Anyway, it is presently in the objective self-interest of many US companies for the country to get a single-payer health plan. But doesn't it seem that even if we get to a point where all US corporations would benefit from it it still would be damn near impossible, what with the durability of the broad right coalition that rules our politics these days? Those folks believe in their ideology so much they're willing to go up against the Fortune 500 on immigration; winning single payer will depend more on ability to overcome the broad right in the electoral arena than convincing GM it'd be cool for the gov to pick up their healthcare bill. Not to say the dems are for single payer, or capable of waging that battle, or even capable of continuing as a serious party for another decade.
But a dull ache in my teeth tells me we need to win it anyway!
On 7/18/06, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
> Horse-and-Buggy Health Coverage
> By ANDY STERN
>
> Today I sent a letter to every CEO in the Fortune 500 asking them to
> make health care their national priority. I urge corporate leaders to
> come forward. Our union members -- your employees -- will work with
> you. The old idea that business and labor can't work together for the
> common good is as outdated as lifetime jobs. The Service Employees
> International Union is the largest health-care union in the country.
> Our membership includes nearly one million nurses, doctors, hospital
> staff, nursing home and home care workers. We know health care. You
> know business. Together, let's build a new 21st-century American
> economy.
This is not class struggle politics, to say the least. And the Old Trotksyist would condemn Stern for class collaboration and for begging the ruling class, instead of mobilizing the working class, etc.
But really! Doesn't such begging make sense? Isn't it in the interest of some the really big corporations to externalize the cost of health care by getting the federal government to take care of it? I think people on this list have written about this.
Jerry -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <../attachments/20060720/c55211c4/attachment.htm>