What Republicans are really saying when they attack Obamacare
When you hear Republicans attack Obamacare it’s hard not to wonder what they’re mad about. They said its costs would rise, insurers would flee, premiums would go up and the number of people without insurance would stay the same. None of that happened. So what’s the problem?
You can get a serious hint from a recording of the Republican nut bird Senate candidate Joni Ernst, who just got elected to the U.S. Senate from Iowa. Radio Iowa recorded Ms Ernst talking to voters before the election. Here’s the quote:
“We’re looking at Obamacare right now. Once we start with those benefits in January how are we going to get people off of those. It’s exponentially harder to remove people once they’ve already been on those programs … we rely on the government for absolutely everything. And in the years since I was a small girl until now into my adulthood with children of my own, we have lost a reliance on not only our own families but so much of what the churches and private organizations used to do. They used to have wonderful food pantries. They used to provide clothing for those that really needed it. But we have gotten away from that. Now we’re at a point where the government will just give away anything.”
It’s hard to know where to start with this quote provided by New York Magazine. First, well, if she thinks food pantries are gone she should visit any of the number of them in our area, including the one run by St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Kissimmee which is supported by so many Solivita people. The same goes for places that supply clothing for those who need them.
But wait a minute, medical care isn’t a pair of pants or a can of beans. Medical care is a basic human need that can’t be provided by a team of volunteers with no skills. And yes, there are free clinics and organizations such as Doctors Without Borders who provide free care. But they can’t begin to meet the need.
So where does that leave conservatives like Ms Ernst? How does a poor person who needs regular medication get it? In fact, how does a poor person find out he/she needs regular medication if they can’t afford to see a doctor?
It seems her answer is “If God wanted you to be healthy he would have seen to it that you were born with wealthy parents.” Of course, she would have given the same response to how does a poor kid get a good education.
The writer for New York Magazine summed up his response:
“That’s the fundamental belief that motivates most, if not all, the conservative opposition. Health care should be a privilege rather than a right. If you can’t afford health insurance on your own, that is not the government’s problem.”
So the answer is that they oppose Obamacare because they don’t want to see poor people getting the same medical care as the more affluent. Because then what’s the use of having money?
