The Strategic Value of Nihilism

From Scott Lemieux over at LGM:

Link

I think that Scott is right. This bill is better than nothing, and there is a vanishingly small chance that we'll get a better bill in the next congress.

...but without cost controls and competition.

Naturally, this is up for debate, but I tend to agree that any measure of subsidies and price controls is better than none.

It's not change I can believe in.

Change will come, eventually, UNLESS we pass this disastrous bill.

California will probably pass single-payer on its own in 2011. All they need is a Democratic Governor. The legislature has already passed the bill. Schwarzenegger vetoed it. Once California has single-payer, most (if not all) states will follow suit.

It's likely that if we pass a new law now, the new law will preempt single-payer, i.e. the Federal law will preempt state law and prevent states from enacting a single-payer system.

THIS is what the health insurance companies fear. THIS is what brought them to the bargaining table. THIS is why they are not fighting Obama's tepid reforms, and THIS is why it is extremely important that we do not pass any health insurance reform bill this year.

Let's not settle for a bail-out of the health insurance industry. Let's insist on the eradication of it. In all likelihood, California will lead the way in 2011 ... if we can just give them time.

Canada got its single-payer system one province at a time. That seems to be the way it will have to happen in the U.S.

:dem:

-Laelth

I thought there was a provision that already allowed that, and I wasn't aware this bill undid that. Do you have a link?

It was stripped from the House version by Nancy Pelosi (who acted, most likely, under direct orders from the President).

Here's one link. There are more.

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7490">Democracy Under Assault: Pelosi Bill Strips Right of States to Adopt Single-Payer Health Care

:dem:

-Laelth