Tea Parties, Health Care and Post-Racial America

I know calling someone ignorant is not the best way to start off a discussion of serious issues facing us in the 21^st century; however, what else can you say about people who use their 1^st Amendment right to free speech as a tool for misinformation and propaganda? 

This past weekend, several thousand “Tea Party” members came to Washington, DC to protest anything associated with President Obama.  The signs and statements from the self-proclaimed tea partiers range from health care, Nazis, Obama is not a U.S. citizen, taxes, and of course guns.  When I hear conservatives, Republicans, and independents say that opposition to President Obama’s political agenda is not about race, I think about the sign that read: “Impeach the Long-Legged Mack Daddy" or this sign: 

 

Now these signs or the people that made them may not represent the entire Tea Party movement, so rather than discuss the unabashed racists at this past weekend’s tea, let’s discuss some of their “legitimate” claims. Please note, all signs/images are from the event in Washington. 

First Claim: Health Care Reform (including a public option) is too expensive.  WRONG.

From what I can tell, the debate about the costs of health care always center on how much a new plan will cost, but never about how much the current system costs.  The main question is not whether health care reform is too expensive but rather will a new plan cost the same or less while increasing the quality of life and life expectancy of most people in this country?  In other words, are we currently receiving adequate care based on the amount of money we put into the system and if not, will a new plan improve the care we receive at the same or lower costs? 

 Currently, we are not receiving adequate care based on what we spend. 

http://www.kff.org/insurance/snapshot/chcm010307oth.cfm   This data was released in 2007, but the news is actually worse now.  In 2007, the U.S. ranked 30^th among developed countries in terms of health cost-benefit ratio.  In 2009, the U.S. is now 37^th according to the World Health Organization.  Even as one of the richest countries in the world, the U.S. only ranks 24^th in terms of life expectancy. 

People should think about health care coverage the way we think about car insurance coverage.  We all have to pay for it and some pay more than others and some have better coverage than others, but the entire pool of funds covers all of us when an accident happens.  In the end, a plan that covers more people and spreads the cost to more of us will be cheaper not only in the long run but also in terms of cutting down the costs for those who do not have health care or have limited access to care. 

 

Second Claim: “We” are fine and the federal government should not be involved in our lives.  WRONG. 

Who am I to tell someone that they are not fine?  Well, I’m assuming they are fine because the federal government is in their lives and life without the feds wouldn’t be pretty for about 99% of the tea partiers.  How can I say that?  I would like all of the tea partiers to stop paying taxes to the federal government; but when they do that, please stop using Medicare, Medicaid, any interstates, roads or airport runways, schools, social security, unemployment compensation, food stamps, VA benefits, GI benefits, disability payments, federal student loans, mass transit, electricity, police, fire department, military (the “war on terror” is on you so use that tax money wisely), parks, post office and anything that has to do with science and medical research since all of these items are supported by the federal government.  If the tea partiers can do without all of those things, which I don’t think they can, more power to them. 

The ironic part of all of the talk about taxes and spending is that 30 states (including almost all of the states in the south) and District of Columbia receive more money from the federal government than they pay in federal taxes. http://www.nctimes.com/news/national/article_fe4108c4-803d-5e07-9d60-e833f2f70ea1.html 

Third Claim: U.S. is based on capitalism and Obama wants socialism. BOTH WRONG.

The U.S. and most of its citizens like to say that capitalism is better than any other system in the world.  That may be true for some things, but health care is not one of those things.  At no point should living, dying, getting prescription drugs or just plain feeling better have anything to do with making money.  What kind of place prides itself in profiting from life, death, or illness?  

I could spend hours and many more blog postings on all of these socialism myths, but Salon.com has done a great job of discussing all of the sources of this nonsense, as well as what’s actually true.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/06/08/obama_myths/print.html

Final Claim: Many U.S. citizens fear the “otherness” Obama represents. ABSOLUTELY!

Subjects, such as health care and taxes, have been debated in the past and the protests, discussion and opposition had to do with what was actually in the particular piece of legislation or proposal coming from the White House.  In the case of President Obama, the discussion, opposition, and protests have absolutely nothing to do with what is actually in any proposed legislation or policy.   I know that a lot of people had issues and disagreed with G.W. Bush but I don’t remember any U.S. protests referring to his or wife’s race, or calling him a fascist or dictator.  

What is the root of the opposition?  Obama’s political agenda?  Economic recession? Race?  I would say that all of those contribute to the opposition’s concerns, but the racial component is really hard for a lot of people to accept.  Race has always been and continues to be America’s self-imposed mental illness. So are all of the people who disagree with President Obama or were at the Tea Party racists?  Probably not.   Is there a racial element within the opposition to Obama.  Absolutely.  Does the racial animosity come from a “fringe” element within the opposition?  That’s hard to say when the “fringe” parades as the elected leadership of the opposition and the elected leadership within the conservatives and Republicans sit in silence when the “fringe” promotes overt and covert racial statements or images.  Silence is acceptance and there is a lack of leadership within conservative movement.  

Finally, I want to end with a question that everyone should consider: If another 9/11 type of event occurred in the U.S. within the next few months, would the majority of Americans rally around President Obama as they did for George Bush?  Your answer will determine how much faith you have in the same people who didn’t even want the President to speak to children and encourage them to do well in school.  Welcome to a post-racial United States.