THE REPUBLICAN SOLUTION
By
Richard Davis

GUILFORD- Until more Americans exercise their voting power, the main stream media will decide who we can elect for president. Once they anoint the viable candidates the rest of the field receives scant attention.

One of those non-viable candidates, Dennis Kucinich, was dismissed months ago not only because he can’t fill his campaign war chest to the obscene levels of his rivals but also because he is too short (media pundits actually consider this a fatal flaw) and because his ideas are too extreme.

The reality is that his ideas are only considered extreme by the media. On issues such as health care, his radical viewpoint is shared by about 75 percent of Americans, according to most polls.

Kucinich understands that the only health care reform that will benefit Americans equally is to have a single payer system and eliminate the power and influence that insurance and pharmaceutical companies have. That is considered a “whacko” idea by the media, so they simply ignore him. There is nothing like lack of airtime to kill a political campaign.

I know Kucinich doesn’t have a chance, but what will it take for a candidate such as him to at least have the same opportunity to be heard? It all boils down to money. If Kucinich had raised as much or more money than Clinton, Obama or Edwards that would make headlines. Of course, even that kind of press teaser might not lead to stories about where he stands on real issues. Reporting is more about the nature of the race than the substance of the candidates.

When it comes to a plan for health care reform, none of the top candidates (the ones the main stream media has anointed to be likely winners) in either party has a plan that will do any good. It’s that simple.

The Republicans believe that the free market will solve all of the problems we have with the health care system. They see solutions to unaffordable health care to be found in tax breaks for all but the extremely poor who will be allowed to continue with some sort of government program, if they don’t destroy that in their march to privatize everything.

If this country elects a Republican President it is very likely that within 10 years or less Medicare will no longer be a government-run program. It will become just another insurance product provided by private insurance companies and people will no longer pay the same premiums as they do now. It will be a means-tested program and most seniors will pay more. The only role government will have is to assure that private insurance companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers maximize their profits.

We will see the number of uninsured Americans increase to close to 100 million, one third of the population, in a short time. When that happens there will be a fairly rapid meltdown and hospitals, doctors and most providers will be forced to deal with financial crises of unprecedented proportions.

In other words, the system will implode and collapse. That may be a good thing. Some hope for it to happen sooner rather than later. We can then start over and get it right. If that scenario plays out, we will be able to thank the Republicans.

If this country elects a Democratic President things will change little in terms of health care reform. There will be some tweaking around the edges.
The profits of the big boys who control health care will be assured. Their money has fueled political engines and they will be rewarded. Any change that is proposed will be based on keeping the insurance companies in the mix as the prime rulers over the health and welfare of Americans, meaning business as usual.

When it comes to health care reform we might be better off with a Republican President. President McCain, Romney or Giuliani will cause a rapid destruction of the health care mess we have now. Many activists believe that the best way to create the reforms we need is to have the health care system fall apart so we can start from scratch. The best prospects for that would be under a Republican administration.

President Clinton, Obama or Edwards will move a few minor health care reforms forward and mostly maintain the status quo. More Americans will become uninsured and continue to suffer and die. But because the sound bites and rhetoric will try to make us believe something good is happening, it will mean that true reform will be decades away.

If I voted based on only one issue I would vote for a Republican. It is the only way to move us as quickly as possible toward the vision of Kucinich. But life, and politics are more complicated and I have to be able to sleep at night. So I will probably hold my nose and vote for a Democrat and give up any hope for a national solution to our health care mess for the next few decades.