All Bark, No Bite

Here’s a scene of self-styled “patriots” trying to shout down Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), a supporter of health care reform, outside a grocery store.

It makes my wonkish heart go pitter-patter to see people get all excited about public plans and health insurance exchanges. But the crowd’s overwrought pitchforks-and-torches vibe negates my enthusiasm. Most of these people probably couldn’t articulate exactly why they oppose health care reform so vehemently, except to string together a few disjointed sentences that rely heavily on the words “socialism”, “France”, and “freedom”. But progressives can’t afford to dismiss these theatrics out of hand. Unruly mobs make for good television and the media are lazy enough to show videos like the one above and proclaim that Americans are strongly opposed to health care reform.

Instead, we need to call these people for what they are: unwitting lackeys of corporations and conservative ideologues who prefer the dysfunctional status quo to any alternative. But even that’s not enough. We need to keep reminding people that, under the current system, a job loss means loss of insurance. We need to remind people that, under the current system, individual policies can be rescinded, And under the current system, insurers can charge exorbitant premiums and co-pays.

Most importantly, these protesters and their masters have no serious ideas of their own to address these problems. Whatever bill gets passed will by no means be perfect. Reform is an iterative process that requires time and a healthy measure of patience. We are a nation of tinkerers and risk-takers, which makes the empty, fearful slogans and authoritarian tactics of these protesters seem all the more foreign and sadly desperate.