Healthcare: Equality, Socialism, and Capitalism
Health Care: The Socialist Response
The Obama administration has crafted a health care plan catered to the interests of the American corporate and financial elite, aimed at cutting health care costs for corporations and the government. "Our health care problem is our deficit problem," Obama declared, even as he hands out trillions of dollars to the banks and spends hundreds of billions to continue the war policies of his predecessor.
According to the most recent plan prepared in the Senate, individuals will be compelled to pay thousands of dollars to purchase insurance from private companies--and will be fined hundreds if not thousands of dollars if they do not. Employers will not be required to insure their employees, encouraging them to shift currently covered employees onto the new private market. On top of this, the government is planning on slashing $600 billion in Medicare and Medicaid spending, which will inevitably impact the care provided to the elderly and poor.
Far from addressing the health care problems confronting millions of people, Obama's plan will exacerbate them. At the same time, the only opposition recognized by the media is from sections of the Republican Party determined to push the measures even further to the right.
Amidst all the official debate over health care within the political and media establishment, one thing is taken for granted by all sides: the sanctity of the profit principle.
Socialist Equality Party National Secretary Joe Kishore will analyze the character of and motivations behind Obama's health care overhaul and explain the socialist response--which proceeds from the interests of social need, not corporate profit.
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Ann ArborMichigan
The Obama administration has crafted a health care plan catered to the interests of the American corporate and financial elite, aimed at cutting health care costs for corporations and the government. "Our health care problem is our deficit problem," Obama declared, even as he hands out trillions of dollars to the banks and spends hundreds of billions to continue the war policies of his predecessor.
According to the most recent plan prepared in the Senate, individuals will be compelled to pay thousands of dollars to purchase insurance from private companies--and will be fined hundreds if not thousands of dollars if they do not. Employers will not be required to insure their employees, encouraging them to shift currently covered employees onto the new private market. On top of this, the government is planning on slashing $600 billion in Medicare and Medicaid spending, which will inevitably impact the care provided to the elderly and poor.
Far from addressing the health care problems confronting millions of people, Obama's plan will exacerbate them. At the same time, the only opposition recognized by the media is from sections of the Republican Party determined to push the measures even further to the right.
Amidst all the official debate over health care within the political and media establishment, one thing is taken for granted by all sides: the sanctity of the profit principle.
ISSE Member Andre Damon will analyze the character of and motivations behind Obama's health care overhaul and explain the socialist response--which proceeds from the interests of social need, not corporate profit.