ORGANIZED CRIME: This Isn’t Health Reform; It’s Extortion for a Protection Racket

[kpete]

This Isn’t Health Reform; It’s Extortion for a Protection Racket
By: Scarecrow Tuesday December 15, 2009 8:01 am

Whatever Joe Lieberman’s motives, the reality is that he just performed a moral crime on national television. He’s essentially said that if Democrats want to provide even poor health insurance to 30 million uninsured Americans, the federal government and those citizens will have to pay blood money to an industry protection racket that will have the economic and political power to set the terms of that protection, shield itself from oversight and competition, and raise prices at will.

So you see, this isn’t about Joe getting even with Jane or me or any other “liberals.” This is about organized crime. The victims aren’t “progressives” or other Democrats.

No, the victims are ordinary people, like the thousands, lovingly filmed by Eve Gitteleson, who showed up at the free clinics because they’d lost their jobs or their insurance and hadn’t seen a doctor or dentist in years, and the victims are those who will continue to go bankrupt, struggle to survive, or suffer and die. These are the people that Joe Lieberman is holding hostage and from whom the health industry would extort trillions of dollars in protection money.

This is a terrorist act. There are 15 times more deaths per year being perpetated now, and threatend again by Lieberman’s demands — and those of every Republican from Snowe to McConnell — than were killed on 9/11.

more:
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/18938

[debbierlus]

1. Extortion is the word. Pay up or no health insurance. And, if we are feeling generous

We MIGHT pay for the costs of your health care.

But, then, again. We might not.

[abelenkpe]

2. indeed.

I have a relative who spent his whole life selling insurance. He had a good day when he sold expensive insurance plans regardless of whether or not it was in the best interest of the party seeking insurance. I once asked him how he could feel good about selling someone something they couldn't afford or wasn't really right for them. His response was "buyer beware."

Years later as an adult he wanted to sell me some insurance and to this day is baffled as to why I won't buy from him.

[SOS]

3. This list of Joe's bribers is impressive:

http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_give/S8CT00022

[havocmom]

5. What does Hadassah's bonus look like this year?

[havocmom]

4. That's what it is AT BEST. Otherwise it must be fascism.

Government making people pay corporations. When the government is the collection/bag-man/knee breaker for corporations, one could make the argument that, by Mussolini's definition, we have fascism.

[global1]

6. I Always Wondered What Happened To Organized Crime - It Looks Like They........

went legit - so to speak - and they are running the health insurance companies. Remember the old-time gangster movies - where they went to the local merchants to collect protection money. Well - they are doing it to all of us now - only - we think they are genuine businesses - except they are the same old mafia - with suits.

[unblock]

8. "no sense in being a grifter if it's the same as being a citizen."

[canoeist52]

7. The Mass mandate is basically trying to force my 21 y/o. to buy

her company insurance that she can't afford to use (on part-time wages) because of the 2000 yearly deductible. It's not even catastrophic insurance as it is an 80/20 plan. This is extortion. Force insurance co.'s to remove deductibles and make it !00% covered with low co-pays then we'll talk.

[dgibby]

9. Best definition ever! n/t