The New Bourbons

The late folk singer Phil Ochs, in his song There But for Fortune, explained that oftentimes the only things that separate the affluent and secure from the impoverished and homeless are happenstances of fate one cannot control. In America the flux of one’s health can quickly move a person from abundance to bankruptcy, and even those who are insured often find their coverage is subject to the whims of their employers or providers.

America is one of the few industrialized nations without universal health care for its people. Yet it’s disturbing to see how easily the demagogy and deceptiveness of the Bourbons have transformed this reality into a badge of honor, instead of a mark of shame.

The passage of time has shown that the Bourbons were rarely on the right side of history. They are not on the right side of history today. But history has also shown that they can do an immense amount of damage, to people and nations, in their lust to thwart progress and positive social change.

Of course the Bourbons could care less about how history remembers them. Their only interest is in opportunistically exploiting the moment, and anything and everything they can gain from it for their own profit and selfish ambitions. Joseph McCarthy exploited the fear of communism. George Wallace exploited racism. Now the Limbaughs, the Hannitys, the Becks, and others of their ilk are creating and exploiting fears about health care reform for the sake of ratings and profit.

And if they win, one American reality will remain unaltered: The health care and health insurance industries will certainly not be in business for your health.

David R. Hoffman
Legal Editor of Pravda.Ru