Paul Krugman rightfully says that the United States faces an economic crisis that has lead to a devastating recession and as a consequence of our shattered economic conditions, our nation also faces a "health care catastrophe" that will only get worse as more and more people lose their jobs due to our deteriorating economy.
Krugman complains that he doesn't understand why, in spite of our failing economic conditions; we are not "hearing more about ensuring health care access?"
All economic forecasters are showing that the economy is under a tremendous strain which is being demonstrated by a precipitous rise in the number of current workers who will become unemployed in the foreseeable future. And the economy isn't going to suddenly rebound. Krugman believes the U.S. faces "a prolonged period of very high unemployment."
Krugman does not profess to having any inside knowledge of how the Obama administration is planning to face off against the looming crisis in health care. However, Krugman, as he is often willing to share some of his observations on what is going on in Washington; proceeds with his thoughts.
What concerns Krugman the most is that he believes Obama is being inadequately advised not to push for health care.
Krugman thinks that too many members of the media and political classes are pointedly complaining that because of the supposedly enormous cost of reforming health care; coupled with our sick economy that will require vast sums of money to begin it's own recovery; the nation must make a 'one or the other' type of choice. In other words, America can't afford economic recovery and health care reform at the same time.
Krugman argues that this type of 'either or' thinking is highly flawed. He suggests that critics should review research provided by a philanthropic foundation that focuses on bringing higher performance to the nation's health system; the Commonwealth Fund. This highly respected private foundation shows that Mr. Obama already proposed a plan during the presidential campaign that could bring about universal health care if some of the all too numerous tax cuts that currently sit in the Democrat's economic stimulus bill were to be pared away to the extent that it would leave the required funds for health care to be made available on a universal basis. A simple enough task to perform considering Obama and the congressional Democrats only offered a considerable number of tax cuts as a carrot to gaining Republican support which of course failed to materialize.
Krugman expresses his concern that Obama's own advisers feel that health care reform must wait because of the severity of our current economic conditions! Obama's advisers are failing to realize that health care stands as a very significant fear that is felt daily by millions of Americans. Adding universal health care would allay those fears and would contribute to a much needed psychological stimulus to help people feel much more positively about economic conditions. And the funds needed to help Americans acquire health coverage would inject money into the economy that would add significant stimulation to the current speed of the flow of money through our economic system.
Taking these two similarly constructed arguments into consideration and that are working against the creation of health care reform; Krugman argues a slightly differing view that is constructed entirely from psychological considerations melded to political realities and goes like this: "the political argument that this is a bad time to be pushing fundamental health care reform, because the nation’s attention is focused on the economic crisis."
Krugman counters this argument and instead provides his own historically based explanation why we are now at a point in time when history is on our side and will provide the necessary reasoning behind making universal health care a reality now!
To take an example from recent history that broadly illustrates Krugman's point; think of the reasoning behind Karl Rove's strategy to make George W. Bush a war president. The Bush administration created a crisis that led to America's making war on Iraq that effectively wedded Bush to the American people. Why, you ask? It's simply an example of human nature and is based on a powerful argument that struck deeply within the psyches of the American people: When America is at war all Americans must support the president as the commander in chief of our armed forces.
Just as the old tale explains; you don't change horses while in the middle of a stream. Rove took that old tale and slightly modified it to form the common reasoning that argued that a nation at war; does not change its president during such a time of crisis; and in providing that simplistic form of reasoning, Rove got Bush elected to a second term in office which he never should have been able to achieve due to the disastrous circumstances that defined the twin wars against terrorism and versus Iraq that Bush blindly led our nation into.
In other words, as Krugman explains; crisis is an extremely powerful and effective tool that politicians can use to help them achieve the goals they may be seeking!
And Obama has his own version of Karl Rove; Rahm Emanuel. It was Emanuel, who Krugman reminds us who said: “you never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” No, to paraphrase Emanuel, you don't want the crisis presented by a faltering economy and the lack of universal health care to be wasted. It must, from Krugman's perspective, be used as a means to correcting the economy and gaining health care for all.
In addition, Krugman further emphasizes the power of the historic precedent before Obama by reminding us of FDR's masterstroke to point out America's lack of economic safeguards to provide socially funded means for helping the elderly cope with their financial needs after retirement or when physical infirmities made it difficult if not impossible for the elderly to earn enough to live on. FDR signed Social Security into law and created a government program that has provided millions of Americans for decades with a secure and dependable financial safety net.
Obama faces a similar opportunity brought on by crisis and in Krugman's opinion Obama must act quickly and decisively or he will "repeat the mistakes of Bill Clinton" who wasted valuable time by taking on the task of universal health care from an approach that allowed opponents to effectively counterattack and convince the public that was by then witnessing improvements in the economy that universal coverage was unnecessary.
Something else that Krugman points out regarding the overall temperament of the American people at this moment in history: "There’s a populist rage building in this country, as Americans see bankers getting huge bailouts while ordinary citizens suffer." And Obama must take full advantage of this populist outcry and use it to repair the economy and enact universal health care.
One important development that Krugman fails to include regarding the daunting nature of signing universal care into law. Has to do with the developing story that involves former-Senator Tom Daschle's seemingly growing difficulties to gain senate confirmation due to several possible legal and ethical problems that seem to become more daunting with the pasage of each day.
It is very important to remember that Daschle is an extremely vital member of the team that will push for the enactment of health care reform. And his loss, due to his failure to be confirmed by the Senate committee overseeing his confirmation; will cause innumerable problems for the Obama administration. How this part of the journey turns out may take some time before it is resolved.
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