Comments on: The untapped resource of single-payer activists http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/2009/08/05/the-untapped-resource-of-single-payer-activists/ Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:47:36 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: joshua954 http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/2009/08/05/the-untapped-resource-of-single-payer-activists/comment-page-1/#comment-85 joshua954 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:04:19 +0000 http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/?p=377#comment-85 I agree that the single-payer advocates are just the "activist ground troops" Obama needs. The problem is that Obama isn't even trying to offer anything remotely close to single payer. The left isn't some monolithic lemming pack like their opposition on the right. You can't just yell 'fascist" into a crowded movie theater and come out with a supportive political mob. Single-payer advocates want better healthcare and universal access to it. What is now going on behind the great ivory pillars is a sham. It has no support on the left because it is a corporate giveaway. It has no support on the right because it is another "big government" giveaway. Obamacare is doomed to fail.. and rightly so. I agree that the single-payer advocates are just the “activist ground troops” Obama needs. The problem is that Obama isn’t even trying to offer anything remotely close to single payer. The left isn’t some monolithic lemming pack like their opposition on the right. You can’t just yell ‘fascist” into a crowded movie theater and come out with a supportive political mob. Single-payer advocates want better healthcare and universal access to it. What is now going on behind the great ivory pillars is a sham. It has no support on the left because it is a corporate giveaway. It has no support on the right because it is another “big government” giveaway. Obamacare is doomed to fail.. and rightly so.

]]> By: Mathew Hennessy http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/2009/08/05/the-untapped-resource-of-single-payer-activists/comment-page-1/#comment-84 Mathew Hennessy Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:56:55 +0000 http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/?p=377#comment-84 Dissent is patriotic! Dissent is patriotic!

]]> By: Brian In NYC http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/2009/08/05/the-untapped-resource-of-single-payer-activists/comment-page-1/#comment-83 Brian In NYC Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:05:37 +0000 http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/?p=377#comment-83 Ethan I think people really need to stop speculating as to what the president is willing to "give away" and what's he's not. Maybe I'm a tad overly optimistic on this score but I think we're going to come out of this with a very strong public option. Phone banks and letter writing campaigns will do far more good than sending in our own angry mob. Also don't forget that in this battle the ultimate weapon is in our hands, passing health care by reconciliation. Ethan I think people really need to stop speculating as to what the president is willing to “give away” and what’s he’s not. Maybe I’m a tad overly optimistic on this score but I think we’re going to come out of this with a very strong public option. Phone banks and letter writing campaigns will do far more good than sending in our own angry mob. Also don’t forget that in this battle the ultimate weapon is in our hands, passing health care by reconciliation.

]]> By: Ethan Porter http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/2009/08/05/the-untapped-resource-of-single-payer-activists/comment-page-1/#comment-82 Ethan Porter Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:50:38 +0000 http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/?p=377#comment-82 Brian--it's a good worry to have, but I think is kind of a worst case scenario. And even in that worst case scenario, the kind of compromise that Obama would put forward--mandates, anyone?--would probably be more aggressively progressive than what Baucus and Co. are cooking up. Brian–it’s a good worry to have, but I think is kind of a worst case scenario. And even in that worst case scenario, the kind of compromise that Obama would put forward–mandates, anyone?–would probably be more aggressively progressive than what Baucus and Co. are cooking up.

]]> By: Ethan Porter http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/2009/08/05/the-untapped-resource-of-single-payer-activists/comment-page-1/#comment-81 Ethan Porter Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:44:39 +0000 http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/?p=377#comment-81 I think I said pretty clearly in the post that I'm not making an argument for or against single payer. I'm making a political argument. Right now, the activist energy is coming from the right. The most organized activists on the left, meanwhile, are basically shut out of the debate. Whatever you think of single-payer, I'm not sure why you think that less left-wing health care activism is a good thing. I suppose you could call for a more informed left-wing health-care activism, but that's part of my point: it's incredibly hard to mobilize people in support of a program as complicated as the Obama proposal. I think I said pretty clearly in the post that I’m not making an argument for or against single payer. I’m making a political argument. Right now, the activist energy is coming from the right. The most organized activists on the left, meanwhile, are basically shut out of the debate. Whatever you think of single-payer, I’m not sure why you think that less left-wing health care activism is a good thing. I suppose you could call for a more informed left-wing health-care activism, but that’s part of my point: it’s incredibly hard to mobilize people in support of a program as complicated as the Obama proposal.

]]> By: Brian In NYC http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/2009/08/05/the-untapped-resource-of-single-payer-activists/comment-page-1/#comment-80 Brian In NYC Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:34:46 +0000 http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/?p=377#comment-80 I'm not sure you're right Ethan. I'm not sure sending a bunch of angry liberals out to confront an angry bunch of right wing wackos is such a good idea. The last thing we need to do is encourage a "pox on both their houses" attitude among the general public. I’m not sure you’re right Ethan. I’m not sure sending a bunch of angry liberals out to confront an angry bunch of right wing wackos is such a good idea. The last thing we need to do is encourage a “pox on both their houses” attitude among the general public.

]]> By: rachelh27 http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/2009/08/05/the-untapped-resource-of-single-payer-activists/comment-page-1/#comment-79 rachelh27 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:29:34 +0000 http://trueslant.com/ethanporter/?p=377#comment-79 Mr. Porter, no offense, but you have no idea what you're talking about. Do you know how much a single payer health system would cost over ten years? No? That's interesting; no one else can seem to answer that question either. We can't even get a public option on the table without being called socialist and you think the advocates of this health plan would somehow be able to turn the tide? That's ridiculous and more over if anyone that is for single payer even once looked over the stimulus package, they'd see the this Administration is building the infrastructure to bridge the gap between private to public. If we don't get healthcare reform it's because people are stupid and believe the lies of the right...not because Obama didn't allow Single Payer a voice. It's not time yet, and to say differently is only showing lack of understanding of the healthcare industry as a whole. It's bigger than just waving a magic wand, and every single payer plan I've read (nationally and state proposed) never include how to get from point A to point B...only what to do on day one. That's a huge problem...and if we had proposed that policy, you can be clear...we wouldn't have gotten this far yet. If the Single Payer advocates were really interested in reforming healthcare, they wouldn't be dividing the strength of this movement...they can blame themselves. Mr. Porter, no offense, but you have no idea what you’re talking about. Do you know how much a single payer health system would cost over ten years? No? That’s interesting; no one else can seem to answer that question either. We can’t even get a public option on the table without being called socialist and you think the advocates of this health plan would somehow be able to turn the tide? That’s ridiculous and more over if anyone that is for single payer even once looked over the stimulus package, they’d see the this Administration is building the infrastructure to bridge the gap between private to public.

If we don’t get healthcare reform it’s because people are stupid and believe the lies of the right…not because Obama didn’t allow Single Payer a voice. It’s not time yet, and to say differently is only showing lack of understanding of the healthcare industry as a whole. It’s bigger than just waving a magic wand, and every single payer plan I’ve read (nationally and state proposed) never include how to get from point A to point B…only what to do on day one. That’s a huge problem…and if we had proposed that policy, you can be clear…we wouldn’t have gotten this far yet.

If the Single Payer advocates were really interested in reforming healthcare, they wouldn’t be dividing the strength of this movement…they can blame themselves.

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