The progressive and conservative “case” for universal healthcare

The progressive and conservative “case” for universal healthcare

The progressive response to the current efforts to get rid of “entitlements” must be focused on universal healthcare coverage with excellent health services for all American.

Diagnose the problem correctly

The fight is about the role of government in people’s lives, how we structure the relationship between citizens and the government? Conservatives and the Republican Party have spent billions of dollars convincing too many Americans that government is the problem. Their goal, partially achieved, is to make government so dysfunctional that the public will accept their prescription for a free market predatory unregulated society.

Progressives have not focused enough on what government does for its citizens. The vacuum is filled by special interest groups from the AARP to insurance companies, who buy our politicians with campaign contributions and other rewards.

How can this be done?”

1. Reframe the conversation. Focus on what government does right and how to make it more effective in serving the needs of all our citizens. Expose “special interests” and the toxic role they can have on our politics.

2. Establish a vision for the role of government and follow a road map to attain it. For example, formulate an agenda to achieve universal healthcare.

3. Learn from the efforts of the Norguists and Kochs of the world, who have a well planned, financed and executed program to “shrink the government”. We need a comprehensive, coordinated strategy to achieve progressive goals.

4. Rather than focusing on "entitlements" for the poor and elderly, promote the idea that all Americans are entitled the healthcare coverage and excellent healthcare. The only solution is to make universal healthcare work for all of us.

5. There is enough “waste” and inefficiency in the healthcare non system to provide health services for all, while not threatening our economy. Understand the barriers to making the healthcare system more efficient and work to remove them.

6. Rather than maintaining the fantasy that solutions will come from our politicians who are beholden to special interests, self serving economic viewpoint, we as citizens must engage to create and implement a vision for our country that serves all our citizens.