Bill Clinton Explains Why Some Are Opposed To Health Care Reform
Pres. Bill Clinton opened the Netroots Nation event yesterday with a keynote address that touched on several issues, not the least of which was health care. He succinctly listed three reasons why this issue is so divisive.
1) "It's complexity... Anything that complex can be easily, honestly misunderstood, and dishonestly manipulated."
2) "A lot of things that will make the most difference over the long haul are tough to cost out."
3) (Quoting Macchiavelli) "'There is nothing so difficult in all of human affairs than to change the established order of things.'... because, the people who have got it are certain of what they're gonna lose, and the people who will gain are uncertain of their advance."
The first two points make is much easier to understand honest debate and honest uncertainty on the part of those who do not have the time in their busy days to factcheck every issue they see on the news.
That third point is where the devil comes out to play. It's about profits and ulterior motives. Profits are not bad. Making money is not evil. But, the things that are done to make these profits are, firstly the deaths of insured and uninsured Americans, and secondly the lies that are being spread now to guarantee that those profits keep coming. There is a very simple issue that Clinton makes plain as day:
"If we [currently] spend 16% of GDP on health care, Canada spends 11% and all our other major competitors are between 9 1/2 and 10%, that means we're spotting all of our other competitors 750 to 800 billion dollars a year. If we insure 84% and they all insure 100%, where is the money going?... Follow the money."
1) "It's complexity... Anything that complex can be easily, honestly misunderstood, and dishonestly manipulated."
2) "A lot of things that will make the most difference over the long haul are tough to cost out."
3) (Quoting Macchiavelli) "'There is nothing so difficult in all of human affairs than to change the established order of things.'... because, the people who have got it are certain of what they're gonna lose, and the people who will gain are uncertain of their advance."
The first two points make is much easier to understand honest debate and honest uncertainty on the part of those who do not have the time in their busy days to factcheck every issue they see on the news.
That third point is where the devil comes out to play. It's about profits and ulterior motives. Profits are not bad. Making money is not evil. But, the things that are done to make these profits are, firstly the deaths of insured and uninsured Americans, and secondly the lies that are being spread now to guarantee that those profits keep coming. There is a very simple issue that Clinton makes plain as day:
"If we [currently] spend 16% of GDP on health care, Canada spends 11% and all our other major competitors are between 9 1/2 and 10%, that means we're spotting all of our other competitors 750 to 800 billion dollars a year. If we insure 84% and they all insure 100%, where is the money going?... Follow the money."
posted by Mike at 2:04 PM
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