Ezra Klein is seemingly all over the map with his latest post It Is Democracy, Not Health-Care Reform, That Is Sick. Too start with
As Josh Marshall says, we’ve reached a point in the health-care reform discussion where logic has fallen apart. Consider, for instance, Danielle Allen’s op-ed this morning. Discussing the insistence of some that health-care reform will result in rationing and death panels, Allen chides those who respond with an accurate description of the legislation. “One can’t answer them by saying: ‘These policies won’t ration; there will be no death panels,'” she writes. Instead, reformers must detail the “institutional checks that will prevent the emergence” of death panels and rationing.
See, the problem that he and the other Democrats who support the government option miss is that the details are never offered. Lots of empty promises, lots of political platitudes (such as “this will save money” and “it won’t add to the deficit”) are bandied about, but, no supporter actually can say HOW these bills will save money. So, what are people to think other than rationing and denial of service? Oh, and the so-called death panels, which, yes, is an exaggeration, are in teh House bill, section 1233, which puts the discussions on end of life care into the hands of doctors, and incentivizes them to discuss it. Read the bill, Ezra et all!
The fact that an idea as loony as death panels has found even the slightest purchase in the public consciousness shows how distant the minority feels from our democracy. Members of Congress are terrified of voter backlash and industry opposition……
It’s not just the minority, Ezra, but, most Americans that feel divorced from our democracy, or, to be more precise, from the government that is supposed to be responsive to the People, rather than their own special interests and the people who make big donations. So, yes, Members of Congress should be terrified of voter backlash.
….Similarly, the relationship between the protesters and the government is not healthy. The protesters believe the government capable of madness. There is no evidence for that claim, which means that there is no answer for it, either. That claim is not about what is in this bill, or what government has done in Medicare and Medicaid and the VA. It is about what a certain slice of Americans think their government — and by extension, their fellow citizens — capable of.
If the government was responsive to the People, and listened, instead of trying to ramrod the 4th massively unpopular piece of legislation in less that a year (TARP, Stimulus, Waxman-Markey) through without reading it nor allowing real debate, there wouldn’t be this problem with town halls and *GASP* average Americans raising their voices in exercise of their 1st Amendment Rights of Free Speech and redress of grievance.
We do not trust our government. Name one thing the government does well? Other than money, that is kinda tough, eh? Think about a government that set up a system where you are presumed guilty till you are proven innocent (IRS.) Are you thrilled with the postal service? Just today, Obama said Fedex and UPS are better than the USPS. Welfare? Please. Medicaid and Medicare? Not even close. Sure, some of the federal agencies do well, such as the FBI, NSA, Forestry Service, the military, but, they still spend enormous amounts of money. Oh, and the military is actually in the Constitution. Health care isn’t.
And, since most of us have read actual parts of the legislation, we do know what is in it, hence
Public support for the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats has fallen to a new low as just 42% of U.S. voters now favor the plan. That’s down five points from two weeks ago and down eight points from six weeks ago.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that opposition to the plan has increased to 53%, up nine points since late June.
More significantly, 44% of voters strongly oppose the health care reform effort versus 26% who strongly favor it. Intensity has been stronger among opponents of the plan since the debate began.
Must be because Democracy is sick, eh? Hmm, sounds more like the Democrats plans to impose a means to single payer is moving from a regular hospital room to life support.
Marc Ambinder also seems to be blow smoke with his post How Conservatives Are Blowing Their Chance. Polls and public anger say otherwise.
