Take it to the streets
Americans really don't have much of a tradition of taking to the streets in mass protest. Despite images and events dating back 40 years to the Vietnam War, most Americans are exceedingly reluctant to parade their grievances against government or corporations for all to see. And that's a shame, given that nice First Amendment we have in our Constitution.
What I'd really like to see is a million or more Americans descend on Washington, D.C., to demand that Congress enact single-payer national health care, or at least the Obama plan with the so-called "public option" to compete with the private insurance companies. Polls show overwhelming public support for the Obama plan, yet healthcare reform is in danger of failing because of the millions of dollars the insurance industry is spending every day to defeat the plan. Their allies among the rightwing talk radio hosts put out a daily diet of distortions and lies about national healthcare. We are in grave danger of keeping the awful status quo, or at best status quo plus a few meaningless "reforms" that still leave 40 million Americans uninsured.
Something is needed to break the stranglehold of the lobbyists and talk radio over this critical debate. And that is a massive invasion of angry but polite citizens into our nation's capital to demand that Congress do the right thing--or else. I'd like to see large rallies on the same day in each of the 50 state capitals to drive home the point that America wants healthcare for all at a minimum, reasonable price to individuals and families. Like in France, Canada, and Britain.
While I'm at it, I would also encourage the state employees of Pennsylvania to take their grievances to the streets of Harrisburg. They're about to lose their paychecks indefinitely because the Senate Republicans won't, for purely ideological reasons, agree to a modest, temporary tax hike on individuals and a delay in a scheduled reduction in the state's Capital Stock and Franchise Tax (don't ask) on large businesses much beloved by the Chamber of Commerce types. As a result, the budget stalemate continues.
The Senate Republicans say a recession is no time for a tax hike. Guess what--they say that when times are flush, too. They see the recession as a perfect opportunity to slash the size of government, and too bad if you happened to like your local library or small business development center. That modest tax hike will be paid only by individuals who still have jobs, since unemployment compensation is not taxed in Pennsylvania (were that so at the Federal level--thank you Ronald Reagan).
So state workers--to the barricades! Let them know you are angry at being pawns in this GOP ideological game. You have families to feed and bills to pay. Get going.