The
Hammer
If we take nothing else from this
catastrophe we should at least realize that having a national health
care service that could be quickly mobilized to deal with the
increasing risk of viral and bacterial pandemics would be a good
thing.
I don't know that Climate Change
contributed to this outbreak but other pressures brought on by
increasing populations and demands for food certainly did. We fool
ourselves if we think that our globally sourced food supply has been
vetted in the same manner that our domestic supply has. In Southeast
Asia food production and humans exist in the same space. Many places
use human waste to fertilize crops and serve as food for animals. In
our own country the use of inspections has been drastically reduced
and in many cases left up to the producers themselves to decide
whether or not their product gets to market. Upton Sinclair, who
wrote The Jungle in 1906, would be horrified to see the worker abuse
and lack of food preparation still rampant in the United States food
industry. It is getting worse, not better.
Presidents as diverse as Richard Nixon
and Bill Clinton advocated for a National Health Care Plan to cover
all citizens with President Clinton failing to do so over Republican
objections during his administration. Finally, with the Presidency
of Barack Obama some semblance of what was to be a National Health
Care plan was passed, again over the howls of the Republican Party
and cries of socialism. The plan came under immediate attack in the
courts and some key provisions of the act were held to be either
illegal or unconstitutional which decreased the number of citizens
covered leaving several million without access to medical care.
And here we are today. In the throes
of uncertainty and calamity, not knowing what our risk is or how we
may be affected. In the middle of a Presidential campaign where
health care is a key issue and, still, the Republicans are howling
and crying socialism. One Democratic candidate wants to do away with
all private insurance and enact a Medicare for all while the other
wants to reinforce the Affordable Care Act as a transition to a
National Health Care plan. Republicans would prefer to do away with
all forms of government intervention except to support business. In
my opinion, strengthening the Affordable Care Act is the most likely
to get done but, make no mistake, my goal is National Health Care.
Does it sound like I'm angry? Well, I
am. I don't blame President Trump for Covid 19. He didn't have
anything to do with that. I do blame him for his inept and corrupt
administration and his incessant lies in an effort to diminish the
importance of early testing and treatment. I am angry that he
rejected using the already available test from the WHO. I am angry
that he disbanded the agencies that were established to protect us
from these types of things. I am angry at what this is going to do
to our economy and the lost lives. I am angry at his Republican
enablers that have known all along what kind of threat he is to our
republic. And I am very angry that all he is concerned with are his
polling numbers. It is my sincere prayer that the President and his
enablers bear the burden of their infamy heavily and without cease.
My Take is that the only way this can
be made useful is to elect a Democratic wave as was done in 1932,
1964 and 2008. A wave large enough to push National Health Care over
the finish line.
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