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Noted with Interest, January 2010

Jan 28, 2010

A Radical Treasure
by Bob Herbert. The best eulogy I have found for Howard Zinn. From the New York Times, Jan 29, 2010. Accessed Jan 30, 2010.

Democracy in America is a Useful Fiction
by Chris Hedges. The war is over, and we lost. From Truthdig.com, Jan 24, 2010. Accessed Jan 27, 2010.

After the Massachusetts Massacre
by Frank Rich. Another excellent take on where we go after Massachusetts. From the New York Times, Jan 23, 2010. Accessed Jan 26, 2010.

Highlighted Reader Comments on the Supreme Court Corporate Campaign Funding Story
Some memorable comments from the people. From the New York Times, Jan 21, 2010. Accessed Jan 24, 2010.

Swept off our feet
by Brian McGrory. Another brilliant post-mortem on Massachusetts. From Boston.com, Jan 20, 2010. Accessed Jan 21, 2010.

Obama Finally Gets His Victory for Bipartisanship
by Drew Weston. One man’s cogent post-mortem on the Massachusetts Senate election. From The Huffington Post, Jan 20, 2010. Accessed Jan 20, 2010.

Greg Mortenson Interviewed by Bill Moyers
if you haven’t read the books or know the man, this is a great introduction. From Bill Moyers Journal, Jan 15, 2010. Accessed Jan 17, 2010.

Wall Street Will Be Back for More
By Chris Hedges. And more and more and more. From Truthdig.com, Jan 10, 2010. Accessed Jan 16, 2010.

A Farm for The Future
Is there a farm in your future? From Natural World via Google Videos, undated. Accessed Jan 16, 2010.

Reducing America’s Economic Polarization Will Lead to Political Comity
By Robert Creamer. Not to mention leading to a measure of social justice we have almost entirely abandoned since the Reagan Revolution. From the Huffington Post, Jan 4, 2010. Accessed Jan 4, 2010.

“Food Rules”: A Completely Different Way to Fix the Health Care Crisis
By Michael Pollan. If we are going to finally get going on fixing the health care crisis, let’s start at the start—fixing the dreadful way we eat! From the Huffington Post, Jan 4, 2010. Accessed Jan 4, 2010.

Beware the Progressive Democrat
By Helen Redmond. As the final health care vote approaches, eloquent voices for progressive change, such as Redmond’s and Hamsher’s below, are raised in a howl of protest.From . Accessed , 2010.

Criticising the President on Health Care is “Naderite” and “Hurts the Progressive Agenda”
By Jane Hamsher. Big Tent, indeed. From Firedoglake, Dec 28, 2009. Accessed Jan 1, 2010.

A Most Meaningful Gift Idea
By Nicholas Kristof. Get involved! If you can’t give your time or your voice to change which must come in 2010, give a few of your dollars. Nicholas Kristof provides links to several successful nonprofits who are improving the lot of the poor around the world. From the New York Times, Dec 23, 2009. Accessed Jan 1, 2010.

Democracy Now: 2009 in Review
You may have to find your way to the Jan 1, 2010, show. Accessed Jan 1, 2010.

2009: The Things I Want to Forget (Part II)
By Arianna Huffington. We must not forget. From the Huffington Post, Dec 31, 2009. Accessed Jan 1, 2010.

2009: The Things I Want to Forget
By Arianna Huffington. From the Huffington Post, Dec 28, 2009. Accessed Jan 1, 2010.

tags: Noted with Interest

The Coming Constitutional Crisis

Jan 02, 2010
Vermont is at it again.

Hard on the heels of becoming the first state to enact a statute allowing homosexual unions, we are now mounting a credible campaign to bring single-payer, government-administered health care to all our citizens. Bills have been introduced in both houses of the legislature (H.100 in the House1 and S.88 in the Senate2). With coordination from the Vermont Workers’ Center (VWC)3, the grassroots are gathering to demand passage of the bill (the House and Senate versions are essentially the same, unlike the games-playing variations between versions in D.C.).

Should Vermont pull off this cheeky maneuver, and the feds pass a health care proposal requiring every citizen to purchase, either directly or through their employer, health care coverage from private insurers in perpetuity, we can anticipate a Constitutional crisis of dramatic proportions. The graybeards of the Supreme Court will find their strict constructionist, states-rights positions sorely tried as they are called upon to prop up the corporate hegemony which Vermont’s action will have threatened.

The feds, of course, will believe themselves to have any number of prerogatives available to them for purposes of slapping down the upstarts; however, I would not sell Vermonters short in their readiness to dig in their heels. We have not sacrified disproportionately high numbers of our men and women to our nation’s conflicts because we’re pussies4,5. And the last time the nation fumbled the Vermont ball, in 1777, we declared our independence for 14 years6. Those who forget history may be condemned to see it repeated.

On January 6, VWC and supporters of the legislation will meet at noon at the Statehouse in Montpelier to present thousands of postcards in support of single-payer health care to legislators on the opening day of the new session. There is still time to sign these postcards online7. Then, on January 12, from 6-8pm, hearings on H.100 and S.88 will begin.

Should the legislation pass, the two houses have veto-proof majorities which have already overridden two vetoes (unprecedented!) by our lame-duck Republican governor. Can you say “hat trick“?

What fun! Happy New Year.
____________________
1 H.100: An Act Relating to Health Care Financing and Unviersal Access to Health Care in Vermont
2 S.88: An Act Relating to Health Care Financing and Universal Access to Health Care in Vermont
3 Vermont Workers’ Center
4 Effects of the World Wars on Vermont
5 CARSEY STUDY: War Death Rate Higher Among Soldiers from Rural Areas
6 Vermont (Wikipedia)
7 Healthcare Is A Human Right Postcard
tags: Health | Governance

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