In the second presidential debate of the 2020 cycle, democratic socialist Bernie Sanders made headlines by noting that he had written the “damn bill” on switching Obamacare to Medicare for all.
Damn Bernie Sanders Has Had It, Goddammit
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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There is also non-violent disruption.
From chanting circles on cross-roads all the way to self immolation.
(Of course, both require getting up from the chair which I’m going to do after one more round of video games…)
I notice the woman in the cartoon has a bottle of pills next to her. I envy her her ability to have prescriptions…
As for Bernie. Yes, he’s being grouchy. And I’m glad. I like grouchy old men. And bitchy women at conference tables pointing out flaws in idiotic project plans. And uppity blacks who point out when shit is racist (and I mean real racist, not “Oh, I don’t see a black left-handed lesbian in a wheelchair in this Benetton ad” racist).
I remember when I was an undergrad, some students in wheelchairs were suing the university because there were buildings that were not wheelchair accessible. As I recall, one of the “serious” responses was that ramps and elevators (in addition to being expensive) would make the buildings look ugly. I like people in wheelchairs who go around telling you to take your “architectural theme congruency” and shove it up your ass because they paid their taxes and can’t get into the goddamned building and that’s changing now.
Bless the beasts and children. And bless everyone who complains legitimately about something unjust or unfair. Whatever race, creed, color, ability, gender basis, etc. Bless every single one of them.
Speaking of the complainers … Ted, I’m still getting one hell of a goofy grin on my face every day or two from thinking about your upcoming victory over the Forces of Evil(TM) known as the Los Angeles Times and their fawning lickspittle goons.
Perhaps you could give us a list of all the players? A personae dramatis for the upcoming nightmare?
“Ted, I’m still getting one hell of a goofy grin on my face every day or two from thinking about your upcoming victory over the Forces of Evil(TM) known as the Los Angeles Times and their fawning lickspittle goons.
Perhaps you could give us a list of all the players? A personae dramatis for the upcoming nightmare?”
I am feel good too. Such a dramatic turnaround! As they might have said in “Idiocracy,” big daddy justice is about to lower his ass on those shitheads.
So, in terms of a personae dramatis, what do you mean? Like, who is Austin Beutner and what did he do in my case? That kind of thing or something else?
Yes. A sort of cut-out-the-chart thing so we can track the mayhem as it,buh, ensues. There’s, what, about eight major actors on this, right? And n.b., my comment isn’t displaying.
Damn Fake news CNN.
Before anyone accuses me of using Trump’s language, be aware that I’ve been calling the news fake for fifty years and counting.
Full speed ahead, Bernie.
And Damn the torpedoes.
Damn it, Bernie! Watch yer fuckin’ mouth!
If only there were more grouches like Mr Sanders – and with his politics – in the United States ! In that case, perhaps we should not be sleepwalking (?) into WW III….
Henri
Sanders was expressing, I presume***, well-justified frustration with the studied idiocies of high-paid, professional asswipes practicing aggressive and arrogant ignorance … which “intellectual” characteristics one MUST exhibit, primarily, to get the assignment as moderator of US presidential debates.
As for candidates, if one maintains a cool, low, steady voice, and pleasing smile, one may advocate daily, cold-blooded mass murder with NO media concern. However, get >0.5 decibel agitated TO SUPPORT MEDICAL CARE FOR ALL (of all hideous proposals!!!) and one is immediately treated as political pariah.††† The utter infantilism of US media/politics is simply breathtaking.
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*** note: I cannot remember the last presidential debate I watched and guarantee that I will not watch another.
††† apparently inspired by the wisdom of one Jacob T. Levy who noted: “ ‘You can’t make Hitler analogies until there are at least six million dead,’ … say people who make Stalin analogies when the top marginal tax rate goes up by 3%.” (as quoted in a “Roaming Charges” segment at Counterpunch)
«However, get >0.5 decibel agitated TO SUPPORT MEDICAL CARE FOR ALL (of all hideous proposals!!!) and one is immediately treated as political pariah.» The really interesting thing, as I see it, falco, is that while previously, advocating a tax-funded single-payer medical care system in the United States would indeed get one marked as a political pariah, it seems to be that under the Sanders influence – or more accurately, influenced by the response his proposal has had among ordinary people in the US, many would-be Democratic presidential nominees are advocating just that. On the other hand, one would not be advised to bet the farm on how strongly they would fight for such a system were they to find themselves in a position to do so….
Henri
Hi Henri,
Certainly US politics is, in significant part, about what the populace reportedly (polls) wants as opposed to what the media continually harangues the populace about what it should want.
I am betting no farm either that the dems win or, if they do, that we’ll end up with anything better than the left-overs of 13-dimensional political grifting:
Clinton/Obumma-ism.
The cliche is that the first official act of all incoming US presidents is to be shown the
the 8mm film of J. Kennedy getting blown away in Dallas. I expect that if Sanders
manages to get the nomination, his Secret Service detail will force him to watch it each and every night of the campaign.
Nader in a podcast suggested that the House version of Medicare for all was better then “the damn bill” of Sanders.
«Nader in a podcast suggested that the House version of Medicare for all was better then “the damn bill” of Sanders.» Alas, falco, foreigner that I am, I’m not up on the details – could you explain in words of one syllable for those of us who lack the privilege of living in MAGA land (or at least provide a link to Mr Nader’s comments, preferably both) what the difference between the two versions ?…
Henri
What the difference between the two versions → what the difference is between the two versions
Henri
Hi Henri:
Re Nader
Certainly, I was hoping you’d ask:
ralphnaderradiohour
with the https in front and dot com at end.
Try the June 1 program for the assessment
of the House/Sanders bills. There is a search function that gave 4 other programs with “Medcare for all.” I’m sure there will be more discussion of the matter before Nov 2020.
I couldn’t recommend the general program more highly and enthusiastically. Every week is an excellent show.
In my US voting career, spanning the better part of five decades, Nader was one of only two candidate that matched the the country’s glowing portrayal of itself. (the other Shirley Chisholm 1972.)
Thanks for the reference, falco, I read the transcript with great interest – I wish 300 or so millions in the US would do the same. Not much on just why the House Bill (HR 1384) is better than that Mr Sanders introduced in the US Senate, but I suspect that any differences could be worked out by a conference committee. My point above was that the fact that bills like the above now seem to have a much greater chance of becoming law than previously can largely be ascribed to Mr Sanders. For that. I submit, to borrow Mr Paine’s words, he «deserves the love and thanks of man and woman»….
Henri