May 12, 2014--Death Panels

Pretty much everything critics have said about the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, has proven to be unsubstantiated.

First they claimed it would take people's freedom away. Is there any evidence of that?

Then they claimed it was unconstitutional--the mandate part. But the Supreme Court ruled otherwise.

After that critics asserted that few would sign up, especially young people. That too proved to be false. After debugging the Obamacare website, nearly 10 million signed up with more than a third of them young people.

So, the attack that it would cost taxpayers billions also turned out to be untrue. More political scatter shot. The healthier young pay for sicker older people. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has repeatedly demonstrated that because of this, Obamacare will not only not cost taxpayers billions but over time will actually save billions. Among other things, because they are insured, fewer people will use much more expensive emergency rooms.

When presented with the fact that nearly 10 million enrolled, Republicans said the numbers supplied by the administration were not to be trusted. But, as we now see, the numbers have held up, in fact, they have continued to creep up as more and more, again, especially young people sign up.

They'll sign up but won't pay for the insurance, we have been hearing. Well, that too turns out to be wrong. Almost 90 percent have already paid their premiums.

Not willing to stop attacking a program that conservatives continue to think is unpopular, they have taken again to saying that it won't work. People will not get good care, premiums will rise, and over time, people will drift away from the program.

In fairness it is too soon to know about this, but it is premature to see Obamacare failing; and, based on Republicans' track record of spin and outright lying, one has no reason to think this current criticism will turn out to be any more valid that all that has preceded it.

What about those death panels that demagogues such as Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann made careers for themselves by lying about? These too never materialized though a large percentage of the professional paranoid class still talk about them and thereby cynically pray on people's fears.

In fact, according to a recent study of the now universal health care program in Massachusetts, the death rate for those younger than 65 has fallen steadily since 2006 when then-governor Romney advocated it and signed it into law. Specifically, the death rate for those below 65 has fallen by more than three percent.

Since Obamacare is modelled on Romneycare we can expect to see similar results in a few years.

Ironically, the only death panels anyone has to fear are those metaphorical ones that are the result of not having universal health care.

In other words, if you do not have heath care insurance you are significantly more likely to die than those who are covered.

No death panels are needed to cause those deaths.

Thus far we haven't heard a word about this from Sarah or Michele.

Instead, it's now Benghazi 24/7.