The Sad Story of Obamacare: Reason's In-Depth Treatment of the Health Care Fiasco That Won't Go Away
It fills the headlines, it chills the public, it elevates your premiums, and it dogs hopes for decent health care coverage. That's right, we're talking about Obamacare—the government scheme that refuses to die, despite every sign that it's doing itself in (and maybe taking us with it). Reason writers look at the history of this policy monstrosity, the laughable efforts by its promoters to make it palatable, and the deep flaws in the way it has been crafted and implemented.
Even better, we look at alternative approaches and innovations that promise better health care for the future. And we look at ways of presenting those alternatives to a public that wants care, but has certainly grown jaded about pie-in-the-sky promises.
Click here to visit with the Sad Story of Obamacare. You may want to bring flowers.
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I'm usually not offended by the lack of alt-text, but Pajama Boy needs to be repeatedly ridiculed.
If life was fair, PJ-boy would be in fatigues in boot camp right now.
"Are you quitting on me? Well, are you? Then quit, you slimy fucking walrus-looking piece of shit! Get the fuck off of my obstacle! Get the fuck down off of my obstacle! NOW! MOVE IT! Or I'm going to rip your balls off, so you cannot contaminate the rest of the world! I will motivate you, Private Pyle, IF IT SHORT-DICKS EVERY CANNIBAL ON THE CONGO!"
"No, mom, as a matter of fact it's not time for bed yet. I just checked the Rolex you gave me for cleaning my room."
(yes, I'm pretty sure he's wearing a watch with his PJs. I didn't notice that before)
I usually try to avoid joking about manliness, as I'm not exactly He-man. However, I suspect most women would make a better man than that guy. Hell, most inanimate objects would. What was it Teddy Roosevelt said about carving a banana?
There are a lot of lessons to learn from this disaster. One that might not get emphasized but should is what a failure of our political system its passage was. We have a bill that the vast majority of the country never wanted and tried as vocally as possible to stop. Yet because of the historical "accident" of winning every close Senate race for ten years and outright proprietorial misconduct in the Ted Stevens case, the Democrats were able to pass it over the vehement objection of the electorate. And once passed, even killing them Democrats in the 2010 midterms couldn't undo it. Basically the Democratic Party with the complete support of the media class colluded to shove this monstrosity down the country's throat. That is not supposed to happen in a functioning republic. And it happened here primarily because our media is so badly broken.
It happened here because we are no longer a properly functioning republic. We have descended into 3rd world banana republic status politically.
minus the tasty fruit.
And the good climate and nice beaches and good supply of beautiful Latin women. Instead of Copacabana Beach and the Girl From Impanema, we get Williamsburg in January and Amanda Marcotte. If we are not doomed, we should be.
Ezra Klein was one of this bill's biggest backers and from his position at the Washington Post spread all kinds of misinformation and did a lot to get this bill passed. Klein doesn't have any sort of background in science much less health care. He has never had a real job in his life much less one in the health care industry. I don't think he is qualified to be a medical records coder. There literally isn't a job in the health care industry outside of "paid propagandist" that he is qualified to hold. And yet, he was dubbed by our media culture a "wonk" and "expert on health care issues".
It won't happen but one of the consequences of this law is that Klein and people like him are run out of public life. No publication of any stature should ever hire Klein again. Let him blog on his own. He and a lot just like him have no business ever being given any kind of platform in a major publication again. They only reason he would get a job is because that publication just wants a propagandist to mouth the party line. And that needs to stop.
The major media outlets are not in the business of providing object news. They are in the business of confirming the world view of their customers.
You must have eyeballs to sell to advertisers. If you can segregate the eyeballs into well-defined demographic groups, that makes them worth even more.
This. So much this. Ezra Klein should be in prison some day, still baffled as to why he is there.
Wasn't it Klein who then turned around and (correctly, if accidentally so) complained that the United States government was now "an insurance company with an army"?
Wait, maybe it was Yglesias. I get them confused. Klein was the one who thought Netflix should be banned because he couldn't figure out how to use it, right?
Klein is the one who can't blame his vapid opinions on being punched in the back of the head by a thug.
Yes, Klein was the generator of much Netflix derp.
Krugman was in the insurance line, or at least used it recently.
Calvin Klein makes a slip-on loafer called "Ezra". And it has stacked heels and is described in the Macy's catalog as "modern vamp". Just thought I'd throw that in here.
In fairness, then new WP boss told Ezra to go piss up a rope when Mr. Klein thought he was worth a $10M/year budget to opine on things he new naught about. So I'd say Jeff Bezos distinctly didn't buy it.
b-b-but... settled law!
My favorite part so far to this whole fiasco is the *wink wink *nudge nudge progressives give to the actual legislation when they all admit that what they REALLY want is the ever-so-elusive "SINGLE PAYER" system.
And then when people bring up Medicare or the VA system which by any reasonable measure are unmitigated disasters at this point both from a fiscal standpoint and a patient health outcome, they still make the argument that THIS TIME WE WILL TOTALLY GET IT RIGHT.
We are going to have to have gulags again so people will be able to re-learn the failures of socialism and communism, aren't we.
"That could never happen here!"
-The last words of people loaded into boxcars.
Hitler is a nationalist politician dealing with extraordinary circumstances. He is just trying to get Germany back on its feat. No one is talking about killing all of the Jews or starting another war.
That is exactly what people said right up until there was a knock at the door.
Hell, at least the Gestapo had the decency to knock. SWAT, not so much.
Does Pajama Boy get royalties? Shouldn't he be trying to cash in on this mess? Have I missed something? Is he getting laid, at least?