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OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 3/22/10

Passed Health Reform Really Is "What Change Looks Like"

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In America's two party system, Americans now know the minority party or the party directly opposed to the president will do everything it can to stop the reform from passing, not because reform isn't needed but because reform means the party that holds power will increase their power in the coming elections.

Opposition will dominate the conversation and debate. A media echo chamber will spread opposition talking points and pundits will reinforce this opposition through months of cable news programming.

Angry populist groups will rise up in the beginning of the process. Jostling for attention, they will find some way to make a mark and rise up as a key player in the political process.

The groups could potentially look at a wide array of beverages and research history for beverages that might have some link to the history of patriotism and revolution in America. The group might even take an urban dictionary reference like "teabagging" and appropriate the term as something to describe their attempt to kill the reform.

The party pushing for reform will note the fears of the opposition and cater to those fears even if they do not publicly believe the fears to be valid. The legislation will gel and be molded into a shape that the party pushing for reform hopes will decrease the amount of noise being created against the change. But, this will not win any support from the opposition.

Corporate media will promote opposition to maintain so-called objectivity, but only certain opposition. Nuanced opposition--the groups that promote going further than the current reform or taking a fundamentally different approach--will be written off.

Such nuanced opposition will look at past civil rights movements and stage sit-ins or other forms of nonviolent direct action to gain some press and attention for their cause. They will hold rallies just like those who oppose the reform do, but these actions will not receive much attention from the media. Suggesting one is in favor of the change but opposed to the framework for the debate and the bill being voted on will earn virtually no attention.

Corporations and special interest groups will get out in front of attempts to reform making sure they are taken care of first and foremost. At the expense of the people, they will receive pledges and gifts, offer provisions or sections to be included in the bill, and dine with and lobby those in the White House and on Capitol Hill to ensure that any reform considers their well-being first and foremost and ensures they play a role in the policy change.

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Kevin Gosztola is managing editor of Shadowproof Press. He also produces and co-hosts the weekly podcast, "Unauthorized Disclosure." He was an editor for OpEdNews.com
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