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Octafish

(55,745 posts)
55. Universal Health Care.
Mon Nov 23, 2015, 12:25 PM
Nov 2015

Ronald Reagan called him a "socialist" for doing so.



Operation COFFEECUP - How Reagan Worked to Stop Universal Health Coverage in 1961

In December 1961, the AMA pulled out all the stops to prevent President John F. Kennedy from proposing universal health coverage. For their effort, they recruited a TV-personality.

Write those letters now. Call your friends, and tell them to write them. If you don't, this program I promise you will pass just as surely as the sun will come up tomorrow. And behind it will come other federal programs that will invade every area of freedom as we have known it in this country, until, one day . . . we will awake to find that we have so­cialism. And if you don't do this, and if I don't do it, one of these days, you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children, and our children's children, what it once was like in America when men were free.


Sounds familiar to Tea Party crapola of today. Ironic: Corporate McPravda avoids mentioning how one has-been B-movie actor took part in the organized opposition to Medicare in the early 1960s. Here's the story, thanks to Mr. Scott E. Starr:



The Campaign Against Medicare

Monday, March 22, 2010
By Scott E. Starr

EXCERPT...

In order to maintain the illusion of spontaneity, the AMA did not announce the existence of Operation Coffeecup or publicize the Reagan recording. The record was to be used, campaign organizers cautioned, only in the groups meeting under the controlled conditions of the informal coffees. Under no circumstances, recipients of the record were warned, were they to permit commercial broadcast of the recording.

Operation Coffeecup was kept deliberately low-key and internal to the AMA, its Woman’s Auxiliary, and the trusted friends and neighbors of the Auxiliary women. Reagan’s efforts against Medicare were revealed, however, in a scoop by Drew Pearson in his Washington Merry-Go-Round column of June 17th. Pearson titled his item on Reagan, “Star vs. JFK,” and he told his readers:

Ronald Reagan of Hollywood has pitted his mellifluous voice against President Kennedy in the battle for medical aid for the elderly. As a result it looks as if the old folks would lose out. He has caused such a deluge of mail to swamp Congress that Congressmen want to postpone action on the medical bill until 1962. What they don’t know, of course, is that Ron Reagan is behind the mail; also that the American Medical Association is paying for it.

Reagan is the handsome TV star for General Electric . . . Just how this background qualifies him as an expert on medical care for the elderly remains a mystery. Nevertheless, thanks to a deal with the AMA, and the acquiescence of General Electric, Ronald may be able to outinfluence the President of the United States with Congress.24
Reagan’s recorded remarks are quite extensive, and reveal a determined and in-depth attack on the principles of Medicare (and Social Security), going well beyond opposition to King-Anderson or any other particular piece of legislation.
My name is Ronald Reagan. I have been asked to talk on the several subjects that have to do with the problems of the day. . .

Now back in 1927 an American socialist, Norman Thomas, six times candidate for president on the Socialist Party ticket, said the American people would never vote for socialism. But he said under the name of liberalism the American people would adopt every fragment of the socialist program. . . .

But at the moment I'd like to talk about another way because this threat is with us and at the moment is more imminent. One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It's very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project. . . . Now, the American people, if you put it to them about socialized medicine and gave them a chance to choose, would unhesitatingly vote against it. We have an example of this. Under the Truman administration it was proposed that we have a compulsory health insurance program for all people in the United States, and, of course, the American people unhesitatingly rejected this.25


And what was this frightful threat that Reagan perceived as “imminent”?

. . . Congressman Forand introduced the Forand Bill. This was the idea that all people of Social Security age should be brought under a program of compulsory health insurance. Now, this would not only be our senior citizens, this would be the de­pendents and those who are disabled, this would be young peo­ple if they are dependents of someone eligible for Social Security. . . .


It should be obvious that Reagan’s description of the Forand bill is a description of any Medicare-type program, not just a specific piece of legislation.26 The idea that people of “Social Security age should be brought under a program of compulsory health insurance,” just is the idea of Medicare.

CONTINUED...

http://geotheology.blogspot.com /



If you get a chance, the geotheology blog continues with details on Operation COFFEECUP. The American Medical Association bankrolled the "mellifluous voice" of Ol' Pruneface.

It's important to bring this up because so many believe history started only yesterday. The rightwing warmongers and greedheads have been organized for a long time. They've demonized liberals like me and my political heroes as socialists and communists. The nation has devolved politically to the point where even the leaders of our own party run away from the word, "Liberal." It's past time America realizes supporting the causes of the rich helped launch the political career of America’s first presidential Reverse Robin Hood.

