E Pluribus Unum

Josh Marshall writing at the new (and excellent) TPM Cafe:

When I asked, what would we do if we were back in power?, here's the focus of the dilemma that immediately came into my mind: health care.

The great challenge of progressive reform today is finding ways to counterbalance and reverse the pervasive privatization of risk we see across our society. (That is almost synonomous with the concentration and ossification of power and wealth among the few since they are the ones most able to thrive in a world of individualized risk.) That is not only a bad thing in itself, it also undermines the quality of life and, though this is not always seen as clearly, opportunity itself. But I don't think there's really any way to do any of that -- to make a serious dent in the problem -- as long as we have a health care system that is even remotely like the one we have today.

It used to be that we, through our system of governance, removed obstacles from in front of those that were willing and able to move up the economic ladder. Or, if you will, we created a social safety net through universal insurance programs like Social Security and Medicare. In other words, the Federal government (given all its inefficiencies and red tape) was still the place where everyone came together and no one -- no one! -- was left behind.

Not any more. Now, we have something called "The Ownership Society," which is just another way of saying "You're On Your Own." It's a good thing, I suppose, if you have enough of an economic cushion, a foundation, on which you can rest. Then, a greater amount of risk is desirable because it is evidence of the availability of a greater reward.

But, by removing the the safety net while increasing risk, I don't believe the vast majority of our nation benefits.

P.S. What's weird is that large corporations -- I'm talking to you, General Motors -- should be in favor of universal health care. Do you realize how badly they are hobbled by the cost of health care for current and retired workers? Hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars are added to the cost of every car that comes off the assembly line. This simply makes it more expensive for consumers to buy their product. It also handicaps the corporation in its competitive race with foreign manufacturers who have no such costs to deal with.