The debate around health care reform has finally materialized around a central issue, a public health insurance option. There are two scenarios currently discussed. Scenario one is clearly bad (to anyone that understands the health care system) . The other scenario is perfectly rational (unless you are an insurance company ceo or some other extremely wealthy, arrogant, selfish bastard who feels you should get to have a knee surgery you don’t need before ten other people get blood pressure medications that may save their lives – unfortunately these are the people that apparently run the country).
Government run insurance scenario #1: (The Dynamo Plan) The Government creates another insurance company bound by same rules as private industry. This has as much of an effect on health care reform as it would if I decided to start an insurance company tomorrow. It sounds good to people who don’t know better but will really serve the sole purpose of fulfilling the republican prophecy that government run health care will be an expensive, unmitigated disaster. Plus, the insurance companies that currently pay for those same congressmen’s campaigns will continue to pad their wallets. Forget all the crap about people hoping Obama would fail – this is intentionally doing something to prove the governement will fail while wasting billions of dollars. Ten years from now, we have the exact same health care system we have now only with higher government costs.
Scenario one is a cluster fuck/shit show – doomed to failure from the outset. Its kind of like Dynamo from Running Man, a lot of bright lights and some beautiful sounds. But, when you strip away all the bullshit what you get is some fat guy wearing lite brite driving a go-kart that Arnold brilliantly calls a Christmas tree/light bulb. Its nothing new or futuristic, its a big fat waste of money.
Dynamo Video
Government run insurance scenario #2: (The Ben Richards Plan) Government extends Medicare or something similar as an OPTION for people under the age of 65. The lower overhead, opportuniteis for cost containment, and incentive for providing preventive care will make healthcare cheaper and more accessible to all Americans. More people will select this insurance plan, because it is better. (This is accepted without fail by both republicans and conservative democrats). When more people selct this plan, it may become more difficult for private insurers to compete. They may have to pursue cost containment strategies to compete with the public plan. As they do so, more people may decide they prefer the public plan. Once again, this is free choice - people choosing an insurance plan they feel is better. At some point during all this free choice when people are choosing the better option, the public plan becomes the terrible monster known as single payer health insurance and rich people end up waiting in lines for care. It is unclear when exactly the public plan suddenly morphs into a monster. If the public plan were really so bad from the begining, why would people choose it?
Scenario two is a perfectly rational plan based on the core American value of free choice. It is like Ben Richards (Arnold) in the Running Man. Clearly he is a brute force that can destroy all of the stalkers. Killian continues to send out more and more stalkers with new stupid gimmicks trying to distract the crowd from seeing that Richards is better. Finally, the old lady in the crowd realizes that Richards is, “one mean mother fucker” and picks him as the person to make the next kill. Others around the fictional world follow suit, placing money on Richards, despite the fact that he is a runner not a stalker. Just like a governement health insurance option, Richards is just plain better no matter where he comes from or what he is labeled.
Damon Killian: There are still two stalkers out there. Dynamo and Fireball. Who do you think will make the next kill?
Elderly Lady: Oh my. That’s a tough one.
Damon Killian: Come on, Angus. You can do it. Who do you think?
Elderly Lady: Alright, I think the next kill will be made by… Ben Richards.
Damon Killian: No, no. Angus, Richards is a runner. You have to pick astalker.
Elderly Lady: I can pick anyone I choose. And I choose… Ben Richards. That boy is one mean motherfucker.
For those of you who don’t know the end of the movie, Killian makes up a computer generated ending in which Captain Freedom (Jesse Ventura) kills Richards (Arnold). Eventually Richards shows up at the studio and, with the help of the rebels, proves his superiority – just as a public health insurance plan eventually will if it has the chance. Lets just hope we don’t let insurance companies and a bunch of rich people con us the way Killian and ICS tried to con the people in the Running Man.
For a more serious, less 80’s movie centric analysis, check out:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/opinion/05krugman.html.
posted by The Mighty Bezoar
I have been intrigued; Running Man is going to be watched this week!
I call for more posts using movies to help me understand things better please!
Zizekians unite!
Man, I’ve never really watched Running Man with ’stone’ concentration, so to speak. I will be doing this also. Good call, and yah for enormous bureaucratic systems and profit mongering criminals ruining our country! And yay for Obama being a weak moderate willing to accept shit, and smile. And yay for the democratic party for having no spine, no legitimate platform, and weak ethics – perpetual election cycle GO!!!