Early Retirement Blog

President Obama is due to deliver a speech to a joint session of Congress, on the subject of health care this coming Wednesday September 9th, 2009, where he is expected to abandon the public option.   The number one question I get, when I explain how Green Retirement enables people to retire early by calculating their expenses in retirement is, “What about health care?”

People are rightly concerned, that not only is health care currently very expensive, but the cost of health care is rising at twice the rate of inflation.  How are they going to be able to retire early, and afford to pay for health care, now and in the future?

Fear about health care prevents many people from retiring early, many people feel it’s better to keep working until they are eligible for Medicare at age 65, instead of taking an unknown risk and retiring early.   It is my opinion, that millions of Americans would retire early, if they did not have to worry about health care.

And it’s a shame.   Because not only is early retirement good for people and the planet, the reason I created Green Retirement, but early retirement is also good for the economy.   As a front page New York Times cover story on September 3rd, 2009 explains, one of the reasons for the nation’s high unemployment, is that many people are delaying their retirements.   If individuals did not have to worry about health care, if the United States had affordable health care, many people would retire and unemployment would decline.

What the United States needs, is cradle to grave national health care, not the convoluted and expensive system that Americans currently do not enjoy.   Our current health care system does nothing but enrich corporations, at the expense of the people, while delivering poor quality.

And that is why President Obama’s planned abandonment of the public option, the second best way that health care costs can be contained, is an abomination or an Obamanation if you prefer.   No matter how he frames his change of policy, President Obama’s apparent sell-out of the American people on behalf of corporations, reveals the cynicism behind his campaign slogan of “Change We Can Believe In.”

I could be wrong.  President Obama’s apparent equivocation on the public option, may be as some true believing liberal Obamabots suggest, nothing more than a cynical attempt to rally his progressive base to come out in support of the public option.

Obama is playing 3-D Chess while the rest of us mortals are playing checkers.   He is playing everyone for fools and will surprise everyone by getting the public option in the final health care bill.    Even though I have defended President Obama on this blog, from the town hall crazies and the birther lunatics, I do not believe that hope is well founded.

Time after time, since he has been elected, President Obama has shown that in the end, corporate interests outweigh the public interest.  What has become increasingly obvious to me, is that President Obama is more than willing to betray the long-term interests of the American people, in favor of the short-term interests of American corporations.

So, if you hear President Obama mention in his speech before Congress, that there will be a “trigger” in his health reform package, that insures that private health insurance companies will protect the interests of the American people, my suggestion to you, is that you pull the trigger and retire today.  Without a public option in the health reform bill, Americans will be forced (mandated) into purchasing expensive corporate health care, and the cost of subsidizing uninsured Americans will be payed by reducing Medicare benefits.

Without a public option, the U.S. Government will not be able to contain the rising cost of health care, will not be able to continue an entitlement promised to American workers, will not be able to continue Medicare.   Tens of millions of American workers, who payed into the Medicare system, will be faced with increased costs and reduced benefits.

In order to pay for the massive transfer of wealth, from working Americans to corporations and the wealthy elite, both Republican and Democratic presidents over the last 40 years, have attempted to loot the entitlements owed to working Americans.   Raising the retirement age, trying to privatize Social Security, capping Medicare benefits.

Obama’s retirement plan, announced over labor day weekend, where American workers will be automatically enrolled in their lousy 401k plans unless they object, is only the latest attempt by an American president to benefit the Wall Street financial services industry.

President Obama may or not be a corporate tool, we will learn more about his agenda, when he gives his much anticipated health care speech before Congress.   However the question you must ask yourself, whether you support Obama or not, is are you going to remain a corporate fool?

For even if President Obama proclaims publicly that he supports a public option, and later signs a health reform bill that leaves the American people with less than they had before, will you still find excuses for why our country is better for allowing corporations to decide your life,death, and heatlh?

The fact is that a   majority of Americans voted for Democrats to control Congress, a majority of American voted for Obama to become president, and a majority of Americans voted for real health care reform.

I do not accept, and neither should you, that a handful of UFO enthusiasts and Big Foot believers, organized by the health insurance industry and right wing radio, and constantly promoted by corporate media as reflecting the views of the American people, is the reason why the public option should be abandoned.

I do not accept, and neither should you, that a handful of Democratic Senators, who once supported the public option, but who now oppose it, and who could easily be easily brought into line by the Obama administration with the threat of primary challengers, is the reason that the public option should be abandoned.

And, to the argument that the nation during a time of economic crisis can not afford health care reform, as I have written before, President Obama’s health care reform package can easily be payed for, by simply getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Americans, liberal, indepentent, and conservative, are abandoning President Obama as fast as he is abandoning the public option.   On Wednesday September 9th, 2009, we shall find out, if the American people should abandon President Obama.

Obama Health Care Speech Analysis:

To paraphrase Obama’s speech before Congress: “Even though I supported single payer, and all you progressives who got me elected want single payer, sorry but our country is not yet ready to join the civilized world.   Instead, I strongly support a public option, the majority of the American people strongly support a public option, dead Ted Kennedy strongly supports the public option.

Unless of course, you Republicans who are yelling out that I am a liar, waving talking points in the air, and twittering your tea-bagging buddies, while I give this speech have a better idea.  I’m willing to listen, and willing to compromise, to get a health care bill passed.”

Obama abandoned his base, and blew kisses to the Republicans, in an effort to achieve his first domestic policy victory.   Believing that any bill, is better than no bill, Obama signaled that he is willing to compromise with congressional corporate whores.   Oratorically it was a fine speech, with some great lines, that lacked a spine.

Once again, in his speech Obama extended a hand of friendship to the Rebublicans, and as usual received a slap in the face.   It will be interesting to see how he responds to this latest and most outrageous act of public humiliation.   Will he turn the other cheek?   As has been his practice since becoming president.   Or, will he return to his base, draw a line in the sand on the public option, and counterpunch his corporate controlled congressional critics?

We will have to wait and see, because Obama’s speech before Congress, did not provide the answer.   It was weak, wobbly, and wishy-washy.   The question still remains, as Keith Olbermann correctly asks, does President Obama represent corporations or the American people?