To the Right of Europe's Fascists: the Republican Party on Health Care

To the Right of Europe's Fascists: the Republican Party on Health Care
by a progressive American patriot at the http://progressiveamericanpatriot.blogspot.com/2007/07/to-right-of-europes-fascists-republican.html">Progressive American Patriot blog

It is often difficult to convey just how far to the right the Republican Party is. With a mainstream media which subscribes to http://progressiveamericanpatriot.blogspot.com/2007/06/cheney-did-not-say-he-is-no-longer.html">two equal sides journalism at best, and http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/7/26/225719/962">fair and balanced journalism at worst, many Americans are not fully aware of the radical right wing nature of the Republican Party. The United States remains the only country in the advanced industrial world without universal health care. As the Democrats rally for universal health care, the Republicans trumpet sound bites on “socialized medicine.” Never mind that universal health care is uncontested throughout the advanced industrial world. Never mind that every great conservative leader of the United Kingdom, France or Germany has supported universal health care in the late 20th and early 21st century. To understand just how perverse the Republican position on health care is, Americans must understand that the Republican Party is to the right of the European fascists on this and many issues.

No, I'm not talking about a Hitler or Mussolini. When you compare your opponents to Hitler you set a very low bar which they can easily meet: not being Hitler. I am talking about Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the National Front which is an extreme right wing French political party. The National Front is considered by most political scientists to be a neo-fascist or fascist political party. Le Pen is the most successful 21st century European fascist, having made it to the second round of the 2002 French presidential elections. Le Pen http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6392149.stm">supports health care for all, except for immigrants of course. Now, I am not asking the Republican Party to get over its hatred of brown people, as they are roughly in line with Le Pen on this issue. I am not asking the Republican Party to move to the left of Europe's most prominent fascist. I am asking the Republican Party why they are to the right of Le Pen on this issue. Why is the Republican Party's position on health care to the right of Europe's most prominent fascist?

This is a question which the Republican Party cannot answer. There is no good reason to be to the right of a fascist, which is why the question is never asked. As every Democrat is berated with questions on “socialized medicine,” I would like to see the Republican candidates for president asked why they are to the right of fascists on this issue and what this says about the Republican Party. If only there was a liberal media in this country which would ask such a question.

Europe is way more liberal than the US.

I hear people say that Europe is more liberal in order to dismiss universal health care. Well, it really depends on the issue. 40% of the French public self proclaim themselves to be racist when polled. It ain't pretty. The point is that the Republican Party, in any other country, would be the fascist party.

but there is more consensus on certain rights and healthcare is one of them.
I agree with you that the Republican Party is fascist and it is true that many Europeans are racists. That said socialist and communist parties have thrived in Europe whereas they are not tolerated in the US. I would also add that there are more corporatists in the Democratic Party in the US than say Labour in England. On the other hand, I think the US is ahead of Europe on matters race.

If you look at what party European heads of state would be in, they would all be Democrats. In general, the party closest to the Democrats wins. In the case of France that is to the right, as the French Socialist Party is way to the left of every other Socialist Democratic Party in Europe. Labour wins in the UK and they are much closer to the Democratic Party than the Tories.

But yeah, they do have a consensus around certain rights and health care is one of them.

On Tories/Labour and Dems, while I think that is true with New Labour since 1995, we'd still have to examine this issue by issue. New Labour would still be to the left of most Dems in terms of education, housing and health care.

I wonder if the Republican avoidance of Health Care is based on a fear of confronting issues of mental health a problem with many Fascist institutions?