Each day, Donald Trump demonstrates his character by disparaging some American, while professing love for a murderous dictator. Recently, the focus of his ire has been Senator John McCain, a man deceased for months, unable to fight back — the perfect victim for a coward.
Though some may debate whether Senator John McCain was, or was not, a “war hero,” there is a certain irony in a “bone-spur,” draft dodger claiming that a fighting soldier is not a hero simply because he was captured and tortured for five years.
Clearly, neither Trump nor his followers understand that irony nor the irony of Trump’s other reason for hating the long-deceased McCain:
McCain’s decision to vote down the health care bill sponsored by Trump’s friend Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. That bill, which would have passed had McCain supported it, would have destroyed the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “Obamacare.”
They do not see the irony of Trump’s claim that McCain “. . . was horrible, what he did with repeal and replace (of Obamacare) . . . what he did to the Republican Party and to the nation and to sick people that could have had great healthcare was not good.”
What Trump and his followers neither understand nor will not admit that with that vote, Republican John McCain saved the Republican Party and Trump’s Presidency.
In similar fashion, right-wing, Chief Justice, John Roberts, did the same:
Roberts had left behind a storm in Washington over his opinion upholding President Barack Obama’s health-care overhaul — the Affordable Care Act — a stunning validation of Obama’s signature domestic achievement that transformed public perceptions of the chief justice.Republicans in Congress had been fighting the law dubbed Obamacare at every turn for two years, and all the GOP presidential candidates in 2012 had vowed to repeal it.And now Roberts, a nominee of President George W. Bush, had saved it.
How did these two men save the Republican Party and Trump’s Presidency by voting against the Republican Party and Trump?
Because in their zeal to repeal all things Obama, the Republicans and Trump neglected to develop a “replace” that reduced or eliminated many of the coverages of the ACA. For example (from BBC):
- Obamacare: Requires all insurance plans to cover certain health conditions and services, such as emergency room visits, maternity and postnatal care, cancer treatment, annual physical exams, prescription drug costs and mental health counselling.
Republican plan: States may apply for waivers that allow them to end mandatory coverage of certain health conditions, such as vision and dental care for children, hospital care, and outpatient services. States that receive such waivers could allow insurers to set a maximum amount they will pay for an individual’s medical services – a practice that Obamacare had prohibited.
- Obamacare: Prohibits insurers from denying coverage or charging more to individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions.
Republican plan: Gives states the ability to opt-out of requirements that insurers charge the same premiums for healthy and sick customers.
- Obamacare: Expanded Medicaid health insurance for the poor to cover more low-income individuals.
Republican plan: “Block grants” that are capped based on a state’s population and whose growth is limited. 34 states would see reduced government support for Medicaid and tax subsidies for individuals purchasing health insurance.
- Obamacare: Insurers can charge older Americans no more than three times the cost for younger Americans
Republican plan: States can receive waivers to allow them to charge older Americans more.
In short, the Republican plan offered fewer benefits and dumped many of the costs onto the monetarily non-sovereign states, which must increase taxes if they are to afford to improve health care support.
(By contrast, the federal government, being Monetarily Sovereign, has the unlimited ability to create dollars, and can support any health care plan without raising taxes.)
The Republicans actually had years in which to come up with a suitable and superior replacement, and they failed. Trump, of course, did nothing other than to tell the Party that he was waiting “pen in hand.”
Since any replacement would involve more than a single sheet of paper, Trump’s lack of reading, writing, or comprehension skills did not allow him to participate.
So had the Republicans succeeded, they would have failed. That is, by destroying Obamacare, and leaving millions of people without affordable health care, they would have turned the vast majority of the nation against the right-wing.
Today, they are left in the politically enviable political position of being able to stand on the outside and throw rocks, without having done a single positive thing to help the masses receive health care.
And it was the two Johns, McCain and Roberts, who gave them that ironic gift.
Meanwhile, the Democrats failed by succeeding. They receive scant credit for saving Obamacare, and they saved the Republicans from disaster.
Instead, they now must fight the “Medicare for All” battle, and once again the Republicans with throw “socialism” stones without offering a good alternative plan.
Always be careful what you wish for, boys.
Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
Monetary Sovereignty
Twitter: @rodgermitchell
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The most important problems in economics involve the excessive income/wealth/power Gaps between the richer and the poorer.
Wide Gaps negatively affect poverty, health and longevity, education, housing, law and crime, war, leadership, ownership, bigotry, supply and demand, taxation, GDP, international relations, scientific advancement, the environment, human motivation and well-being, and virtually every other issue in economics.
Implementation of The Ten Steps To Prosperity can narrow the Gaps:
Ten Steps To Prosperity:
2. Federally funded medicare — parts a, b & d, plus long-term care — for everyone
3. Provide a monthly economic bonus to every man, woman and child in America (similar to social security for all)
4. Free education (including post-grad) for everyone
5. Salary for attending school
6. Eliminate federal taxes on business
7. Increase the standard income tax deduction, annually.
8. Tax the very rich (the “.1%) more, with higher progressive tax rates on all forms of income.
9. Federal ownership of all banks
10. Increase federal spending on the myriad initiatives that benefit America’s 99.9%
The Ten Steps will grow the economy, and narrow the income/wealth/power Gap between the rich and you.
MONETARY SOVEREIGNTY
#Monetary Sovereignty - Mitchell 