvement for us, and the ONLY solution that was never on the table!
[thanks to Both Dems and Reps] </font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><br> </div>
<div style="clear: both;"></div><br>
</div><div style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica;">
<div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="padding-left: 1ex; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="padding-left: 1ex; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">
<div> </div></blockquote></blockquote><br><div class="im"><br>-- <br>This message
has been scanned for viruses and <br>dangerous content by <a><b>MailScanner</b></a>,
and is <br>believed to be clean.
</div><div>
<hr>
<div></div>_______________________________________________<br>Peace-discuss
mailing list<div class="im"><br><a>Peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net</a><br></div><div class="im"><a>http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss</a><br></div></div><div class="im">
<div style="font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma,Verdana,Arial,Sans-Serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt>_______________________________________________
Discuss mailing list
<a>Discuss@lists.communitycourtwatch.org</a>
<a>http://lists.communitycourtwatch.org/listinfo.cgi/discuss-communitycourtwatch.org</a>
</tt></pre></div></div></div></div></font><div class="im">
<p>
</p><hr>
<p></p>_______________________________________________<br>Discuss mailing
list<br><a href="mailto:Discuss@lists.communitycourtwatch.org" target="_blank">Discuss@lists.communitycourtwatch.org</a><br><a href="http://lists.communitycourtwatch.org/listinfo.cgi/discuss-communitycourtwatch.org" target="_blank">http://lists.communitycourtwatch.org/listinfo.cgi/discuss-communitycourtwatch.org</a><br>
</div></div>
<br>_______________________________________________<br>
Discuss mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Discuss@lists.communitycourtwatch.org">Discuss@lists.communitycourtwatch.org</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.communitycourtwatch.org/listinfo.cgi/discuss-communitycourtwatch.org" target="_blank">http://lists.communitycourtwatch.org/listinfo.cgi/discuss-communitycourtwatch.org</a><br>
<br></blockquote></div><br>
<br />--
<br />This message has been scanned for viruses and
<br />dangerous content by
<a href="http://www.mailscanner.info/"><b>MailScanner</b></a>, and is
<br />believed to be clean.