General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What the hell is Barack Obama's presidency for? [View all]pragmatic_dem
(410 posts)I voted for Obama because of his early talk about single payer and all options on table. I'm not going to assume he "could" have done anything because he has subsequently shown he is willing to take the most politically convenient path and claim success.
I assure you, most smart non-health related corporations were in favor of health reform. It is a major drain on profits and they would be very happy to offload it. This is especially true in high tech and with small businesses and younger employees. Old conservative dinosaurs just watch fox news and that's all they know.
The point is, the middle class is breaking down. It really, really is. And when that happens, there really is no opportunity for anyone to "work hard" and get ahead - some believe we are already there and I might just agree with that.
Our wage structure has barely moved since mid 1970s. meanwhile executive pay is up 300% or more in adjusted dollars.
It is crushing the economy - sucking dollars from workers and sending them to the offshore accounts of the ultrarich.