the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Apr 2, 2012
The Supreme Court is currently reviewing the health care law passed two years ago, with enormous interest in the media and from the supposed two sides of the debate, the Republicans and the Democrats.
The Republicans oppose the “Affordable Care Act” because they claim, loudly, the U.S. health care is the finest system in the world. It’s just fine, say the Republicans, ignoring the millions of Americans who don’t have it. As Romney put it, there is supposedly a safety net for the poor. This so-called safety net is Medicaid, which these very same Republicans, with much help from the Democrats, have cut and cut again in their budget fights. And even before those cuts, too bad for millions of poor or near poor people or even middle class people in the U.S. who needed all kinds of preventive care or dental care or eyeglasses. Too bad, no money for that–in the country with the most resources in the world.
Then the Democrats come forward to the public with lies that they are “reforming” the health care system.
It’s no reform. The whole rotten system based on profit would be left in place. The main difference is that millions of people would be forced to buy health care insurance, which they have already demonstrated they cannot afford. And the insurance that the poorer parts of the population could buy–or face a financial penalty–would come at a cost of thousands of dollars in deductibles and co-pays.
In all other richer countries of the world, and in a number of poorer ones, health care is provided to the entire population at a considerably lower price than what is paid in the U.S.
So what makes the difference? In the U.S. capitalism has had fewer fetters put on it. As a result, the system demands that we pay for the profits of the health insurers. Then we pay so hospitals and medical associations gain profits. Then we pay so the pharmaceutical industry and the medical equipment suppliers obtain their juicy profits.
By the time they all take a piece of the pie, we, and the U.S. health care system, are pretty sick. It doesn’t matter how the Supreme Court rules: We still won’t have decent health care.