The More Things Change

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Withholding information (in this case photos) from the American people, ramping up an already failed war (in this case Afghanistan), re-instituting military tribunals (this time with more rights granted, we are assured), and a continued bailout (this time with strings), is starting to make me wonder why Obama is trying to be Bush-Lite on some of the more pressing issues confronting us.

Seeking voluntary assurances from insurance and pharmaceutical companies to hold down health care costs, advocating that we move on from the torture debate, and seemingly forgetting the green agenda (say it together: infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure) seems part of a plan to appear moderate and bring everyone together.

Is Obama starting to lose touch inside the bubble? Has he been conned that being a consensus builder means watering everything down and avoiding all controversial stands?

Many people on the left, myself included, championed Obama. Not because we thought that he was going to do everything we wanted (realistically, the left was just happy that someone even slightly liberal might get elected) but we at least expected him to be a change from Bush.

Look at the issue of health care to see how little change there actually may be. Single payer, forget socialized medicine, is already off the table. Why? So the rich bastards who have screwed us over can continue to get rich. They want to make concessions so that the system will continue as is. Get serious. The only way to really control costs is socialized medicine. Put the doctors on salary and take over the whole system. Only insurance companies and those brainwashed by their propaganda believe that the private system works.

We on the left are realistic. We know that socialized medicine is not going to happen. But why should we settle that single payer is off the table? How about worrying about the people of the nation instead of the rich and the corporations? You see, we are being reasonable and trying to accept compromise. Obama himself is an example of that. But if we're only going to be ignored the left has nothing to gain from siding with the Democrats.

Having said all of the above, Obama is a million miles ahead of Bush on most issues. However, he needs to remember that watering everything down until its all the same is not what those who elected him want or expect. Maybe Obama is the most astute politician of all time and his actions are all part of a larger, slower change agenda. But its starting to seem that the more things change, ... .