Weekly Microscopic Report #79: The Obama Healthcare Plan

What does the report suggest?

The new health-care proposal intends to make health insurance mandatory for all American citizens. Furthermore the bill proposes to overhaul the whole healthcare system to reduce its cost, increase and standardize its quality and increase its effectiveness.
When was it proposed?
June 2009
What is the status of the report now?
The report is currently being debated and modified in the congress.
What is the critique of the report?
The opposition to the health care plan claim that the new system will unjustifiably increase the role of the government or the state in the health care of individuals. It will also restrict individual freedom related to which insurance and doctor they can choose. Furthermore, it imposes fines and restrictions if the insurance plan doesn’t fulfill the requirements of the new system.
What is the controversy about?
The controversy regarding the new health care plan involves claims that the free market system guarantees freedom and quality, which will be threatened when the state comes in and removes the free-market. Opponents do not like the standardized and similar health care packages that will be imposed on most people under this new law.
Who are the main players in the controversy?
Sarah Palin recently called the health care plan ‘evil’. She said that she believed that Obama’s health care plan is evil because there will be government bureaucrats deciding who will get what sort of treatment, while the individuals will lose the freedoms that they cherish so much. "The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care," the former Republican vice presidential candidate wrote.
Recent Developments
Recently, opponents of the health care plan have become increasingly active and hostile. Many congressmen and women who support the bill have been harassed and threatened by callers who believe that this bill should not be passed. Many members of congress have been pressurized to hold town-hall meetings on the issue, and during these meetings rabid and extremely hostile demonstrators and protesters show up.
Obama's approval rating on health care was at 41 percent, unchanged from last month, while 36 percent believed his reform plans were a good idea and 42 percent a bad idea -- also unchanged from last month's NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. Therefore the debates, sometimes pretty hostile ones, continue while public approval remains relatively low for Obama’s healthcare reform proposal. It remains to be seen now whether or not Obama will be able to win over the support of most of the members of the congress and the public in to coming weeks.

Questions for Discussion:

Q. Do you think Obama's Healthcare plan will restrict the freedom to choose & control one's own medical treatment options in the U.S.?

Q. Why do you think U.S. politicians, like Hilary Clinton and Obama, have found it so difficult to introduce changes in the medical system? Is universal health care possible in the U.S.?

Q. Compared to most other developed Western countries, America has a proportionately larger segment of the population that is uninsured. Why doesn't this lead to substantive mass protests and public pressure for universal health care?

Q. Do you think Obama's Health Care Plan will eventually pass the congress and become a bill?

Q. What are your own personal views about universal health care?

_______________________________________________________
Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' This project has been undertaken and developed by the Gilani Research Foundation as a free resource and social discussion tool.

Weekly Telescopic Report #79

War on Terror

Fulfilling his campaign promises is Obama’s target, one of which is the closure of the Gitmo prison in Cuba. Obama administration is now planning of bringing the remaining inmates to the USA for trial possibly in the Midwestern states.
The Portuguese government has accepted to welcome two Gitmo inmates of Syrian origin in Portugal. Portugal became the first European country to say it was ready to accept Guantanamo detainees in order to help the new US administration close the prison.

Kosovo

Bishop of Raska and Prizren Artemije in Kosovo have urged Kosovo Serbs not to participate in the forthcoming November 15th local elections as it is a ploy to make Serbs recognise the creation and sovereignty of Kosovo.

Remnant of the 90s war remains unclean as Serbian authority wants disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army to be tried for Serb’s organ trafficking. The Council of Europe has commenced its investigation into the case. On separate development Serbs in both Serbia and Serb republic of Bosnia marked the 14th anniversary of Operation Storm, when Croatian army offensively killed hundreds of Serb civilians. Similar anniversary was witnessed in Croatia where many believe Serbian army occupied around one-third of Croatia's territory in 1995 and causing huge atrocities.

Bosnia Grand Mufti Mustafa Ceric headed for Kosovo for a three day visit upon which he will be meeting with counterpart Naim Trnava and Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu. His visit has angered Bosnia Serb republic because Ceric will only be visiting Islamic community in the Republic of Kosovo

Venezuela-Colombia

The brawl between Colombia and Venezuela has worsened as the latter sever diplomatic relations and stopped trade with Bogota. . Venezuela perceives a threat in US-Colombia military relation, denouncing such relations, though Colombia claims it is geared at fighting drugs Former Colombia president and two Senators were able to mellow down the tempo of the tension, which made Venezuela send back its diplomat to Colombia.
.

Obama Health Plan
Obama’s health care programme is now facing both congressional and mass disapproval. Many democrats that have supported the programme were faced with demonstrations that threaten to turn violent at their congressional districts.

Other Issues

Indian students in Australia (Australia is included in the Americas & Europe zone in our study) have recently not found the Aussies welcoming as they would have wanted because Indian students were randomly attacked, attacks likely to be racial. Meanwhile Australia PM and Foreign minister have both reassured Indian government that things will be redressed as a review is ongoing for fence-mending between Australia and India in view of the latest development.

Turkey was part of five countries (Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Austria) that signed the Nabucco-energy deal, which will run natural gas from Central Asia all through Europe. The deal obviously was part of the EU’s plan to bypass and reduce Russian energy’s monopoly. Russia has equally inked another deal (South Stream gas pipeline) with Turkey as counter effort to EU’s plan.

Sonia Sotomayor was finally confirmed and sworn in as a U.S. Superior Court judge after the senate confirmed her suitability. The debates surrounding her eligibility and whether or not her ethnicity might affect her neutrality demonstrate the racial and ethnic prejudice that still exists in the U.S.

________________________________________________________

Business and Politics in the Muslim World (BPM)refers to the project entitled, "Globalized Business and Politics: A View from the Muslim World.' This project has been undertaken and developed by the Gilani Research Foundation as a free resource and social discussion tool.