Senate Democrats profess outrage over the closed-door nature of the Republicans’ deliberations. They staged a talk-a-thon on the Senate floor Monday night, stalling chamber proceedings through a series of parliamentary maneuvers. A few senators live-streamed their “search” for the elusive legislation, driving around the capital. All of these stunts amount to so much hot air. The Democrats are incapable of mounting a true opposition to the Republicans’ vicious assault on the health care of ordinary Americans because they share their class objectives.
Numerous media commentaries have pointed to the Democrats’ “powerless” position to oppose the Republicans’ plan, due to the Republicans’ 52-48 Senate majority. This is only valid in terms of parliamentary arithmetic: the vast majority of the American people oppose the House bill and will oppose the Senate bill once they learn its provisions. But the Democratic Party is unwilling and unable to mobilize this popular opposition.
Every Senate Democrat, including so-called independent and self-professed “democratic socialist” Bernie Sanders, portrays Obamacare as a progressive social reform, or at least a “step in the right direction,” concealing the reactionary and anti-working-class character of the Affordable Care Act.
Obamacare was aimed from the start at cutting costs for the government and corporations while rationing health care for the vast majority. In that sense, the Republicans have invented nothing new. Whatever version of “Trumpcare” eventually passes the Senate will only take the tendencies already present in Obamacare and make them worse: imposing more and more of the cost of health care on individual workers and their families.
The logic of this process, under both Democrats and Republicans, is the development of an openly two-class health care system: the best health care money can buy for the super-rich and a privileged upper-middle-class layer; and for the vast majority of the population, a cut-rate system, starved for funds and personnel, offering inadequate and overpriced care, if any at all.
Scams like ObamaCare are not an answer.
What we need is what we have always needed, what FDR knew we needed: Medicare for all.
It will happen.
We will get it.
I may be in a nursing home by the time it arrives, but we will get it.
Why?
Because this is an idea that has reached critical mass.
This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for Friday:
Friday, June 23, 2017. Chaos and violence continue, a judge weighs in
on Iraqi Christian refugees in the US, The Mosul Slog continues and much
more.
Starting with the topic of refugees . . .
Starting with the topic of refugees . . .
From Syria to Libya to Iraq and beyond, millions of refugees wouldn't have fled if the US, the UK and co. didn't destabilize their homelands
They didn't create themselves.
Before the start of this decade, the Iraq War had already created the largest refugee crisis in the Middle East since 1948.
And that's only continued through this day.
Some of the displaced stay in other parts of Iraq.
Some leave for other countries.
Those who turn to other countries arrive hoping they've found a place where they can create a home.
For a number of Iraqi Christians, the US may not be that place as they've been informed that they are being deported.
Some hope emerged yesterday.
BREAKING: Detroit judge temporarily halts deportation of more than 100 Iraqi Christians who fear torture if sent back.
A Detroit judge has temporarily halted deportation of 100+ Iraqi Christians who fear persecution if returned. ICYMI:
AJ+
US judge halts deportation of more than 100 Iraqi Christians
Federal judge temporarily blocks Iraqi Christians’ deportation world.wng.org/content/federa… @onize_ohiks
Meanwhile, it's day 247 of The Mosul Slog.
Mosul to be liberated in a few days as [the Islamic State] on the verge of defeat says Iraqi PM trtworld.com/mea/mosul-to-b…
Of course, prime minister Hayder al-Abadi has been making the "within days" claim for 247 days, over eight months.
247 days.
And the operation only kicked off after Mosul had been occupied by the Islamic State for over two years.
The Islamic State seized control in June of 2014.
The liberation has resulted in increasing the refugee population and civilians being targeted.
Iraq's late for provincial elections. They were supposed to be held in April.
National elections are to be held next year -- or supposed to be.
Protests are taking place over the Independent High Electoral Commission.
Which is a good thing.
It's impacted each election negatively.
And usually the complaints are on hold until after the election is days away.
What's happening? ماذا حدث؟
It is a protest to the Iraqi people demanding the dismissal of the Electoral Commission because it is corrupt
These protests could make a difference.
Meanwhile, the violence continues.
XINHUA reports, "Six civilians were killed and 11 wounded on Friday when four suicide bombers attacked the town of al-Baghdadi in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial police source told Xinhua." AFP notes that the death toll has now increased to nine.
The following community sites updated:
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