Driving Down Expectations

[TBF]

There’s a perverse form of American exceptionalism circulating around the Clinton camp: just because things work in other countries doesn’t mean they can work here. As Hillary herself put it, “We are not Denmark. I love Denmark, but we are the United States of America.” True enough, but that has no bearing on why single-payer couldn’t work here. The only obstacles are political — elites, which include Hillary and Starr, don’t want it.

The Post-Hope Democrats
The latest attacks on Bernie Sanders reveal that the Democratic Party is intent on driving down expectations.
by Doug Henwood 2-25-16

The Sanders campaign has certainly sharpened the contradictions, hasn’t it? It’s been very clarifying to see Hillary Clinton and her surrogates running against single-payer health care and free college, with intellectual cover coming from Paul Krugman and Vox.

Expectations, having been systematically beaten down for thirty-five years, must be beaten down further, whether it’s Clinton saying that to go to college one needs some “skin in the game,” or Representative John Lewis reminding us that nothing is free in America. A challenge from the left has forced centrist Democrats to reveal themselves as proud capitalist tools.

Latest to step up is Paul Starr, co-founder of the American Prospect. Normally the dull embodiment of tepid liberalism, Starr has unleashed a redbaiting philippic — a frothing one, even, by his standards — aimed at Bernie Sanders.

Sanders is no liberal, Starr reveals — he’s a socialist. He may call himself a democratic socialist to assure us that he’s no Bolshevik — Starr actually says this — but that doesn’t stop Starr from stoking fears of state ownership and central planning. Thankfully the word “gulag” doesn’t appear, but that was probably an oversight ...

Much more here: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/02/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-single-payer-starr-american-prospect-redbaiting-socialism/

[guillaumeb]

1. Recommended. Once the Democratic Party stood for an alternative.

Now the effective slogan is "not as bad as the GOP". Hardly inspiring.

The red-baiting is also to be expected. I have received a few comments here accusing me of being far left and extreme. I take those comments as praise and encouragement.

But it is sad to read the frequent posts about the impossibility of single payer from some posters. They ignore the fact that the US system does not work, and single payer does.

[TBF]

2. Interestingly when I went to a LOCAL meet-up of Bernie

supporters here in the suburbs of Houston the folks were talking about free college and universal health care. I expected more about jobs and economics, especially with the oil company layoffs, but that was not as big of a topic.

Even when folks have decent insurance (as my family does - although it costs an arm & a leg) we wonder if we could do just as well under a universal system. I know folks worry about waits and that sort of thing - but given the economy we have here I bet there would be all sorts of "pay for service" upgrades above & beyond basic healthcare. Nothing is perfect but we've got the experience of Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare to draw from when designing a system. I think it's time for this country to put something together.

[guillaumeb]

3. Yes, single payer is not new. It is not necessary to invent it.

And, speaking as one with roots in two countries, it works far better than the US system.