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At the End of the Day

by: Dean Barker

Fri Aug 21, 2009 at 08:04:07 AM EDT

At the end of the day, after the shouting, it comes down to Republicans - and some Democrats, it must not be omitted - protecting powerful special interests.

Whether those interests are good for the commonweal or whether they actively harm us is not part of the equation for those (purportedly) public servants.

Yet: the will and needs of the American people, our generosity of spirit, our investment in our American future, render those interests a speck of dust.

Either health care will be a right for all American citizens, or it goes on being a source of profit for a few.

It is personally painful to me to see how the money spent by those few has so effectively managed to pollute our discourse. Sometimes I don't think I have the energy to face the outrageous selfishness and greed that drives it all.

But at the end of the day, it's a fight worth fighting. The status quo is unsustainable for each one of us individually, and for the America's leadership in the world.

(Also, and in respect to the specifics of the way forward, I'm linking to Lakoff's prescription. Perhaps if it gets around enough it can even broach the high walls of Castle Rahmuel.)

Update: Standing ovation:

Dean Barker :: At the End of the Day

Tags: Health Care Reform, (All Tags)

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At the End of the Day | 2 comments

Great clip (0.00 / 0)

Thanks Dean.

I can't say I'm a Lakoff fan. I think he's right in general, but when it comes down to specifics, he stumbles.

by: JimC @ Fri Aug 21, 2009 at 09:40:01 AM CDT

At the risk of being repetitious, the public option is the (0.00 / 0)

do it yourself solution. Why would a people that are committed to self-government rely on layers and layers of parasitic insurance companies to manipulate our doctor/patient relationship?

Perhaps I'm just personally antagonistic towards insurance companies. I'm still outraged by the fact that the only person who paid a weekly visit to a bed-ridden diabetic who'd had the bottom half of both legs cut off to prevent the gangrene from spreading was the burial insurance guy collecting his 50 cents. That was two dollars a month back in 1979. Now robots are calling households at random to offer all the health insurance you need for three dollars a day. Right. It's still a racket.

by: hannah @ Fri Aug 21, 2009 at 12:11:39 PM CDT

At the End of the Day | 2 comments