The part of Obamacare repeal no one is discussing...
I think its time to say it. The elephant in the room must be named. They will deny it. Even those that believe what they did was wrong will have a hard time accepting this as a real motive. But here it is… Today’s healthcare vote in the house is as much about America’s racism as it is about capitalism. And I don’t mean in a general sense, I am not saying the bill is specifically formulated to effect people of color disproportionately (it might be, I don’t know). I mean that it is an active, racist attack on the legacy of the first black president.
This is what healthcare leadership looks like...
This legislation does much more than re-assert the power of American class-fueled greed. The reason that the first and primary act of this Republican government was to abolish these protections was not simply because the act reduced the profit potential of healthcare companies, but because that act was successfully implemented by a black man. The "repeal" of Obamacare is an outright refusal to allow Obama to have a legacy that moves this country toward equality. A black man cannot be the first leader credited for applying any such privilege equally to American citizens. Such a legacy would have been too much for the powers-that-be in this country to bear.
It is an unwritten rule in this country, no black man should dare to impede on the profits of the establishment. That will not stand. And this view is not limited to the real power in this country. Republicans have used the poor and middle class’ inherent racism to their advantage on this issue. How many times have we heard the story of people that did not understand that ACA and Obamacare were the same thing? People in this country hated Obamacare because it was his legacy, the great achievement of the one black man to hold that office. So much so that they had little ability to see beyond that to what it actually meant. This maybe the same reason that the EPA data on global warming was immediately purged. Because Obama's climate work also has the potential to be a powerful legacy that could shift the power base away from the old money realities that fuel American politics and policies.
In our history, few other defining changes in American social structures have been repealed in such short order after a change of power (if any). Fewer still are the reforms of reforms that move the metaphoric needle back past the place it started. Yet, the legislation passed by the house today accomplishes both a repeal of access for the average person, it also potentially creates a greater profit reality for the insurance companies than what was in place prior to Obamacare. And it does these things in near record time since the man who made them possible left office. Seriously, just survey the faces that gathered to publicly celebrate this victory last night... this outright glee is deeper than a mere political win - it clearly represents A LOT more to them...
If you are having trouble accepting this premise, then look at the priorities of the republican party. Based on their purported values, the current administration and legislature should have had other "first" priorities. They should ave gone after Dodd-Frank, or built a wall, or compromised less on the budget that was passed today— which leaves almost all of the agencies that Trump had proposed to cut intact. These things would have been much easier for them to attack, as very few Americans understand how Dodd-Frank or the National Endowment For the Humanities affects them on a daily basis. But to gut their healthcare? THAT people understand. And Republicans know this will make the average American very angry.
Despite being transparently selfish, these Republicans are not stupid. What they will never tell you is that in the game of health insurance, profit only occurs at the expense of the health of the average American. They have to know that once these Obamacare “reforms” hit the street, they will not stand as they are. If changes are not implemented shortly after these new rules take effect, every politician who voted for it will be looking for work. They know that they will need to revise this legislation in short order. So what then did they achieve? Two things:
1) Any future returns toward more fair coverage will be less sweeping and more favorable to the business of health insurance
2) Any new reforms will not be a part of Obama’s legacy. They will water down his success to the point of denying him (and his supporters) the ability to claim any healthcare win as a legacy. Others will get credit for healthcare reform at a future point.
I dare suggest one only look at history to see that there is at truth in this. Truly hated reforms have happened in Administration after Administration yet rarely after the change of power has the new regime so thoroughly gutted the work of its predecessor. But not since the creation of Medicare and Social Security has anything in this country's governmental policies had the potential to upset the balance of fiscal power so much. This is an attempt to show everyone that is not of the power base that while we may win battles, those with the money will always win the war.
These are not the acts of politicians who are interested in reform or improving a system for the people. They are acts of petty men that fear the long term results of a black president making the people of this country healthier. They fear what that legacy will mean for generations to come.
in this act, they want this to defeat those of us who demand that we be treated as well as any other citizen of the developed world. They want to rob us of that which makes us feel safe and secure, even cared for, because if we have the chance to live healthily, we also have the chance to amass power, and to further balance the scales. They are betting you are too shortsighted to remember this attack on your health for the next 18 months. Don’t be. You can keep track of those who voted against your health today. You can repeal them the same way they repealed you protections. The same way they would repeal Obama's legacy.