A mean streak in the US mainstream (Mary Dejevsky in The Independent, London, UK, 8/25)

[Apollo11]

Mary Dejevsky has worked as a foreign correspondent all over the world, including Washington, Paris and Moscow. She is now the chief editorial writer and a columnist at The Independent.

Mary Dejevsky: A mean streak in the US mainstream

The US tolerates more inequality, deprivation and suffering than is acceptable here (in the United Kingdom)

THE INDEPENDENT - August 25, 2009

When we Europeans – the British included – contemplate the battles President Obama must fight to reform the US health system, our first response tends to be disbelief. How can it be that so obvious a social good as universal health insurance, so humane a solution to common vulnerability, is not sewn deep into the fabric of the United States? How can one of the biggest, richest and most advanced countries in the world tolerate a situation where, at any one time, one in six of the population has to pay for their treatment item by item, or resort to hospital casualty wards?

The second response, as automatic as the first, is to blame heartless and ignorant Republicans. To Europeans, a universal health system is so basic to a civilised society that only the loony right could possibly oppose it: the people who cling to their guns, picket abortion clinics (when they are not trying to shoot the abortionists) and block funding for birth control in the third world. All right, we are saying to ourselves, there are Americans who think like this, but they are out on an ideological limb.

If only this were true. The reason why Obama is finding health reform such a struggle – even though it was central to his election platform – is not because an extreme wing of the Republican Party, mobilised by media shock-jocks, is foaming at the mouth, or because Republicans have more money than Democrats to buy lobbying and advertising power. Nor is it only because so many influential groups, from insurance companies through doctors, have lucrative interests to defend – although this is a big part of it.

It is because very many Americans simply do not agree that it is a good idea. And they include not only mainstream Republicans, but Democrats, too. Indeed, Obama's chief problem in seeking to extend health cover to most Americans is not Republican opposition: he thrashed John McCain to win his presidential mandate; he has majorities in both Houses of Congress. If Democrats were solidly behind reform, victory would already be his.

(...)

You can read the full article here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/mary-dejevsky/mary--dejevsky-a-mean-streak-in-the-us-mainstream-1776795.html

This article is also discussed by madfloridian in his latest journal entry:
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/4763


What do folks think about this analysis? Personally, I think it is overly pessimistic. Dejevsky states that "there is a mean and merciless streak in mainstream US attitudes". This is probably true - for regular viewers of FOX News. But polls show that most Americans support Medicare (universal healthcare for seniors) and they support President Obama's goals with regard to reducing insurance premiums, preventing discrimination against people with health problems, stopping people from going bankrupt as a result of healthcare costs. The anti-government "pay your own bills" brigade are a minority. A very loud, wealthy and well-organised minority. Basically the 60 million folks who voted McCain/Palin. They represent around 25% of the US (adult) population. Even if they speak for 40% - that is still a minority. No?

[Apollo11]

1. Here is a specific example from Monday's New York Times

The NYT talked to a 62 year-old guy with a 60 year-old wife (a breast-cancer victim), someone who has everything to gain from Obama's proposed healthcare reforms, yet he is actively telling his Member of Congress to vote against reform.

“This is about the future of our country as we know it,” Mr. Collier warned, “and may mean the end of our country as we know it.”

“We’ve got to do something about those people who can’t get insurance,” he said. “There has to be a safety net there. But I don’t want that safety net to catch too many people.”

While Mr. Collier said he did not object to paying more to support coverage for the truly needy, he predicted that a universal coverage system would dole out tax dollars to “lazy and irresponsible people who play the system.”

The explanation in this case is pretty simple:

The Colliers are committed conservatives who have voted Republican in presidential elections since 1980. They receive much of their information from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh’s radio program and Matt Drudge’s Web site.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/health/policy/25georgia.html

[Berry Cool]

5. Idiot. He is more terrified of someone possibly getting coverage who "doesn't deserve it"

than he is of seeing more people like his wife slip through the cracks. And even SHE would deny HERSELF care? If that's the case, she truly is a breast cancer "victim."

[santamargarita]

2. Corporate/Fascist main stream media and hate radio

:puke:

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. She's not just talking about healthcare

She also mentions attitudes to punishment (eg the release of the Lockerbie bomber), and to capital punishment. The attitude on DU alone to capital punishment would be typical of a right wing party in Europe - split, with significant views on both sides, and some passionately in favour of it. Support for capital punishment is unheard of in any vaguely left wing party in Europe. It's a condition of membership of the EU to get rid of it. And when you consider that support for it in the general US population is surely higher than on DU ...

[Berry Cool]

4. Did you read the first comment from a person calling themselves

"Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
Puma Politics"?

It's a PUMA, all right. Claiming to be a native American, yet repeating all the negative stereotypical claptrap about how Americans are rugged, self-sufficient, independent individualists, and how we can't possibly have universal health care in this country right now, because WE CAN'T AFFORD IT...

[Captain Hilts]

6. Brilliant. THIS is why I read British and Canadian newspapers. nt

[Doctor_J]

7. Not mainstream Americans, just mainstream media

65% of Americans want universal HC, but Big Media only gives airtime to the others. That's why as soon as Big Media is destroyed, we'll be well on the road to recovery.

[Doctor_J]

8. This is really poorly reasoned

It is because very many Americans simply do not agree that it is a good idea. And they include not only mainstream Republicans, but Democrats, too. Indeed, Obama's chief problem in seeking to extend health cover to most Americans is not Republican opposition: he thrashed John McCain to win his presidential mandate; he has majorities in both Houses of Congress. If Democrats were solidly behind reform, victory would already be his

Completely wrong. Rank-and-file Dems (Obama voters) are overwhelmingly in favor of reform.

[Captain Hilts]

9. They aren't the subject of the essay. A 'streak' is not 'all'. nt

[southernyankeebelle]

10. It doesn't take a foreign correspondent to tell us we really already new

that the me attitude in this country has ruined america. I consider myself a social democrat. I believe that government should be involved in social issues such as health care, social secuirty, building roads, having post offices, and paying our fair share of taxes. Until this country starts helping the working poor in this country we will never be a great nation again. We deserve to be on the body of the pot.