Quote from piezoe:
Indeed, both parties are at fault. I opposed Obama care in its final convoluted form. Had the public option been retained I could have been somewhat more enthusiastic. That was a major cost control feature, but the Republicans killed it.
The campaign against it was based on characterizing the public option, which was designed to be paygo, as socialism, which, even though optional, it would have become if premiums for the poor were subsidized, which they would have been. That is not, however, why the Republicans killed it. They killed it because the insurance industry wanted it killed. As it turned out, we taxpayers will not only subsidize the insurance premiums of the poor, but also the profits of the insurance sector. If it were true that the private sector could do the job more efficiently and at lower cost, then that sector would have had nothing to fear from the public option. Obviously, it scared the bejesus out of them, because they stood to lose profits on the taxpayer subsidy of low wage workers' premiums. What does that tell you about who can do the job more efficiently and at lower cost?
Capitalism, despite its desirable features, stinks when supply and demand are not elastic. Perhaps it is time to acknowledge that and recognize that capitalism is less well suited to some sectors of the economy than others.