John Oliver Destroyed Every Argument against Medicare for All

The current system, as Oliver put it, is a “shit sandwich”, while “Medicare for all who want it” is “still a shit sandwich, only with avocado on it because the same shit still remains.”.... John Oliver

While this John Oliver video is great we still need a direct attack on the union arguments we see coming out of the UFT and the culinary workers in Nevada about "losing" their wonderful plans which were negotiated with employers which took a chunk out of our salaries in exchange.

And one of the sidelights - or lowlights - of the union attack on Bernie  was claiming they would lose their current plan while in presenting the more favorable - to them - Warren plan as "replacing" it. Subtle but not so subtle. I've seen Randi or her surrogates do attacks on Bernie (less preferable to them than Bloomberg - or Trump.

(Randi trashed Bernie supporters for their attacks -- I must recall some of the vicious Unity crap when we ran against Randi - like the 2007 red-baiting attack on Kit Wainer for being  - horrors - a socialist.)

You know what? I bet there is some level of benefit to the unions from private insurance plans - look at our own welfare fund administered by the UFT - and how much control that give the leadership. Do you think there's some patronage that would go away under Bernie's plan?

Imagine our unions using the fave argument of the charter industry which is attacking teachers, public schools and our unions - CHOICE.

As John Oliver says -- the American health care system gives you so many choices - on how to get fucked.

The point purposely left out with plans to give people a choice is that it maintains the massive health care private bureaucracy at enormous cost. Thus funding the private and public option is so enormous there is little chance for it to succeed - which is exactly the point of their attacks on single payer -- a hell of a lot of people no longer get to profit -- and I'm thinking that includes some very big institutionalized unions.

Don't forget how in recent contract negotiations we have to help the city save lots of money in our health plans - and there has been some erosion. So wow - what a hit that we no longer have to negotiate on health but ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT - SAY - REDUCING CLASS SIZE?

UPDATE: 

Under Assault: teaching in NYC

American healthcare — so many ways you can choose to get fucked - I was wondering when John Oliver would get around to explaining Medicare for All, and here he is

https://youtu.be/7Z2XRg3dy9k

Here is the Daily Kos report:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/2/16/1919769/-John-Oliver-DESTROYED-every-argument-against-M4A-tonight?detail=emaildkre

Darth Stateworker

I just finished watching Last Week Tonight, and in my opinion, tonight's main story about M4A should be required viewing for anyone on the subject.

Oliver, in his usual brilliant style, systematically destroyed every argument against M4A:

• Nobody knows what it will actually cost.  Anyone saying otherwise is full of shit.
• Most cost estimates come in at or below our nations current public and private sector combined health care spending, and even if it doesn’t end up that way, it’s worth it.
• The idea of “choice” is an illusion.  Most people have one choice:  Whatever their employer offers them.
• People often have no choice at all in emergencies but to go out-of-network — often even when they’ve gone out of their way to try to stay in network.
• Under M4A, every provider is in network.
• The “wait time” argument about other nations with nationalized healthcare that is currently a favorite of those opposed to M4A is basically bogus and based on non-emergency or elective procedures.
• People wait ridiculous amounts of time *now* because they simply cannot afford the co-pays and deductibles needed to be met to get said procedures.
• A system where people have to choose between one life saving medication or another due to cost is inherently unjust.
• Yes, people in the health care bureaucracy will need new jobs, but that can be handled and is part of the plans offered by both Sanders and Warren.
• The current system, as Oliver put it, is a “shit sandwich”, while “Medicare for all who want it” is “still a shit sandwich, only with avocado on it because the same shit still remains.”

And finally, the most succinct point:

• If you’re arguing against M4A, you’re arguing for all of the flaws and unfairness inherent in our current system and you need to own that.