Health Care Is All About Race (and Profits)
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A couple of years ago, my very right-wing stepfather was giving me a ride from the airport, and he told me something I would have never thought he'd outright admit: He'd watched a documentary on TV that referenced a study that showed the inverse relationship between ethnic diversity and social welfare programs. "It seems," he mused, "that those little European nations with high taxes where everyone's on the dole are that way because everyone looks the same."
I didn't know how to respond, since I thought he was smart enough to see that this has personal implications—that he and everyone he knows that are opposed to social welfare spending might be, you know ... racist. But I left that can of worms laying there unopened. I was glad he told me, since it really informed my view of the way the health care debate unfolded. I've been saying since at least the late spring that the right wing would completely lose it if a black president pushed through legislation that is, in their eyes, an attempt to funnel white people's money to racial minorities. A few months ago, this theory tended to be treated like the ravings of a left-wing extremist. But now, you're actually seeing mainstream left publications and even mainstream news stations like CNN outright admit it. The Republican response to health care reform is about tapping racist anger, anger that's usually based in ignorance, too. As Michael Lind documents, it seems that the right wing actually believes America has something like a dole, and that illegal immigrants can get on it.
Then again, the racist tone of the backlash is hard to deny when the 9/12 protesters had signs that said "Robbin' for the Hood" and "Señor Citizens Get Free Health Care/Senior Citizens Can Drop Dead."
Of course, the blatant race-baiting is coming from the Republican side of the aisle. The Democrats are using that level of nuttiness to smuggle in the idea that Americans should consider maintaining corporate profits for insurance companies a higher priority than our own health and well-being. If I die of some treatable but expensive disease, I suppose I should comfort myself by knowing that my death means that the returns for some very happy stockholders will be that much fatter this year. Perhaps that sort of comfort could be the 21st century version of the last rites?
Comments
Opposing socialism makes me a
By: HelenG | Wed, 09/16/2009 - 11:12
Opposing socialism makes me a racist? That is the most insulting thing I think I have ever read on this blog. This is why women like me, who believe strongly in women being treated as equals in society and the workplace, but resent government control in our lives in ALL arenas (not just reproductive health), are loathe to call ourselves feminists. We don't want to accept your package deal. Or be called racists or anti-woman when we don't agree with your socialist agenda.
I don't know
By: Amanda Marcotte | Tue, 09/15/2009 - 13:02
America has a lot of cultural sameness but racial diversity. Most Americans eat the same food, celebrate the same holidays, observe the same religion, go to the same schools, speak the same language, etc. I'm afraid I have to say that it still seems like race to me.
Step-father was only half-right
By: fsilber | Tue, 09/15/2009 - 12:35
It's true that the democratic socialist countries had low diversity when they created those programs, and probably would not have the mandate to create them were they then as diverse as they are today. But the key is not racial diversity so much as cultural diversity.
When everyone is of the same culture, you can set a target economic base that is both high enough to give the currently prosperous citizens a feeling of security, but yet not so high as to motivate a significant fraction of the population to quit work, put their feed up, and say, "Take care of me."
When a society essentially combines culturally 1st World and 3rd World populations, this balance cannot be found. For example, I am a computer programmer worried about lay-offs, but my state's unemployment insurance, limited as it is to $15,000 per year of income, gives me no feeling of security whatsoever. Receiving $7,500 during six months of unemployment instead of $50,000 would be almost as big a personal economic disaster as receiving nothing at all. So how much loyalty can you expect me to have for this unemployment insurance program?
On the other hand, my city contains thousands of people for whom $20,000 a year would be a step up. If you provide a social safety net that is meaningful to people like me, all of these people will have no motivation to work whatsoever.
In a country where most everyone is like me, we could provide an unemployment benefit of $50,000 per year, few would abuse it, and everyone would feel safer. But that's just not where we live.
healthcare all about race
By: poopoo5 | Tue, 09/15/2009 - 10:33
Hello,
It seems when discussing healthcare and race, whites takes one of two positions(generally. 1. It's not about race or 2.You guys are always playing the race card.
I beg to differ. It remains unclear to me how any white person can accurately define racism for me/us. After hundreds of years of victimization by racist people, ideas, ideologies and social structure, laws, you name it. I assure you, the average black person is an expert at feeling racism, spotting racism and knowing racism. Until white people are victims of unbridled laws and subject to economic instability without even considering who's doing it, or even have to worry about anyone being brought to justice for it, they have no idea what racism is. What the heck is reverse racsim? True racsim has NO direction. Forward or Backward. It's mindless hatred and unquestioned power over someone else! I do not fear being called racist, indeed in some cases welcome it. It seems since President Obama's election many whites expect me to hold hands and sing cum ba yah, quess what, you had four hundred years of racism, if I chose to expect my four hundred, so be it!
Oh, it's so very true!
By: Bunnyhop234 | Tue, 09/15/2009 - 09:58
You hit the nail on the head. Many people in this society have a huge problem with the idea that their taxes could possibly be allowing some young black woman with ten babies to sit around all day, and they can't get this image out of their minds!
It is simply easier in a less diverse society to help others because you can empathize with their situation more.
The ironic thing is, the poor black welfare moms are already getting healthcare and that will not change. Don't believe me? Go to a city of Chicago emergency room and check it out. It's the people who are working hard at jobs making $15k to $25k a year with no benefits that are really getting screwed.