Editorial
More than most mass movements Occupy was and is divided by the question of whether to participate in electoral politics. Some of the opponents of voting offer arguments that seem to say that voting is a kind of contagion, as if questions of strategy come down to what makes you feel or not feel dirty. Sounds silly, unless you believe in the Gaia principle, but sticking with standard political reasoning for a minute:
Questions of electoral political strategy are less acute here in Massachusetts, the belly of the health insurance beast (Sorry, Connecticut) where a solid Democratic base makes the specter of spoiler candidates less scary. This is probably why the Green Party has had some success. Here are their candidates:…. http://www.green-rainbow.org/
Nonetheless, what voting does do is take the attention away from the real problem, which is, as usual, the system itself. It is not voting per se that is the problem rather it is the winner take all electoral system which like for profit healthcare doesn’t belong in a civilized world. We should follow older wiser Europe and institute proportional representation, instant runoff voting and nationalize the health insurance industry.
Short of succeeding from the union and creating bioregion states this is not a problem that can be solved by DIY, disintermediation, or goat farms. So if you want to change the system volunteer with these folks: http://www.fairvote.org/
But Who Should I Vote For?
In this the 2014 Democratic gubernatorial primary season, the get out the vote calls have begun. The state employee labor unions are shilling for the candidate they assume will be their new boss. They get out the vote, he or she guarantees their contracts, the health insurance companies are assured of fat & excellent union health insurance fees. The other candidate has made a simple declaration in favor of single payer healthcare.
Don Berwick: It is time to find a way to get to yes on a single payer system in Massachusetts.
The other two are offer:
Martha Coakly: Continue to bring down the cost of healthcare and energy.
Steve Grossman: “If earned sick time is not law by 2015, it will be the first bill I file as governor.
Like the financial sector and the cheat on your taxes industry, the health care industry plays a key role in keeping the 1% in power. The fact that does so by sucking the life blood out of those it purports to help while making a mockery of Christ the Healer, well, such is life in America.
Drugs
We could all follow Walter White’s example and when the health insurance companies have us in their death grip, go over to the dark side, create more death, more sickness. But we have chemical companies for that—wouldn’t it make more sense to nationalize the drug trade and use the profits to fund a healthcare system? If drugs, like cannabis, really are only being used for medicinal purposes (LMAO), don’t they belong under the purview of a nationalized healthcare system? Wouldn’t we all feel a little safer if some entity under at least nominal democratic control were in charge of the drugs, as opposed to Gus, Walt, Mike and Jesse? Or we could just wait until countries like Uruguay have us by our drug addict short hairs.
But I digress. The moment has come. This editorialist is with brother Malcolm, “By any means necessary.”
The struggle for universal healthcare coverage has been waged incrementally and electorally. Generations of liberals have slowly increased the health insurance companies’ market share by creating a system of fee-based rationing the complexity of which is rivaled only by Title 26, the 17 volume federal tax code. Nobody understands either one and yet participation in both is mandatory.
Stop the Bleeding.
If Don Berwick even hints that he can stop funding the health insurance companies he deserves a chance Vote for Don Berwick and the Green party candidates. If you feel kind of sick afterwards, wash your hands. It’s the right thing to do.