reflectivepundit

Republicans, Democrats, and Self-Interest: Threat to Meaningful Health Care Reform

By Brigitte L. Nacos
Nobody should be surprised that Republicans inside and outside of Congress attack a meaningful health care reform along the lines of President Barack Obama’s central promise during last year’s campaign. That is at the heart of their ideology. Just listen to conservative talk show hosts and their nonsense about the advent of socialism or communism right here—starting with “ObamaCare.” Or take a look at the Wall Street Journal’s editorials, op-ed articles and letters-to-the-editor and you get an idea about the scare tactics and bogus arguments made by the defenders of the status quo.

Complaining about the House bill that would use a surtax on high income individuals and couples to help finance the health care reform package, the writer of one letter in today’s Wall Street Journal warns, “Raising taxes on those who are most likely to invest and create jobs will reduce trend-line U.S. growth and increase unemployment.” Who in heaven would believe that a modest tax hike would impede Americans with high incomes “to invest and create jobs” as the writer suggests?

Another letter writer states, “I am dumbfounded that the representatives of a nation whose economic fortunes—more than that, whose fundamental culture and identity—are entwined with the spirit of entrepreneurship can contemplate so carelessly wrecking the structure of incentives which have served us so well and for so long.” To be sure, the existing structure has served the upper strata very well for a long time. But that is not true case for the vast majority of hard-working men and women with modest incomes.

Ironically, the self-serving conservative propaganda seems to weaken public support for health care reform. Repeat the “s” word for socialized medicine often enough or tell horror stories of alleged failures in Canada’s public health system again and again-- and even the neediest among us get scared enough to oppose change that would benefit them most. You never hear about the success stories in countries with mandatory and comprehensive health insurance. Germany and its health care system as part of the country’s “capitalism with a human face” is a good example.  

Golf, U.S. Women’s Open, and Gender Bias in Sports Reporting

By Brigitte L. Nacos
Today, the fourth and last round of the United States Golf Association’s (USGA) U.S. Women’s Open, the most important event of the year for professional female golfers, is being played at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. But contrary to the complete coverage of the recent U.S. [Men’s] Open Championship at Bethpage, New York, there has been very little media attention to this year’s championship and major ladies’ events in the past. Indeed, whereas literally all major and non-major tournaments of the Professional Golf Association’s (PGA) tour and Senior PGA tour tend to be covered generously, those of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) receive little or no attention at all.

To be sure, this is nothing new. Yet, I found it particularly disconcerting that today’s New York Times “SportsSunday” Section displayed a large, four-column report and picture about next week’s [men’s] British Open site at Turnberry, Scotland, which was continued on an inside page. Taken together with a column by Dave Anderson on the duel between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus at the 1977 British Open, the Times managed to devote more space to the up-coming men’s major tournament than to the current U.S. Women’s Open.

Yes, the women’s tour does not have stars like Tiger Woods or Phil Michelson, but one reason may well be that the sports media tried too hard to promote Michelle Wie as the female Tiger Woods and more or less ignored the accomplished young players.