Obama vs. The Unwashed Masses

"Last week, around the same time President Obama was giving his health-care speech to Congress, I was in Washington to interview some administration officials for an upcoming story in Esquire. They were so damn positive. And hardworking. And energetic — the kinds of people who actually wake up at dawn to go running just so they can get to the office by 7:30, who eat salads and read only useful books. They don't watch television. They never drink more than a glass or two of wine. Sometimes they might indulge in a social beer, but it really is a social beer."

Thus Josh Koster -- a truly shameless, fawning sycophant if there ever was one -- begins his ridiculous tirade against those who dare oppose Obama and his legions of utterly perfect bureaucrats. These positive people, Koster explains, are dumbfounded by the medieval, hateful hordes of the opposition who, in Koster's words, "would rather do the wrong thing than do what is good for them."

To be sure, just like any mass protest, 9/12 brought out more than a few kooks. The media of course eagerly captured every hyperbolic Hitler-reference and every ranting apocalyptic prophet. The unfortunate result of these overzealous and less-than-rational displays is that the pro-Obama media machine has been given ample ammunition to discredit all those opposed to Obama's grand vision for a new America.

For those like Koster, the popular culture consensus, fed by this media narrative, is that support for European-style national health care is the only option for rational, civilized people. Those expressing doubt over the feasibility or cost of such a system are instantly branded as shills for the evil insurance companies or as reactionary, racist yokels. Never mind that these evil insurance companies stand to gain huge profits and are among Obamacare's biggest supporters. Never mind that establishing such an immense social welfare program without affecting the deficit (as promised by Obama) is virtually impossible.

Unburdened by such silly concerns, Koster outlines the brilliant strategy of Obama's infallible czars:

"...they really don't want to force anybody to do things. They believe in this idea of "libertarian paternalism," which means they'll put the fruits and veggies right there at eye level by the counter and put the chips and sugary sodas way up on the top shelf. They're not going to force you to pick the public option, [..] they're going to use "choice architecture" to "nudge" you toward what is obviously good for you."

It is unfortunate that Koster is so enamored with the Obama administration's technocratic social engineering that he fails to recognize that this concept of "libertarian" government control is completely contradictory and nonsensical. Apparently, we are to believe that Obama's "public option" will remain a passive and beneficial option for those in need, never to expand or cost taxpayers a dime. In fact, Koster thinks we ought to be thankful that despite our obvious incompetence and self-destructive behavior, daddy government is willing to give us a loving "nudge" toward contented serfdom.

Just in case it was not abundantly clear that all non-Democrats are backwards sociopaths, Koster finally reveals that opponents of Obama are in fact slavery-loving Confederate sympathizers (no, really):

"It's no accident that much of this impulse comes from the southern states, which recent polls suggest are virtually united in their opposition to President Obama. After all, this is the region that fought government intrusion upon its freedoms by forming its own government to intrude upon its freedoms, that imposed the Fugitive Slave Law on other states in the name of states' rights, that fought for slavery in the name of liberty."

If one is to avoid being branded as a hateful and ignorant Confederate, Obama's ridiculous concept of "libertarian paternalism" must be embraced unquestioningly. Doubts about the fiscal feasibility of Obama's health care insurance reforms must not be voiced. The childish citizenry must not dare suggest that unintended consequences might arise from these massive changes to the health care industry.

That political discourse in America has sunk this low is truly tragic. If this piece of inane garbage is at all indicative of the beliefs of the Democratic party or President Obama -- and I fear that it may be -- things will be getting much worse before they get better.