Flickr photo by Truthout.org
To the extent that politicians in Washington, D.C. have not attempted reform of this magnitude with a concerted effort for a decade (perhaps, decades depending on how you regard Hillary Clinton's past efforts), the recent votes on health reform in the House two weeks ago and in the Senate this weekend are historic. But, they are no more than contrived milestones in history if you truly assess what the Democrats and their supporters hope this bill will achieve.
The rhetoric of a dominant political culture in America has taken righteous outrage and enthusiastic fervor for real healthcare reform and channeled it into a fight for a weak public option in what Steven Hill recently called America's "House of Lords.
The opportunity to de-commodify health care has been consciously avoided by Democrats and Republicans and solutions to problems created because health care is privatized have been proposed to further entrench and maintain American health care in the very kind of sick care non-system that now leaves over 45 million uninsured.
American politicians, who are primarily Democrats, have warned against overloading the system with demands on healthcare. President Obama and Democrats, on behalf of pharmaceutical companies and private insurers, have managed expectations for healthcare by ensuring the debate on healthcare is tightly limited and controlled.
Debate Begins in Senate
Key Democratic senators behind health reform delivered remarks after the procedural vote on Saturday, November 21st. The remarks showed a keen sense of awareness of what the American people want in terms of reform.
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