Why are Liberals making excuses for Obama's CONSERVATIVE way of 'Health care reform'?

It's a class issue

Liberalism is in a sorry state for social, historical and moral reasons. Most of those who might once have protested are now wealthy, part of the establishment, more concerned about the health of the stock market than the state of democratic rights. Intellectual and spiritual decay have accompanied financial success. More generally, the demands of the capitalist market have proven incompatible, in the long run, with the program of social reformism, particularly as the latter has been diluted and its proponents drained of energy and determination both by the growth of social antagonisms in the US and the obligations imposed on the American ruling elite by its role as the pre-eminent imperialist power.

Contemporary liberal politicians and the like are for justice and equality for everyone and resolutely opposed to the ultra-right—as long as it doesn't require them to work up a sweat. In income, lifestyle and outlook they are much closer to Republicans than to working class and middle class voters.

In the final analysis, the liberal wing of the ruling elite fears the same social process as their conservative counterparts: the radicalization of wide layers of the population and their advancement of their own independent interests, above all, social equality. It fears this more than anything, including police-state dictatorship.

In The History of the Russian Revolution, Leon Trotsky cited the comment of a Russian philosopher, who spoke more forthrightly than our present-day liberals—at least out loud: “Whatever we [liberals] stand for, we must not dream of uniting with the people—we must fear them more than all the persecutions of the government, and we must give thanks to the government which alone protects us with its prisons and bayonets from the ferocity of the people.” Voila!

Obama’s health care counterrevolution is of a piece with his entire domestic agenda. It parallels the multi-trillion-dollar bailout of the banks, the imposition of mass layoffs and wage and benefits cuts in the auto industry, and a stepped-up attack on public education and on teachers.

The economic crisis has been seized upon by the American financial aristocracy, with the Obama administration as its central instrument, to carry through a class-war agenda, long in preparation, that is directed against the vast majority of the American people. All that remains of the social reforms from the 1930s and 1960s, and the gains won by previous generations of workers in bitter struggle, is to be wiped out.

The immense growth of social inequality and the domination of society and the political system by a financial aristocracy are incompatible with institutions and programs that retain any vestige of a democratic and egalitarian impulse. Public education and health care must be reorganized more openly and directly along class lines.

This is the basic program of all factions of the ruling elite—liberal and conservative, Democratic and Republican.

Compromise! Obama wants to shove the bill down everybodys throats, his way or the highway, but the way he's doing it, doesn't sit well with the American people and they are resisting. Panic passing of the bill will hurt Democrats in the long run. Some are saying Conservatism is dead, but those saying that haven't been around that long. The democrats attempt at gutting what we have and replacing it with something entirely new at such a great expense to all Americans is not the right way. Yet you try to sneak it by and shove it down our throats. The President tells us to get out of the way and let him fix the mess. He's frustrated, because it wasn't as easy as he claimed. But then the left are like children wanting what they want. A better approach would be to discuss it and work out the specifics. The left, throwing tantrums, says that's not fast enough, whine and attack the right. So the right has to dig in, because the left won't listen to reason, so now the President is at political war with the people.

At first glance, reforming our system in the US to make it look more like Canada's and France's seems feasible. But, I look to the reasons that France and Canada have such successes and by and large I believe that it is because of individual life style and not their system of health care that makes them healthier and spend less money on it.

Think about it. We eat more and drive every where we go while they tend to eat less and walk. Obesity diabetes and cancer are ravaging this country because people make bad lifestyle choices, and it makes me feel like true reform should have an emphasis on wellness and prevention rather then management after the fact. If you look at our system the way it is, it's appalling. We quickly diagnose our kids with ADD and drug them to shut them up and we don't even think about the fact that most of the symptoms that go along with ADD are the very same symptoms that go along with just being a kid. 27 million Americans are now reported to be on anti depressants in this country and that's double what it was 10 years ago. Do you really think there are that many people that really can't manage their stress? Or would that statistic make you feel as I do that their are people out there that just think there should be a pill for everything. My point is, that people already abuse the system as it is and that includes patients and doctors as a whole. I think we need to tackle the issues of excess in the current system first and then we'll start to see some ways and means for getting everyone covered in a way that works. Until then, even as a self perceived liberal who voted for Obama and is happy that he won, I will still see the current legislation as not allot more then a rushed, watered down, piece of legislation that only has merit for Obama in that it hands him a political victory.

Thank you for your question, it was very thoughtful.

The American public have become a bunch of morons that let this happen.

Maybe if the schools and parents spent more time teaching about the 3 branches of government and the benefits of a true 'checks and balances' system, our country would be in better shape.

Instead, most parents are more worried about making sure their kids never 'lose' at anything or what the next hit song from Miley Cyrus will be.

I have almost given up hope because of the ignorance of America.

When Obama tried to ram this bill down are throats that is when a lot of people woke up.The democrats have been trying to get health care reform for years and they see this as their chance since they control the house,senate and white house.Will this be the death knell for the democratic party if they pass this as is.

The program that passed was virtually identical to the Republican proposal from just a few years ago, but since Obama is a Democrat, the GOP made a 180 degree turn and opposed it. I fault Obama for trying to compromise with people who have an interest in helping only themselves and the top 2%..

Because they claim that that is all they can get, and want it to be a bipartisan effort.To me it's just scamming and delays because both parties have sold their souls to the Medical lobby, although Liberal Democrats a little bit less. The Southern Blue Dog Democrats are the pits

Hallelujah Brother!

THANK YOU! so many liberals are just blindly following Obama. I think everyone was just really excited and assumed we would have a really progressive president when in reality he isnt. I do defend him when people make things up though

Because they are all a bunch of communists who worship Comrade Obama. Honestly, they couldn't be happier if Stalin was elected into office.