Healthcare Public Option is Stalking Horse for Single Payer

Prelude to where I intended to go 60 seconds ago, when I first thought to make this post:

If 9/11 Truthers do not wish to believe the U.S. Government about those attacks, they could choose to believe Osama and Al Qaeda, who have for some time claimed credit.

One more thing: given that Osama and Al Qaeda obviously do wish to attack America, is it really important whether or not they did the deed on 9/11? If they wish to attack America, they are our enemies, and that is enough. Our strategic calculation about how to engage them exists separate from their success in attacking via airplanes and box cutters. Looking at those attacks is looking backward; is violating the oft cited warning about "fighting the last war". We look forward; we assess the future threat independently of what happened on 9/11, as we ought have addressed the threat even if 9/11 had never happened. In a sense, 9/11 only spurred us to do what we ought have been already doing, yet did not have the political will to do.

Anyway, I thought of that top paragraph: "they could choose to believe Osama and Al Qaeda", when I read Tigerhawk:

If you do not believe conservatives who say that the "public option" is a trojan horse for a single-payer health care system, you're always free to believe the liberals. Obviously that's the reason for it. There is no other even theoretical justification that makes sense.

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The public option is both a Trojan Horse and a stalking horse. Stalking Horse definition.

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Addendum:

William A. Jacobson:

Digby found the problem [causing regular Americans to fear Obamacare]. It wasn't what the folks were reading, or hearing, or seeing. No something more mysterious was at work, ear worms:

I don't know where these people are getting this. They aren't political, they don't listen to talk radio or read blogs. This is just what's out in the ether, what people are saying in casual conversation. The ear worm is "we've got a problem, but the Democrats are going to take over health care and make things worse." It's not entirely surprising, but it's depressing nonetheless.

No not "ear worms" as in Helicoverpa zea, but earworms as in something you can't get out of your head, such as "yes we can" or "no tax increases on anyone making under $250,000 a year." Those catchy phrases that just keep popping up no matter what reality says.

Digby may be onto something. Fear of government-run Obamacare is like an earworm. It is something that people cannot get out of their heads because of life experiences. One of the few things people fear more than going to the dentist is going to the motor vehicle department.

Addendum 2: Is something happening out in regular America? Instapundit has video and links: "Crowd EXPLODES when Arlen Specter says "Do it fast".

There's also this, from when U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-TX met the public in Austin:



Addendum 3: neo-neocon tells a personal story of salvation from a debilitating lifetime of pain, courtesy of U.S. healthcare and private health insurance.

My sister in law has a story. She had two rare and difficult to diagnose (and undiagnosed) infections inside her organs and digestive tract. Over a couple of years, she was constantly sick, had no energy, possibly was heading towards early death, and definitely was miserable. She went to doctor after doctor. No one could find the problem. Luckily, she had good health insurance, and was able to doggedly continue her quest to find what was wrong with her. Finally, after approx 2 years of searching, she landed with a disease specialist - a self styled medical Sherlock Holmes - in New Orleans. After extensive (and expensive) testing, he discovered her problems, set her courses of medication, and in only a few weeks she was dramatically strengthened and back to normal. I saw her before and after: the change in her health was dramatic.