I don’t like writing about politics too much. It’s not because I don’t understand what is going on, it’s because I view American politics sorta like Game of Thrones played out in a democratic/capitalistic society. I do vote and I’m a registered Democrat. I roughly follow what happens in government but it’s not apart of my daily life. Despite all this, I do fundamentally understand what is going with this governmental shut down. The question in my mind about all of this crap is, who does the Tea Party hate more, President Obama or poor people?
Let’s just say, for argument sake, that this whole action of shutting down the government due to Republican wanting to defund Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) is not about race. Factor out the fact that conservatives have fought POTUS with every tooth and nail. Factor out that the Affordable Care Act is SAME THING Mitt Romney did in Massachusetts and they all loved it. If it’s not about the race of Obama, then what’s it about? His political views that allowed him to win the popular vote twice? So if it’s not about that, then one could conceivably deduce that this issue is about poor people.
Is Universal Healthcare that bad? One could argue that healthcare is a fundamental right of being American (or a basic human right). Yet we, as a society, seem to be ok with the rising prices of private insurance costs. I suppose that it is fine that the best medical care goes to those to can afford it. Honestly, it sounds a lot like Higher Education but what about those American citizens, who cannot afford insurance? You have some states, like New York, whose minimum wage is not sufficient to keep people about the poverty line and you expect those people to have decent healthcare?
Well according to some Republicans, those people should really do their homework and search the free market to get a fair price (assuming you do not have a pre existing condition). Of course, if you come to the table already having been sick then you’re pretty much screwed (so move to Canada or Cuba). But, hey this is the system that we has worked for many years and the think we should go back to that, which pretty much means they give zero fucks for those who can’t afford it.
So now the government is shutdown and each side is blaming each other when we all know that Obamacare is a LAW that passed both houses and deemed constitutional by The Supreme Court. Why fight this? Millions of people signed up on Day One and the website was down due to massive over use. What does that mean? Could it possibly be that there are more people who need this than previously thought? How is that possible when considering the rate of unemployment?
Having said all that, understand that this shutdown is about the common person. There are people out of work and thus not getting paid because the privileged are having a tantrum. All these politicians, arguing for or against what’s happening, are all getting paid. They do not and cannot feel nor truly understand how it feels to forced to not to work while people debate the validity of a LAW that has already been passed. Sure some can empathize, but at the end of the day, they can pay their bills.
I will fully admit that the luster of Obama’s administration has worn off on me. There things that he has done that I do not agree with when it comes to drones and the almost war with Syria. Despite this, he is still the President and the blatant disrespect of him from the Tea Party show that race play a factor at least on a subconscious level and if you do not believe me simply look up Michelle Bachman’s remark about how she feels that Obamacare is the POTUS’ attempt to drug dealer.
Anthony Otero 