Health Care Reform and Nazi Symbolism?

Rush Limbaugh is defending his comparison of the president’s health care reform plan and Nazism, saying the Nazis were fundamentally national socialists who opposed small government and capitalism. We talk to ethicist Arthur Caplan, who writes that not only is Limbaugh muddying the health care debate, he’s doing something much more serious–fueling the flames for Holocaust deniers.

Is Asia Rising?

A boy sits with the backdrop of a residential complex in a partial state of construction, in Gurgaon, India, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008. India and China's ability to resist the global economic slowdown will greatly influence whether the crisis drags the world into a depression, a top Pacific Rim trade community economist said Tuesday. The International Monetary Fund has said emerging economies, which include China and India, will account for the world's entire projected 2.2 percent overall growth next year, adding that rich nations' economies will together grow by just 0.1 percent this year while the developing world will grow by 5 percent. (AP)

A boy sits with the backdrop of a residential complex in a partial state of construction, in Gurgaon, India, November, 2008. (AP)

Think again, says our guest, Minxin Pei. Per person, the U.S. is nearly 10 times richer than Asia; even at today’s heady growth rates, it would take the average Asian worker 77 years to reach the income of today’s average American. And on the road are some serious bumps, says Pei, including the lack of any big ideas in Asia to compete with Western ideas (like liberalism and markets) that organize the world today. Minxin Pei is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, he’s also professor of government, and director of the Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies at Claremont McKenna College.

Obamarita Anyone?

Ever since news broke that the Obamas will be spending their vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, the island off the coast of Massachusetts has been preparing for the first family. A local pet store created “Bobama” t-shirts (named for the first dog), a bartender has concocted the “Obamarita” and Secret Service agents have already taken up residence in Winnebagos. Julie Wells, editor of the “Vineyard Gazette,” tells us how the island is preparing for the first family.

Business in Iraq

A businessman recently opened a nightclub in Baghdad complete with alcohol and belly dancers. He says his customers love to have a chance to dress up and relax. And his biggest worry is making sure his customers are safe inside his club. He says some people don’t want his club to be open. For security reasons, the businessman did not want to be identified.

A Musical ‘Stew’

We revisit our conversation with the musician Stew, also known as Mark Stewart. Stew is the co-creator of the Tony winning musical “Passing Strange” which has just been made into a film by Spike Lee.

Music from the show

Air, “Mike Mills”
Tito Puente, “Royal T”
Steve Earle, “Transcendental Blues”
Led Zeppelin, “Fool in the Rain”
The Wee Trio, “About a Girl”
Les Paul, “How High the Moon”

The following music is from “Passing Strange,” performed by Stew with De’Adre Aziza, Eisa Davis, Colman Domingo, Chad Goodridge, Rebecca Naomi Jones, and Daniel Breaker.

Stew and Heidi Rodewald, “Prologue (We Might Play All Night)”
Stew and Heidi Rodewald, “Work the Wound”
Stew and Heidi Rodewald, “Baptist Fashion Show”
Stew and Heidi Rodewald, “Amsterdam”
Stew and Heidi Rodewald, “The Black One”
Stew and Heidi Rodewald, “Passing Phase”

bill forni

for your show tomorrow please bring up health care reform discussion on how people who knowing choose unhealthy lifestyles (smokers, drinkers, overeaters, etc) should be covered. this is an important part of the health care equation that i have not yet heard addressed. i don’t believe they should be denied coverage but should they have to pay exhorbitant premiums and have high out-of-pocket expense caps?
i believe this is a potentially exposive issue for health care reform.

thanks.

bill
Michael

While I approve neither of socialism nor of Barack Obama, as someone who is well-read in German history and culture (it was my college major), I must inform you that Rush Limbaugh’s understanding of the term “National Socialism” is historically naive.

Back when the Nazis where still trying to gain power, socialism was all the rage in Europe and had a lot of popularity in the US too. The Nazis adopted the name “National Socialism” in order to appeal to the masses. While there was for a couple of years a genuinely socialist wing of the Nazi Party which threatened to replace Hitler with their own leader (prior to the Nazis’ coming to power), the mainstream of the party was supported by much of big business.

In fact, the oldest and still the largest post-war Nazi party in Germany is called the National Democratic Party, because today democracy is all the rage. In fact, Germany’s 3 largest parties (out of 5 in parliament) all have the word “Democratic” in their name: Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, and Free Democrats. (The other 2 are The Greens and The Left.)
Michael

BTW Bill, will we also count people who drive or walk while talking on a cell phone, people with bad driving records, pot smokers, people with dangerous hobbies such as skiing, rock climbing, amateur aviator, white water rafting, bicycle racing, surfing, mountain climbing, or dangerous occupations like driving a cab in a bad neighborhood? This could wind up including almost everyone.

Of course, I do none of these myself. I also don’t drink, smoke, or watch TV, and my BMI is 23.
Anne Ewing

Why don’t we ( the U.S. ) just start health care reform slowly and carefully. Extend Medicare as it is back to people who are 55, giving us a chance to adjust to the new numbers of people and figure out what “bugs” we have. When we have accomplished that (probably 24-30 months) then we can extend back to 45, and 35 and so on, back to the start. It should speed up as we learn.

It will be understandable to nearly everyone,and gradual enough to avoid congestion and crisis.