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Jonathan Alter said progressives should not say public option is necessary.

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RandomThoughts Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 09:19 PM
Original message
Jonathan Alter said progressives should not say public option is necessary.
He talked about how there are compromises between public option and cooperatives. He spoke about how people are working on things.

Explain why we should not have a public option. Why not have it?

What is the argument against having a public option? Why are we not hearing that argument?


'rise of level of expectations'?
'losing corporate control of monopoly'?

We hear it is being negotiate, or it is in, or it is out, explain what is wrong with public option before advocating for it being compromised away. Why is their a need to compromise away something that is better for most of the people?
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dysfunctional press Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 09:22 PM
Response to Original message
1. it doesn't MATTER what's best for 'most of the people'...
what matters is what's best for the people with most of the money.
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RandomThoughts Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 09:24 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. And that is what is being changed.
That mindset is the whole issue on that conversation, and does not hold, unless you worship having money as the sole determiner of what is right and wrong.

The fact that there is some 'discussion' shows some have the view you mentioned.
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dflprincess Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 09:24 PM
Response to Original message
3. I thought the public option WAS the compromise
You know, the time wasn't right for single payer (or so we're told) and the public option was the best we could get now.

This is what happens when you start bargaining from your bottom line instead of asking for everything you really want - you wind up with nothing.
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RandomThoughts Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 09:26 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. What group is bargaining? and why? n/t
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dflprincess Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 09:46 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. I don't understand your questions
Your OP talked about it being negotiated and compromised away. And that certainly appears to be what is happening. At best all we're going to get is a very weak option (and an "option" most of us won't have access to for years).

I don't know for sure who is doing it or why. I suppose some of the compromise is coming from the saps who actually think there is such a thing as "bipartisanship". Though I'd bet most of it is just the Democrats usual spineless response when faced with oppostion coupled with an intense desire by many members of Congress to protect their campaign "contributions" and the potential lucrative lobbying jobs when they leave "public" service.
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RandomThoughts Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 10:42 PM
Response to Reply #7
10. What are the groups that want to negotiate away public option or single payer.
Why do groups want to negotiate away public option or single payer.

Was the question.


My OP talked about what a person on MSNBC said.
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dflprincess Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 10:45 PM
Response to Reply #10
11. The groups who want to negotiate it away are the Repukes and the Blue Dogs
as well as the insurance industry itself because they have a lot to lose if we get real reform.
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RandomThoughts Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 10:50 PM
Response to Reply #11
12. How many people support the insurance companies.
Edited on Thu Aug-06-09 10:50 PM by RandomThoughts
How many people want real reform? What is the reason the insurance companies claim to be able to negotiate, what authority do they claim?
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dflprincess Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 11:48 PM
Response to Reply #12
14. Polls have indicated that over 70% of the public wants real reform
a slight majority favors single payer.

The insurance companies have bought enough members of Congress and that's all the authority they need.
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RandomThoughts Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:01 AM
Response to Reply #14
15. If that is true, they are claiming that their authority is money. n/t
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MindPilot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 09:31 PM
Response to Original message
5. Universal single payer.
Anything less is compromise and appeasement.
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Salviati Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 09:40 PM
Response to Original message
6. Exactly... we should be saying that single payer is necessary.
That way maybe we can comprimise on a strong public option. The stupidist thing Obama did was to say that single payer was off the table. It was like showing up to a knife fight with a spork.
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autorank Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 09:58 PM
Response to Original message
8. He also said McCain might win the election
The guy is as fake as his toupe, a perfect plant - says the right things sometimes to justify the major
distortions he's in place to deliver.
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Jane Austin Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 10:38 PM
Response to Reply #8
9. What toupe?.
He's bald.
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autorank Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Aug-06-09 11:37 PM
Response to Reply #9
13. He used to have one
Then, voila, he's bald;)
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Jane Austin Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-07-09 12:12 PM
Response to Reply #13
16. Jeez, he had cancer.
He had experimental stem cell treatment and is in remission.
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