Washblog

Lead, Follow, or......

Congress is banking that America's working class hasn't got the guts to take action.

Congress has a lot of facts to face...and a lot of questions to answer. As an example, an overwhelming majority of  people support a national, single payer health care program.  59%  of  the doctors here in the U.S.do too.  So who is Congress representing?
In early May, Senator Max Baucus (D - MT)  had single payer advocates - including some doctors from Physicians for a National Health Program - arrested at a meeting of the Senate Finance Committee.  Their "crime"?  They wanted to be included in what has now become sham "health care reform" hearings.   Free speech?  Der Führer Baucus says no!  The only people who were allowed to speak were apologists for the medical-industry complex.  The game was and is rigged.

Little wonder.  The medical-industry complex has been quite generous to old Max..  Medical insurers,  for-profit hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry have tossed millions his way.

Alas, he is not alone.  Politicians from both sides of the aisle have their hands buried deep in the pockets of the medical-industry complex.  They have sold their souls to their corporate benefactors.  And working class America gets sold out!

"Follow the money".

I sure as hell know a three-card Monte scam when I see one. I see it in the tax-payer funded bailouts of financial institutions.  I see it in the tax forgiveness schemes handed out to Daddy Warbucks and oil companies. The evidence is all around us. And make no mistake about it, after this current economic crisis has subsided one fact will remain:  The wealthy will have entered the crisis wealthy and will have emerged wealthy.  Only working class families will have suffered.

And don't get hoodwinked by the "public option"  crap.  "Public option" is code for "retreat"

Nothing changes if nothing changes.  I've been a member of a militant, activist labor union for 43 years.  We have been out in front in the struggle for social and economic justice, and peace. Unfortunately,  too many "labor statesmen" in other organizations have grown too predictable, too timid, and too comfortable.  Labor needs a resurgence. We need to return to our roots. Our heritage didn't have us going to lawmakers with our hats in our hands.  We didn't settle for what we were told was "politically feasible".  Our forbearers demanded what the ranks needed!  Had they fell for the "politically feasible" malarkey we'd never have made the gains we did.

We won't get true health care reform or social and economic justice without a fight!  It will take millions of us marching and picketing and protesting and laying down our tools until justice is won.  That's how the pioneers of labor did it. Now it is our turn.  It's time once again to honor the holy scripture of labor: "an injury to one is an injury to all". And when certain suits and ties tell us to slow down we need to shout out the words of Thomas Paine, "lead, follow, or get out of the way".

Congress is banking that America's working class hasn't got the guts to take action.  Let's not prove them right! Let's show them that their "bank" holds nothing more than worthless, toxic assets.

< Living Sustainably Blog: Media: Rally for Climate, Clean Energy and Public Health | Washington Newspapers: Domestic Partnerships Good, Ref 71 Bad >
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