bill passes Senate

The Senate passes health care bill.

Except that, having removed the public option to appease conservative Democrats, it is now just a regulatory/oversight thing - a police action.

And as various examples in society demonstrate --- the economic mess on Wall Street and main street, the mess on the fronts of two foreign wars --- our government does a piss-poor job of policing and regulating.

It is essentially rewarding the insurance industry for a badly done job by forcing millions of additional Americans to purchase coverage from those same "health care providers" who have showed a knack for murder and financial profit.

A public option would have helped to keep insurance companies in check by allowing market forces to have a balancing effect. If a public plan can run with about 10% or less administrative costs, private insurance would have to stop ripping off consumers and compete on a value basis.

Not unlike TARP, another victory of Socialism for the rich.

A more in depth rundowm here.