So sad, 52 years later Politicalboi Nov 2015 #1
Secret Service got ordered OFF the bumper at Love Field. Octafish Nov 2015 #4
Don't turn a nice post into some CT shit. Just keep it like it was. I knew you started it for this. Logical Nov 2015 #13
Nothing says 'Democracy' like 'Shutup.' Octafish Nov 2015 #15
Oswald did it. Give up the make believe. nt Logical Nov 2015 #16
So, when you can't show where I'm wrong, you smear me. Nice. Octafish Nov 2015 #21
LOL "umbrella man"!!!! Logical Nov 2015 #24
The video taken minutes before the assassination shows the agents ordered OFF the bumper. Octafish Nov 2015 #47
Somebody should, indeed, give up the make-believe. nt villager Nov 2015 #25
If logical questions unanswered all these years bother you, change your name MrMickeysMom Nov 2015 #78
Horseshit he did. He was a patsy. A dupe. A throw-away. trof Nov 2015 #89
That Oswald was a low-level CIA asset is NOT hifiguy Nov 2015 #97
What if it's true though? PatrickforO Nov 2015 #27
You fooled me!! :-) Logical Nov 2015 #28
We have lots of know-it-alls today Waiting For Everyman Nov 2015 #2
JFK was a Democrat of the New Deal. Octafish Nov 2015 #8
To be a Kennedy Democrat is high praise. Waiting For Everyman Nov 2015 #10
You may enjoy David Talbot's new history, ''The Devil's Chessboard'' Octafish Nov 2015 #11
I read the excerpt of this book on Salon ellie Nov 2015 #14
Thank you, Ellie. I heard him speak in 2013... Octafish Nov 2015 #17
I will definitely ellie Nov 2015 #23
It is essential reading. hifiguy Nov 2015 #59
I caught a little bit of a program today that was running clips of the actual coverage from dflprincess Nov 2015 #34
What I find extremely curious Art_from_Ark Nov 2015 #72
Nixon was an asshole, Snobblevitch Nov 2015 #74
What I find bizarre Art_from_Ark Nov 2015 #75
It was the 60s, a volatile time. Snobblevitch Nov 2015 #76
Yeah, it was a volatile time Art_from_Ark Nov 2015 #77
You did not address my other point. Snobblevitch Nov 2015 #80
Why would Nixon have MLK and Malcolm X bumped off? Art_from_Ark Nov 2015 #81
You're proving my point. Snobblevitch Nov 2015 #83
How am I proving your point? Art_from_Ark Nov 2015 #84
There were at least five political assassinations in the 1960s. Snobblevitch Nov 2015 #85
One more thing Art_from_Ark Nov 2015 #82
What a beautiful song! n/t BuelahWitch Nov 2015 #57
Thanks, Octafish! JFK and his story are really more complicated than his admirers or detractors.... LongTomH Nov 2015 #3
Great nations build great civilizations. Empires make wars for profit. Octafish Nov 2015 #30
A big, fat K&R! CaliforniaPeggy Nov 2015 #5
Thank you, CaliforniaPeggy! Did you read what Prescott Bush wrote to Clover Dulles? Octafish Nov 2015 #31
Thank you, my dear octafish--I had not read this. Pretty interesting stuff! CaliforniaPeggy Nov 2015 #35
Phil Shenon on Coast To Coast last night claims Poppy had no connection to the assassination librechik Nov 2015 #49
Prescott Bush was the CIA's bagman in the Senate. hifiguy Nov 2015 #60
Guy is working to divert discussion of conspiracy involving secret US agencies. Octafish Nov 2015 #69
thank you, Octafish librechik Nov 2015 #86
People still love JFK and project their hopes on him decades later. In truth he was moderate. craigmatic Nov 2015 #6
hoo boy. ucrdem Nov 2015 #7
Ok name one initiative he got put in place to help the poor in this country? craigmatic Nov 2015 #12
The Cuban Missile Crisis. H2O Man Nov 2015 #19
Plus Peace Corps, space program, nuclear test ban treaty, and the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 ucrdem Nov 2015 #32
Recording of JFK telling Sargent Shriver not to let CIA infiltrate the Peace Corps [audio] MinM Nov 2015 #56
MinM! ucrdem Nov 2015 #68
The truth about how close we came to annihilating each other wasn't known for 30 years. Major Hogwash Nov 2015 #52
New Frontier legislation: ucrdem Nov 2015 #29
Universal Health Care. Octafish Nov 2015 #55
President John F. Kennedy's Civil Rights Address ucrdem Nov 2015 #67
Transcript link and highlights: ucrdem Nov 2015 #90
Turns out he's proposing the Civil Rights Act of 1964: ucrdem Nov 2015 #91
Even after so many years, Blue_In_AK Nov 2015 #9
