thanks, Obama

Today, The Washington Post published an excellent article about the impending repeal of Obamacare.  The author, reporter Max Ehrenfreund, explains in depth why repealing the ACA would hurt the very people who need it most, the working class and poor in this country.  Sadly, a large constituency in rural America - white, poor, and ignorant - voted for a man who promised repeatedly throughout his campaign to repeal the very law that makes health insurance affordable to them.   From the article:

Of course, the republicans are just drooling over the prospect of a full ACA demolition all while promising to replace it with fairy dust and unicorn farts at some point in the very, very, very distant future…like never.   I bet Paul Ryan sprung a rock-solid boner when he realized that his dream of privatizing Social Security and Medicare is now most likely going to come true.  And if he can flush the ACA and Medicaid down the toilet too, well that must just be the biggest jiz-fantasy ever.  I imagine his balls started tingling the morning of November 9 and haven’t stopped since.  Such a great guy that Paul Ryan, so Jesus-y and so concerned about the real Americans, their welfare and future enrichment, all 1% of them.

Many people in this country, even the educated ones, are just flat out stupid as mud when comes to understanding the ACA.  It’s not like they can’t do what I did eons ago – Google “Obamacare Facts” (something every American who planned to vote in this last election should have done before they voted, of course).  Because had they bothered to edumacate themselves, they might have read the facts about the ACA and realized the good it’s doing for millions of Americans.  And, guess what?  Those same stupids could have also Googled “Trumpcare” to find out what our POSIC Elect thinks about healthcare in general – on any given day, of course, since he changes his mind like he does his Depends.  Check out the cheat sheet below: 

Hmmm…well, we don’t know that much about how all the repealing, delaying, and replacing of Obamacare is going to transpire.  In the meantime, the very poorest in this country who now have healthcare will likely lose that healthcare, even die, when they can no longer pay the forthcoming higher premiums (while not being subsidized as they are with the ACA), because there is no cohesive plan in place.  After all, Republicans don’t believe in planning (or, shhhh…helping them poor folks).  That’s what the magical-fairy-farting unicorns are for – the GOP will just parade those little one-horned freak ponies in and let them fart fairy dust until no one remembers why a plan was even needed to begin with!   

Speaking of caring about the poor and higher premiums… if I recall correctly, folks got their butt hair all braided into knots over the idea that Obamacare premiums would be going up next year!  OMGOMGOMG! That was like, “Run really fast in large crowds with two pairs of scissors pointed at eye level!” panic among many Americans, including (now, get this!) those who don’t even need the ACA, aren’t affected by it and, here we go with the stupid all over again, don’t understand one goddamn thing about it.   

Now here’s the real kicker: once the ACA is blown in to itty-bitty splinters and replaced with nothing (ETA 2018/19), the insurance companies, in complete non-regulated glee, are gonna up the premiums for everyone, even those of us who never used/were affected by Obamacare to begin with.  Now, isn’t that special and unique and can you just smell those unicorn farts? - I can.  Plus, when all the healthy, responsible youngsters (i.e. millennials) in this country realize that they are no longer mandated by law to buy health insurance and start dropping out of the health-insured pool – welp!, there those premiums go up even higher for the rest of us.  

But before I get too far into face-palming over the utter stupidity of the stupids in this country and how it’s going to royally fuck the rest of us, let’s be sure to have great feels for the trump supporters who are just now waking up to smell the coffee-scented unicorn farts… 

One interesting article is about Freida and Ramiro, two poor folks in one of the poorest communities in Kentucky who are on Medicaid.  They are now scared to death they are going to lose health care under the incoming administration.   Looks like they are headed for buyer's remorse.  Ironically, Kentucky is a deep red state, one that votes Republican and one that was overwhelmingly in support of Trumpism this past election - and it wasn't due to economics, let's all not be confused on that issue.  Nope, it was all about making 'Merica great all over again...*white*cough*white*.  These patriots sure love their country and, as the article points out, their current health care granted to them through an extension of the ACA too.  But don't ya know - you can't have both!  Seems the “great again” America means a country heading right straight back to a time when poor health and death was pretty much guaranteed for the most vulnerable among us, including stupid white folks.  Poor health, early death, and dog food dinners are coming back.  MAGA!

Then there is another article, one far more tragic, featuring examples of how losing health care insurance could be beyond devastating.  It also illustrates some of the issues with Obamacare, which is nowhere near perfect.  It needs to be fixed, something Hillary Clinton promised to do.  She wanted to fix and modify it. Trump/GOP want to destroy it and replace it.  Americans in the red/swing states, folks who likely need it the most, chose the latter and there simply are no words for their actions.  I almost feel sorry for them, but it’s kind of hard to do that when my heart is already breaking for those who didn’t vote against themselves, their families, senior citizens and the most vulnerable in this country. They, we, I don’t deserve the pile of Trumpism shit we’re about to be spoon-fed. 

Oh, well.  Emails!  Higher Obamacare premiums!  

Thanks, Obama.