The simple answer is MONEY! As has been said; "money doesn't talk, it screams". The question should be: How have the corporations convinced Americans that they are better off paying some corporate CEO millions or billions of dollars to deny them health care when they are most likely to most need it?

For a number of reasons, most people have a distrust or resentment of government and of course big corporations exploit this distrust to con the masses. With the help of the "liberal media" or "lamestream" media as the Republican neocons call it, which of course is far from liberal, but really nothing more than corporate newsletters shilling for multinational companies, they are able to influence the opinion of the American public and make them fear any alternative that they do not approve of or control.

I believe that most news media are no longer really operated for profit as their main goal but as corporate newsletters and by having Palin and Fox News (which is to journalism what professional wrestling is to sports) condemn them as liberal, is just part of the "opposite speak" strategy that is much of the Republicans game plan.

My short answer is 'state of consciousness.' That is why Americans have let corporate entities hold our well-being as a hostage in literally hundreds of area, including health care.

We live in a representative democracy which has great spiritual and ethical potential, but the difficulty with democracy is that it can only really work by having an informed and active citizenry. Yet, in our country, as great as those possibilities are, we are programmed from birth by religious, corporate and political interests that have a personal stake in citizens not being informed and not active.

In religious cults, people are subjected to subtle processes of indoctrination which are intended to increase their suggestibility and compel them to act against their own interest but rather in the interests of their cult masters. I contend that commonplace branding techniques (like endorsing strong identifications with a political party). accepted and exalted ritualistic behavior (like the mindless singing of patriotic songs), mindless repetition of certain core doctrines (like big government is bad), coupled with a culture that endorses mindless conformity and condemns thoughtful discourse hijacks rational consciousness. These processes of corporate and political mind control entrance many people to the degree that they will generally act against their own interest, as exemplified in the acceptance of a non-single payer system, which as noted, is the reverse of the most socially responsible form of health care.

Is someone who has a typical mid-level job in the United States but identifies with the general tone of the Republican party really acting sensibly when he endorses policies that foolishly reward the rich at his expense or deprive him and his family of the security of a home or threaten his life by depriving him of real medical access? No, I don't think so- anymore that Democrats, in similar jobs, who support the currently flawed health initiatives that benefit the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies at the expense of their well-being. These are not responsible positions- and, if studied, they can be seen as contrary to a decent sense of self-esteem.

But why?

I assert that the normal voter in the United States is generally a victim of corporate and social programming that has successfully short-circuited his or her ability to act or think reasonably in their self-interest. They are living- and voting- in a state of trance- where politically and corporately conditioned ideas have overpowered their normal capacity to reason and act in their self-interest. Instead of a representative democracy, we are really a hypnocracy, controlled by corporate agendas that have stripped our citizens of their own God given rights to life, liberty and happiness and shackled their minds to cast their ballots not as free men and women, but as citizen robots.

One can only thank God that there are a few deprogrammers like Thom Hartmann to at least try to head off some of the corporate hypnotists at the pass and safeguard at least to some extent that tiny eternal flame of the real consciousness that still empowers those who truly love and believe in true American ideals.

Those members of the House, Senate, and Judicial Systems are allowed to perform as Middle Men between the people and the city, state, and federal governments. These elected Middle Men immediately forsake their allegiance to the people's wishes to become the lackeys of the for-profit corporate leeches. Whenever the majority of people want and need, i.e., Health Care Legislation, the Middle Men step in to create all forms of denial. A State may sporadically and selectively allow voting on a Referendum. However, the voters have been dumbed-down to limited their participation in government to the elections of their alleged representatives in the campaign process. Now then, what are the voters to do when these Middle Men create laws which legitimizes their stagnant policies against the betterment of the voters? They can immediately do nothing, because the Middle Men have made it illegal for the voters not to accept their poor conditions in this country.

A few comments to the Captain.

"Some of us may be naturally disposed to brain washing but I believe most of us can still think for ourselves."

I don't think most 'of us' still think for ourselves. I think it's a minority. Otherwise, we would not be where we are now.

"We all need to bring up the subject in public discussion to begin working on snapping people out this robotic way of thinking. The powers that be can be pushed back. They fear we will shut off the money spigot. With all that has happened over the last two years, namely the Wall Street crisis and the Gulf crisis, we are at a very oportune time to remove the veil from in front of our fellow Americans."

I agree this is an opportune time to capitalize on the obvious untrustworthiness of predatory corporations- but I think it would take an aggressive, grass-roots movement to do so. I hate to think that Americans should have to learn about grass-roots movements in an age of New Media, but they should.

"Many still distrust the government but I believe many more have come to realize that giant corporations have been doing the real damage to this country for some time. We are at a tipping point for the first time since maybe the 60's where the establishment can be pushed back into it's place."

The dangers that oligopolistic capitalism has done to American citizens and other countries has been very clear for years. Yes, more people will probably open their eyes now, but I suggest it would take more than a talk show conversation or a cool panel on C-Span to rein in the Tyranosaurus Oligopolus we have created. The Supreme Court recently gave corporations the right to throw money all over the body politick now, a great tool for quashing the smaller voices crying for compassion and sanity.