Don't believe the Obamacare hype!
By Thom Hartmann A...
You wouldn't know it by listening to right-wing media, but Obamacare is off to a great start. On the first day of open enrollment, millions of Americans around our nation visited online marketplaces, and tens of thousands of people created accounts. The overwhelming demand for information did leave several sites running slowly, but overall, the first day of the Affordable Care Act was a huge success.
For the first time ever in our nation, the majority of Americans have access to low-cost, quality healthcare, and they are signing up fast. In California, state residents took to social media to say that state's healthcare app was “working like a charm,” despite the fact that the site was getting 10,000 hits every second. By 11a.m., 1,300 Colorado residents had created accounts on that state's exchange. And, by 2p.m. in Connecticut, state officials reported that more than 17,000 residents had called that state's healthcare hotline.
Of course, the new flood of healthcare choices and information is still confusing for many people, and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said, “I think [administration officials] bear part of the responsibility [for] not being able to cut through all the noise.” However, now that exchanges are open, Americans are logging on, or calling in to ask questions and learn more about Obamacare. And, judging by the number of new enrollees, people must like what they're learning.
Republicans tried more than 40 times to repeal the new healthcare law, and they tried every scare tactic in the book to make Americans afraid of Obamacare. They even shut down the government in a last-ditch effort to stop the law from going into effect. Through it all, President Obama, White House officials, and healthcare advocates worked to give Americans access to affordable healthcare, and it appears that they've succeeded.
Comments
#2
Since we all know that 'for-profit' corporations are always more efficient than the 'gov-ment,' why does Medicare run at about one-tenth the overhead of our free-market corporations? Give me a break and the country a little more single-payer action!
#3
I think it is interesting what Don Newell of the WSJ said on Bill Maher a couple of weeks. Bill mentioned that the "gov-ment" had a 60% return on their expenditures. The RW guest mentioned it was awful. Don of the WSJ said any entity on Wall St. managed a 60% return, Wall St would think the sun shined out of his ass.
#4
At this point I won't believe anything the Repugs dish out. Although ACA isn't Medicare for All, it's much better than nothing. It'll be interesting to see what comes...
Sam Sacs on RT was awesome tonight. Harry Reid quoted Michelle Bachman; “Finally we are where we want to be, the Government is shut down!”. Poor Michelle, she thinks that Jesus will transport her into the clouds to meet with him in the air and she will escape the tribulation, which apparently she can’t wait for.
Jamie Dimon and other Banking “professionals” currently meeting w/ White House to discuss debt limit strategy. (As in Bail-out? Will Obama let them suck every last $ out of what’s left of US economy?) Ryan says house willing to take shut down up to debt ceiling dead-line.
Meanwhile Dem. Congresswoman Dianne Feinstein vowing to do everything she can to protect NSA program, spying on millions of average citizens, insisting it is not illegal.
Pres. Obama lifting laws in African region, Yemen and other like places to allow use of child soldiers.
“Eco Terrorists” attack GMO papayas, hacking them down. According to the Huffington Post... Gee what the H. happened to Ariana?
Oh boy, what a ride...
#5
sandlewould: In reply to #26 yesterday.......If I recall correctly, Thom had a blog quite a while back about the TPP you refer to. I was shocked then and remain perplexed as to why Obama would agree to it, let alone fast-track it. I'll take the action you requested!
I will say this about Obama.....in my opinion he is leaving out a huge part of the equation when it comes to his calculation on bipartisanship with the Teapublican Party. In any willingness to reach out he must never forget to factor in the lies and distortions most Republican voters operate under thanks to a few billionaires and their corpse media control. Factor this in and who is he really reaching out to.........simply a handful of billionaires whose representation should count no more than a handful of anyones .....in a true democracy that is. I'm as frustrated as you, but worry that the billionaires will gain total control if we the people fail to dump the Tea Party vast minority..
#6
I hear the polls indicate most people favor the Affordable Care Act over the Obamacare Act. This is what I mean about the misinformation or should I say lack of information many folks operate under when voting for the Teapublicans. I know of only one Act and it's best described as the Affordable Health Insurance Act! ....soon to be state by state single payer. We will finally get on board with the economic sense the rest of the world already has when it comes to paying for healthcare.
Has the Tea Party gone Frankenstein or is the Cruz control all about a back room deal with the Koch's in order to get the Keystone XL pipeline? In my opinion the shut down has nothing to do with Obamacare like they want us to think.
#7
"Oh boy, what a ride..." You've got that right, Sandlewould.
Over the past couple of months I have been posting on various blogs in Der Spiegel, the German media outlet, on various topics. Inevitably the subject of the ACA has surfaced. Here's a clip you might find of interest:
From a Der Spiegel article: Shutdown Spectacle: "America Is Already Politically Bankrupt":
The overwhelming consensus among the German press is that the Republicans are the most to blame for the gridlock. In a Tuesday commentary, SPIEGEL ONLINE's Gregor Peter Schmitz dubbed them the "kamikaze party." He attributed the gridlock to America's mercenary political culture -- where directly elected lawmakers run for re-election every two years and campaigns are privately financed -- as well as to the lack of party infrastructure compared to Germany's parliamentary model with its publicly funded campaigns.
