Hopefully Obama is pleased that he may now have the 60th vote necessary to block a GOP filibuster in the Senate of his landmark healthcare legislation.
The revisions here in the legislation are the biggest changes in healthcare in decades. However, the final legislation that is slated to pass is a watered down, diluted shadow of the original intent; every American does not get health care as affordable rates.
Instead of providing healthcare to every single person in the country as a moral obligation of basic necessity of life, the government is providing a massive give-away to the insurance companies. Sure, there will be rules about people being denied coverage based on pre-existing conditions… but the new "market" for insurance is just another way for them to pull in customers at the government threat of fines for not having insurance.
The final straw that allowed the dems to obtain their 60th vote was adding provisions for restrictions on abortion funding for those policies funded through the "exchange" sponsored by the government. The restriction would be that the insurance wouldn't pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or if the life of the mother is at risk. Really? That's the restriction? Go for it! Here is the crux of it; we all pay for everything in insurance through our group plans. I don't want to pay for people to have abortions because they use it as a form of birth control.
If someone is raped, then they may not have been on the pill, and the rapist I am certain isn't going to stop and put his rubber on. You know what? That makes sense, because no one should be forced to give birth to a rapists baby. On the other hand, if your boyfriend doesn't like rubbers, and you're easy, and you want an abortion… pay for it yourself. Have a dozen abortions, but I don't want to pay for a single one.
Ultimately, I suppose a watered down bill is better than no bill at all. We are a far cry from universal healthcare, and definitely a good clip away from the socialism that the conservatives keep screaming about. There are some good things in the legislation, but it doesn't go far enough.
Eventually we will, as a people, accept that everyone deserves healthcare, regardless of their socio-economic status. Until that day comes, we will just have to clean this mess up bit by bit. Eventually we'll come to a place of equality. I just don't think it will be in my lifetime, not if my judgement of people opposing these changes has any ring of truth to it.
