Rammin' Crammin' Jammin'

I've been listening to the health care summit and its aftermath.

I've always admired the way republicans use language to create powerful and lasting negative images as they go about demonizing whichever group or issue they need to destroy or control. Reagan's use of "welfare queens" convinced Americans that all welfare recipients were unworthy and that the cost of welfare was sinking the country. This distracted the average American from noticing that their wages were stagnant and that corporations were growing much too powerful to sustain a healthy economy and democracy. "Partial birth abortion", "terrorist", "death tax". "Washington bureaucrat" and "government takeover" repeated over and over have scared people witless about healthcare reform. This language control is so masterful that people forget that medicare is an efficiently-run government program. "Nancy Pelosi", "Harry Reid" repeated over and over with a disdainful sneer, as though those 2 people have just driven to your house and shot your dog and taken your lunch.

Speaking of violent acts, I'm intrigued by the repeated use of ram, jam, cram to describe how the health care bills have proceeded over this long, long year. Republicans warn that Democrats are trying to ram, jam and cram government takeover of health care (1/6th of our economy!!).

Tell me something: if you were actually ramming something, wouldn't it take a lot less than a year? And wouldn't you make sure it was the legislation you really wanted, not some watered-down version? And then wouldn't you move on to some other issue, say financial reform, and start rammin' there? That's what I would do if I were Harry or Nancy.

I'd like to keep writing but it's time for the animals to eat. They can tell time. They get right testy if the food doesn't appear in the bowl. Just like welfare queens.

Oh, remember this: Jesus was a socialist.