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The issue is not whether Clinton, Obama, or even Bernie Sanders “sold out” so-called universal health care” as the name shifted from single payer to that to medicare for all. The issue is whether socialists should allow themselves to be limited to fighting simply for a government run insurance plan of any sort whatsoever, as the conversation I had with those two young women here in Chile implies. I remember gettinginvolved (to a very limited extent) in the campaign for health care reform back in the 1980s in Oakland, California. At that time, the slogan was for “socialized medicine”. I went ton one or two meetings, which were all held in the offices of a union. (I think it was SEIU, but I’m not sure.) The fact that the meetings were in a union office indicates the involvement/support of the leadership from the start. Then, at one meeting, it was explained that we were going to change the slogan from socialized medicine to “single payer”. It was explained that this was really the same thing but the name would be easier for people to understand. It was also explained that this was what the union leadership wanted. Being somewhat uninformed, Ididn’t understand the difference, but in fact it is huge. Under whatever name you like - single payer, universal health coverage, or medicare for all - a national health insurance plan would be a step forward, but also a step riddled with problems. First and foremost, it would accelerate the pace at which the hospital chains are merging, shutting down hospitals and speeding up the staff. So, while we should support the latest iteration of national health insurance, we should also be pointing out its weakness and calling for socialized medicine. Why, after all, should socialists allow the liberal wing of the Democratic Party and their repesentatives - the union bureaucracy and the nonprofiteers - to set the agenda for us? Why shouldn’t we go as far as those two young women here in the streets of Santiago? John Reimann -- *“In politics, abstract terms conceal treachery.” *from "The Black Jacobins" by C. L. R. James Check out:https:http://oaklandsocialist.com also on Facebook _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