"It's circumstances like these," writes Schmitz, "that explain why a brigade of Republicans conduct themselves like a bunch of Berlusconis -- as enemies of the state from within who want to cripple the country because that's the desire of their conservative voters at home."
When it came to the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party, the German press was not pulling any punches. "There are fundamentalists within the world's largest democracy: The hardline wing of the Republican Party are once more crippling the United States," writes Nuremberg's Nachrichten. The Tea Party movement, it concludes, "does not engage in democracy, but in dogmatism."
"Here are fundamentalists at work who hold up their country to ridicule to advance their pure doctrine," wrote a commentator in Collogne's Stadt-Anzeiger. "What a tragedy!"
Gee, how nice to be reminded that there's intelligent life elsewhere on this planet!
Anyway here's what one of our fellow yankies has to say about it, along with my response:
With all due respect, the author has missed the essence of one of the major factors that has resulted in this difficult period for the USA government. The Tea Party's absolute abhorrence of the so-called Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is at the root of their willingness to temporarily shutter the government. The healthcare law was passed without one Republican vote, with the Obama administration riding roughshod over any Republican suggestions to modify or amend the law. The majority of the American people in poll after poll have shown their dislike of this major revamp of healthcare in our country. Obama has dug in and refuses to negotiate with the Republicans who ask for a one-year delay in implantation across the board, something Obama has already granted to corporations but not to individuals. - "parkidoc777"
Screw the Tea Party Republi-con oligarchs! And by the way, that was a good article.
Gee, I'm so sorry the Tea Party has a problem with working class Americans seeing a doctor. But hey, let's consider the source: our almighty fossil fuel plutocrats, the Koch Brothers, and all their corporate fascist buddies!
I too am an American, by the way. I have had ENOUGH of this "uniquely American" pay-or-die, money-grubbing fraud that passes for healthcare in this country. It is bankrupting and killing us. And I mean that literally. Over the past thirty years, millions of people (even children!) have died unnecessarily and avoidably because they couldn't afford a damn doctor. You call that a civilized society, Mr. "parkidoc"?! Another year's delay on the ACA means more bankruptcies, ruin and death for our fellow Americans.
Contrary to "parkidoc's" ridiculous assessment, people over here are signing up for ACA like gangbusters. Apparently I'm not the only one sick to death of living under Republican-sponsored financial terrorism. With luck, the ACA will soon morph into something much greater: single-payer Medicare for all!!! - AIW
#8
Hey guys! Check out this Jimmy Kimmel skit. It's called Obamacare vs The Affordable Care Act. They ask random people on the street whether they prefer Obamacare or The Affordable Care Act. Of course they are the same. But listen to the sheer raw ignorance of our fellow citizens. You won't believe it. (Then again, maybe you will.) Thom is so right! There is a lot of confusion out there. And a lot of sheer ignorance and what can only be described as misplaced preconceived notions. Racist notions? Maybe. Something is obviously interfering with the normal cognitive process.
#9
Just one more thing to share before I'm done. On Randy Rhodes' talk show this afternoon I heard this no-nothing twit explaining that she hates "Obamacare" but thinks the Affordable Care Act is okay. Isn't that hilarious! Or tragic, depending on your take. But I laughed my ass off.
This is what decades of corporate infotainment have done to the minds of our fellow citizens. Without an informed electorate, we have no democracy. - Aliceinwonderland
#10
DAnneMarc, not only did your post kick in the very moment mine did; but it was on the VERY SAME THING! Gimmie some skin, bro.
I think we both know what has interfered with people's "normal cognitive process": garbage-in-garbage-out infotainment and high- fructose corn syrup! - AIW
#11
Aliceinwonderland: You took the words right out of my mouth! This is precisely why we have numbnuts like Cruz and the Tea Party in control of the House.
#12
Aliceinwonderland ~ That sure was a weird coincidence. I guess you are right about that corporate infotainment. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. What ever happened to saying, "Gee! I don't really know that much about it." How do people prattle on so passionately about something they don't even know the name of like they know what they are talking about. This is really scary. Funny! Yes. But also really scary. A friend of mine had this to say about this video:
Quote DAnneMarc's friend:We are truly a nation of bumbling idiots...lol.
I know it sounds harsh; but, what can I say? I want to disagree; but, I can't.
#13
I hear ya, brother. Scary indeed. But still good for a laugh. Like "Get your government hands off my Medicare!" (What a classic!) and "Youth in Asia will kill your grandmother!" (regarding "death with dignity"...) Beam me up...
#14
Never forget "It all began with Reagan". He started the dumbing down as governor of California with taking away free College education. Ronnie boy said something like why should I pay for their education when all they do is protest against what I do. He then went along with the Powell doctrine to consolidate all the media under the thumb of the 1%.
We should all keep remembering that a key plank in the The Texas Repubilican Party was to eliminate critical thinking from the educational system. It was in their platform until it was revealed nationally and then it disappeared.
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