The following is a guest post from my girl, mamita mala. Mamita blogs at Vivir Latino and La Mamita Mala. Check her!
In my interactions with the beltway over the past few weeks, be it via email or watching Obama’s speech to Congress and the “American” people on his health care reform package, I have been re-reminded of one fact. When D.C. speaks of reform, this has nothing to do with rights : human, civil or rights of any stripe.
I was interested in hearing Obama’s health care reform pitch for a number of reasons which cross that political/personal line. I am one of the millions of uninsured. My family has a history of cancer and I have personally seen what being uninsured and underinsured has meant for some of the most beloved members of my family (including death). My children are insured thanks to the public health system. Will Obama’s plan mean that I, who am poor enough to have my kids get medicaid but not poor enough to have myself covered (in large part because the government doesn’t accept my proof of income as an independent worker), finally will see a doctor? The last time I saw a health care provider was 2 and a half years ago when I was pregnant. Do I have to get knocked up again to get health care? And if there is no public option, will I be fined (money I don’t have) because health insurance is mandated and I still can’t afford it? What about my vecinos and members of my extended family who didn’t even bother watching Obama because as undocumented immigrants they have already been thrown under the bus? When the speech was over, when the heckling was quieted, and everyone stopped applauding, Obama had lost what tiny pedazo of support I had left for him.
President Obama opened his speech by placing the “American” people and the United States in the context of the struggling economy.
Pero he also began by using language that some could interpret as blaming. He used a word that would be heard throughout the speech. The word was “responsible”. He wants to help the responsible homeowner while ignoring the irresponsible (and dare I say criminal) behavior of banks. When Obama began speaking on the struggles of the uninsured, he made the distinction that the majority are not people on welfare, implying that those that are form part of that irresponsible class. The speech centered the struggles not of the poor but the middle class. Within the first few minutes of his speech, Obama had thrown the poor out of the mix.
The theme of responsibility is raised again, when after Obma put out the way his proposed system would work, he began speaking of the irresponsible ones, whom he said specifically were the young and healthy, would still not buy the affordable insurance offered. It’s not clear what affordable means. Depending on my week, $20 isn’t affordable. Under the president’s plan people will be required to have basic insurance. Whenever the government requires me to do something, I become wary. Obama says there will be a hardship waiver for those that still can’t afford insurance, but does not explain what a hardship entails.
Then came the moment when Obama let the words “illegal immigrants” roll off his tongue oh so easily, in an effort to discredit health care reform haters who have insisted that the undocumented will ::gasp:: get health coverage. You know who else won’t get covered? Women who need abortions. With the irresponsible, illegals, and pregnant putas cast aside, Obama lost whatever tiny bit of faith I had left in his administration.
Obama closed his presentation talking about the character of the country, which he summed up as individualistic and rugged . Obama said he still believed that the government could act when it was hard. If that is indeed the character of the country he leads then maybe there is more truth to Wilson’s shout out than liberals and progressives would like to admit.
- Share
September 12th, 2009 at 8:04 am #
You know what?
You inspire me so much when I read what you write–both joyful wonderful things and posts that must’ve been sadder to type like this–that sometimes it’s hard not to be like, “Hey guess what?! I brought home XYZ and here–I want to share it w/ you!” after you share w/ me through this blog.
Stupid internet.
Thanks for writing.
September 12th, 2009 at 8:15 am #
Dead on.
September 12th, 2009 at 8:58 am #
Obama and I are fucking DONE professionally.
Disgraceful speech.
September 12th, 2009 at 10:17 am #
First off gracias to la divine bfp for cross posting this her. I am honored
I was so offended by Obama’s speech and instantly had the same reaction Sahara. I was done. I mean I was never that invested in the first place pero this did me in.
Katie, maybe one day you can bring me home! ja ja.
September 12th, 2009 at 1:55 pm #
Yes! Please do dare say! Because it’s true. True and infuriating.
I know how the counterpoint runs by now: “Well, but he’s a centrist. Well, but he’s got to get this past the Republicans.” These might be valid tactical concerns, EXCEPT: The Republicans are going nuts on him anyway. Obama can keep throwing people in his administration and out of it under the bus, and it isn’t going to appease Glenn Beck or Joe Wilson or any of the numbnuts who follow those guys one bit.
But as regards health care, it is going to kill people. This is not an acceptable bargain to strike. I didn’t want to see him trade soothing the nerves of huffy middle-class white people for denying coverage to people who need it.
And once those huffy middle-class white people–”Americans”–have their government-sponsored safety net, it’s too late. Once they get theirs, there’s no going back to them and saying “I think we should also extend coverage to…” you know? The time to extend that coverage is now, while no one has it. While there’s leverage: “If you want this, then it has to also cover undocumented workers. If you want this, then it has to also cover abortion.”
Okay, now I’m writing my own post and that’s just rude! Thank you, Mamita Mala, for nailing this so beautifully.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:26 pm #
What’s rude? Writing your own post? Nah run with it!!! That’s the idea!!!
September 13th, 2009 at 9:06 am #
Chris Floyd’s take:
http://chris-floyd.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/1838-healthy-profits-corporate-money-moves-tell-the-true-tale-of-obamas-qreformsq.html
August 14th, 2010 at 6:30 pm #
There is a tendency to focus on politics/politicians that I find difficult to understand.
These people have zero power, and are only there to make us believe that we have a government – incompetent or otherwise. They are completely irrelevant imo, and only serve as a smokescreen to cover the true nature of our “democracy”. THEY ARE ONLY ACTORS!! As such, political commentaries, even if they are savage attacks on government, are most welcome by the PTB. Probably even more welcome / encouraged / nurtured than pro-government commentaries.
“‘Twas ever thus, and ever ’twill be.
Empires rise and fall. Each glorifies war, militarism, and imperialism. How do you think they got to be number one? The current outrage in America is because we thought we were different. Government of the people, and all that jazz. While, realistically, Democracy is merely the latest sociological craze since the passing of monarchies (via the French, Russian, and American revolutions).
Well, it turns out that we were just kidding ourselves that America was different. We probably should have seen it coming. Native American genocide. Slavery. Robber Barons. Nuking Japan. Systemic racism. JFK, RFK, MLK. The Military Industrial Complex. And now state sponsored corporatism (Fascism).
So after 100K years of rising human globalism, with its endless string of empires, America is the newest snot-nosed kid on the block. And it should come as no surprise that our empire ended up like all the others. Man’s inhumanity to man, and all that jazz.
“The illusion of freedom [in America] will continue as long as it’s profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.” –Frank Zappa”