I was six, Blue_In_AK. Octafish Nov 2015 #53
Recommended. H2O Man Nov 2015 #18
And all were men of the Left, to varying degrees. hifiguy Nov 2015 #61
I was 11 years old and they stopped school to tell us what happened. JEB Nov 2015 #20
Economically, JEB, much different, based on the suppressed record. Octafish Nov 2015 #96
Thank you, Octafish JEB Nov 2015 #100
never. held. to. account. nashville_brook Nov 2015 #22
Interview with blacklisted comedian, Mort Sahl, 1968 quotes and warnings after JFK's death. Octafish Nov 2015 #98
Gerald Posner said it right. longship Nov 2015 #26
That's what the House Select Committee apparently concluded. ucrdem Nov 2015 #33
Well, all the forensics say one shooter. longship Nov 2015 #39
Depends on who you ask I suppose. ucrdem Nov 2015 #40
Produce forensic evidence that says there was another shooter, then. longship Nov 2015 #41
The doctors at Parkland have repeatedly said hifiguy Nov 2015 #62
Absolute Rubbish longship Nov 2015 #64
There Are No Forensics Supporting One Gun ProfessorGAC Nov 2015 #43
Do you mean other than the spent bullets retrieved? longship Nov 2015 #44
Yes, I Mean Those ProfessorGAC Nov 2015 #45
Two. They found two, as far as I can remember. longship Nov 2015 #46
Posner the plagiarist? n/t deutsey Nov 2015 #51
Plagiarist Posner MinM Nov 2015 #54
Knew you would have something interesting today! Thank you, Sir! Mnemosyne Nov 2015 #36
JFK selected Abraham Bolden to integrate White House Secret Service detail. Octafish Nov 2015 #101
the 1880s weren't feudal! MisterP Nov 2015 #37
DURec leftstreet Nov 2015 #38
Oliver Stone: JFK conspiracy deniers are in denial Octafish Nov 2015 #104
Kicking... CanSocDem Nov 2015 #42
CIA Dulles hired MAFIA to kill Castro in 1960, yet US media continue to misreport it as JFK's idea. Octafish Nov 2015 #106
When they release all the government documents about the assassination Generic Other Nov 2015 #48
''All of them together will observe the law of silence...They don't want to know.'' Octafish Nov 2015 #107
Thanks, as always deutsey Nov 2015 #50
The New York Daily News of Nov. 23, 1963 Octafish Nov 2015 #88
Except for 'advisors' in South Vietnam and that Bay of Pigs thing.... Snobblevitch Nov 2015 #58
The Bay of Pigs was a CIA/Mafia operation hifiguy Nov 2015 #63
Thanks for the clarification. Snobblevitch Nov 2015 #66
Regarding Vietnam: JFK ordered withdrawal. LBJ reversed it. Octafish Nov 2015 #70
Regarding Bay of Pigs: Dulles and CIA did not tell JFK security mission was compromised. Octafish Nov 2015 #71
"This little light of mine..." kick and recommend n/t bobthedrummer Nov 2015 #65
JFK personally selected Abraham Bolden to integrate WH Secret Service detail. Octafish Nov 2015 #73
No, television didn't bring it up... MrMickeysMom Nov 2015 #79
Bertrand Russell asked that central question in 1964. Octafish Nov 2015 #87
Recced. Thanks for the o.p. info, and for making a space for the info provided by other good Mc Mike Nov 2015 #92
JFK's death changed government policy in matters of war and peace. Octafish Nov 2015 #95
That was a radically big policy reversal, within a few days of 11/22. Mc Mike Nov 2015 #110
President Carter did too. craigmatic Nov 2015 #93
BFEE Safari Club did unto President James Earl "Jimmy" Carter bad things. Octafish Nov 2015 #94
Stephanie's 2-22-2006 UAE and BCCI thread reposted for those that love the truth bobthedrummer Nov 2015 #99
We've learned a lot about money and power since BCCI... Octafish Nov 2015 #108
Who could imagine "our" goverment would actively seek to move jobs overseas. Enthusiast Nov 2015 #102
Lt. Cmdr. Terri Pike, USN, was relieved of duty for doing her duty re JFK assassination records. Octafish Nov 2015 #109
Wow! Thanks, Octafish. Enthusiast Nov 2015 #111
Kicked and recommended to the Max! Enthusiast Nov 2015 #103
Needs another kick!! (eom) CanSocDem Nov 2015 #105
Listen in on LBJ and Hoover talk about Oswald and ''Rubenstein'' Octafish Dec 2015 #112
I'm reading the book now, and it's a real American horror show nikto Jan 2016 #113
Money trumps peace. So does power. Octafish Jan 2016 #114
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