The Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor added that it’s a damning referendum on American democracy that one of the most highly supported components of the effort nationally, the public insurance option, was jettisoned. He partly blamed the media for refusing to stress how favorably it’s viewed by the populace.
“It didn’t have ‘political support,’ just the support of the majority of the population,” Chomsky quipped, “which apparently is not political support in our dysfunctional democracy.”
The provision has consistently polled well, garnering the support of 60 percent of Americans across the nation in a CBS/New York Times poll released in December, days after it was eliminated from the reform package. Democratic leaders deemed it politically untenable.
“There should be headlines explaining why, for decades, what’s been called politically impossible is what most of the public has wanted,” Chomsky said. “There should be headlines explaining what that means about the political system and the media.”
via FAIR Blog » Blog Archive » Noam Chomsky on Healthcare and the Media.
Gee,
I struggled to understand as many of the ins and outs of this healthcare problem, only to have one of my favorite current affairs authors say this so briefly, covering everything in one sentence.
Thank You,
Bill Smith
You’re welcome Bill. Glad it helped you. One of Chomsky’s major strengths is cutting through all the hype and liberal hot air and stating things clearly as they are so that anyone can understand.
Hi,
Maybe I misunderstood the answer from admin. “Hype and “liberal hot air?” It seems to me that the conservative republican hype and hot air have kept this and other policies in limbo. The filibuster option and “no” vote has become the only way the republicans know how to or can operate against any program that Obama tries to put in place. Of course, what the public wants has always taken second place to corporations and their lobbyists. For both parties, I might add, but as the republicans gain more control of politicians and the media and become more a part of corporations, the American middle class takes more of a back seat. We only have a voice through organizations like yours.
Hi Bill,
What I meant is that liberals are just as guilty as conservatives of killing a public health option. Republicans and conservatives you can just ignore because they’re bound to be against anything suggesting people should care for each other.
But liberals and democrats are even worse in many ways. By supporting Obama’s watered down health bill, they’ve effectively ruled out even considering a public option anymore. They’ve subtly limited to the debate to Obama v The Republicans when the real debate should be The American Public v Corporate America.
Remember the overwhelming majority of America has wanted a public health option for years. Liberals and Obama – as much as Conservatives – have manged to deny them this yet again.
You are preaching to the choir about Democrats and Republicans. I already included both parties in the problem. Yet it seems to me that it have only been a few liberal and Democratic voices to speak out against the process, or lack of, that has taken place as a result of both party members aligning themselves with the status quo.
However, I still can’t figure out how even a watered down bill can get passed without the influence of corporations driving the final outcome. There are too many professions and too many jobs involved. There is a lot of power and politics behind this thing called greed.
I have to align myself with those few who do stand up for the public, even if they fall under the name of a party that spells collusion with the powers that be.
The fact a watered down bill got through is testament to public pressure. It has nothing to do with corporate interests supporting it. That’s why campaigning and activism are still so important. The public might not get what they really want, but they at least make some progress.
It’s the same with invasion of Iraq. Millions protested around the world even before the invasion. Did they manage to stop the invasion? No, but they made it significantly harder for the government to justify hence the ridiculous lies and fabrications they had to make up in order to go ahead with it. 40 years ago in Vietnam there were no lies needed because there was no public outcry – so they just steamed in and went crazy.
Progress happens little by little by little. The healthcare bill is a huge sell-out but its a very small step in the right direction that’s down to the efforts of the public, not the benevolence of corporations or the government. It proves that while democracy is totally dysfunctional in America and that while corporations and governments would love to live in a bubble without the public meddling in their affairs, they can’t and public pressure and activism still yields rewards.
Hi,
Absolutely, corporate America did not support the watered down bill. Public outcry was able to get pushed through what we did. However, corporations did resist the bill all the way.
There was definitely more outcry world wide about Iraq. And it didn’t stop the war. Well, there’s more information worldwide now than before and it definitely effects politics. Maybe there will be a difference over time, more time than we would like. Check our history. We went into Vietnam on a lie. The politics are no different today than 40 years ago. I’m glad you mentioned Vietnam. Maybe as a result of this error readers will look at some of our recent history and find that there have been lies and more lies. Iraq is a repeat of Vietnam, lies and all.
Bill