statism watch

Thanks to the cheerleading of individuals like Michael Moore, the US is well on its way to getting a socialized healthcare system. But it’s not what people think. It’s not even social healthcare in the way that the Canadian and British systems work (or, often fail to). Because this bill was written by the insurance companies. It’s a healthcare industry bailout. As Dennis Kucinich, one of the Democratic congressmen that voted against the bill points out, “It is a $70 billion giveaway to private insurance companies and locks in this system that’s the problem, not the solution.” But it gets worse – Americans will now be forced to purchase private health insurance or face steep fines, $250,000 and up to 5 years in jail. This explains why so many of the lobbyists beating a path to Obama’s door in the first days of his presidency were from the health care industry. See here and here.

Flashback: Obama tries to save health-care overhaul on primetime broadcast | Canadian defends anti-medicare ad | ABC Turns Programming Over To Government to Promote State Healthcare Agenda

Adam Gabbat, The Guardian
November 8, 2009

Vote marks significant step towards administration’s goal of extending health coverage to millions of people lacking it

Barack Obama’s landmark healthcare legislation was narrowly passed by the US House of Representatives late last night.

The vote marks a significant step towards the Obama administration’s goal of extending health coverage to millions of people lacking it.

The House voted 220-215 in favour of the bill, which will impose tougher regulations on the health insurance industry and provide cover for around 36 million more Americans.

In a statement, Obama praised the Representatives and said he was “absolutely confident” that the Senate would pass its version of the legislation. “I look forward to signing it into law by the end of the year,” the US president said.

The focus will now switch to the Senate, which is working on its own healthcare bill. Progress has stalled as the Democratic leader, Harry Reid, searches for a way to win the 60 votes required to ensure the passage of the legislation.

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Why not spend your tourism dollars in Canada this year, instead of propping up the Castro regime? (NB: By this point, much the same might be said of travel to the US, though to be fair they only arrest people for using Twitter there). You may find Ms. Sanchez’s blog here.

Flashback: Murdoch CEO Labels Bloggers “Political Extremists” | Should linking be illegal? | Fredericton police arrest well-known N.B. blogger on legislature grounds | Chinese Learn Limits of Online Freedom as the Filter Tightens | Italian Judge: Blogs are Illegal | Human rights body to consider Internet speech regulation | Blogger arrests hit record high

Rory Carroll, The Guardian
November 6, 2009

Yoani Sánchez says she was abducted, beaten and threatened for criticising Cuba’s communist government

Cuba’s most prominent dissident blogger, Yoani Sánchez, said she was abducted, beaten and threatened by state security agents in Havana.

Three men forced her and another blogger, Orlando Luis Pardo, into an unmarked car, roughed them up and warned they had gone too far in criticising the island’s communist government, she said.

“One man put his knee on my chest and the other, from the seat next to me, was punching me in the face,” according to a blog posted after Friday’s incident in Vedado, near downtown Havana.

The men wore civilian clothes but Sánchez said there was no doubt they were state agents. They warned bystanders not to intervene, shouting: “Stay out of it, these are counter-revolutionaries.”

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