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| Dennis Kucinich: The Patch Adams of the Health Care Debate |
| 02.06.04 (7:43 am) [edit] |
Whatever can be said about Dennis Kucinich, one cannot say that he doesn't stand on principle: He protested the WTO in Seattle; at the Iowa candidates forum, he asked Hillary Clinton to introduce him as "the only candidate … who pledges to cancel NAFTA and WTO as his first act in office." And, not only was Dennis Kucinich against the War in Iraq, he has used his opposition to proffer the most ambitious and insane policy initiative of any Democrat this election season: The Department of Peace. [url=]http://www.kucinich.us/issues... [/url] The Department of Peace seeks not just to "make non-violence an organizing principle," in places like Iraq, but to create a giant lumbering bureaucracy to facilitate our "tap(ping) the infinite capabilities of humanity to transform consciousness and conditions that impel or compel violence at a personal, group, or national level toward creating understanding, compassion, and love."
Howard Dean may have built his campaign on being against the war, but Dean never established what he was for. He never outlined his vision of a post-9/11 America, how he would build a better world community. Only Dennis Kucinich molds this geopolitical vision into a guiding domestic principle as well: "Domestically, the Department of Peace would address violence in the home, spousal abuse, child abuse, gangs, police-community relations conflicts and work with individuals and groups to achieve changes in attitudes that examine the mythologies of cherished world views, such as 'violence is inevitable' or 'war is inevitable'. Thus it will help with the discovery of new selves and new paths toward peaceful consensus."
Kucinich doesn't get into particulars about whether the Vice Lords would be eligible for federal matching funds to facilitate their youth programs to examine the mythologies of ghetto kids looking to follow new paths toward peaceful consensus, but he doesn't have to--it's the vision that counts. Dean has often said he leads a movement, but a "movement" requires more of a messiah complex than Dean's willing to muster. Take Kucinich's reply in the South Carolina debate to a question about social policy: "My presidency will be to take these hands and to put them on the country to help heal America."
That has to be the craziest thing any candidate has ever said in any debate...ever. The masterstroke was when Dennis raised both his hands to shoulder level, his palms down toward Tom Brokaw. Let's be honest: Had John Ashcroft done that (and it's not too hard to imagine that he would), Bush would have no choice but to distance himself from the Attorney General. But at least Ashcroft has the good sense to save his "I've been crucified three times in politics, and God has resurrected me each time" speech for Assembly of God church groups and Springfield Public Access television (no joke, I've seen). But Dennis Kucinich has the gall, the guts to play the messiah card during a nationally televised debate. And attempt to faith-heal Tom Brokaw.
Just who is this Kucinich guy? He was elected to the Cleveland City Council when he was in his early twenties, and was elected mayor when he was just 30. With the city deep in debt, Kucinich refused to sell the public utilities corporation to the city's creditors, plunging Cleveland further into debt and solidifying one of the most resounding defeats of an incumbant mayor in the US history. According to Cleveland Magazine, "In 1995, a panel of 25 historians ranked him the seventh-worst mayor in American history."
But this only tells half the Kucinich story. The AP has reported that Shirley MaClain is the godmother to Kucinich's daughter. And this only makes sense, considering that he told the Praxis Peace Institute in 2002 that "The energy of the stars becomes us. We become the energy of the stars. Stardust and spirit unite, and we begin: One with the universe. Whole and holy. From one source, endless creative energy, bursting forth, kinetic, elemental. We, the earth, air, water, and fire source of nearly 15 billion years of cosmic spiraling."
One couldn't assume enthusiastic support for the Pentagon's "Star Wars" missile defense system in a Kucinich Administration. What if American intelligence mistook a bursting forth of kinetic elemental creative energy for a rogue missile launched by North Korea? The United States government would be culpable for interrupting nearly 15 billion years of cosmic spiraling, that's what. We must imagine that a Kucinich Administration would carefully weigh that against the cost of security of West Coast urban areas. I think it's clear where Dennis Kucinich stands.
Which is not to say that Dennis Kucinich isn't a patriot. Consider this moving exegesis at the Redwood Sequoia Conference in 2002: "In that moment I had a new understanding that this flag, as spangled with stars as a bolt of heaven itself, connects the United States with eternal principles of unity, of brotherhood, of sisterhood. … One bright star shines for hope. Another star for optimism. Another for well-being. One for freedom. One for abundance. One for creativity. One for togetherness. One for peace. One star to wish upon to create your highest aspirations, to make your dreams come true"
Imagine the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention this summer in Boston, when Comeback Kid Howard Dean introduces his running mate Dennis Kucinich with a little "red meat" for the party's liberal base: "WE'VE GOT ONE STAR FOR HOPE! ONE FOR OPTIMISM! ONE FOR CREATIVITY! ONE FOR TOGETHERNESS! ONE FOR PEACE! ONE FOR YOUR HIGHEST ASPIRATIONS! ONE TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE! YYYEEEAAAHHH!!!!"
Perhaps the Kucinich candidacy is best summarized by this press release: "Kucinich and Patch Adams to Raise Funds and Spirits in D.C." [url=]http://www.kucinich.us/pressr...[/url] In fact, Patch Adams' approach to medicine approximates Kucinich's approach to health care. Yes, Patch Adams' might not be based on scientific medical study, but who can argue with the pie-in-the-sky optimism that we must treat the soul as well as the body? Adams' steadfast devotion to the cult of his own personality is alarming, no doubt--but it provokes no rational response. What do you say to a man who advocates clowning away cancer? "Patch, you're crazy"? Since he is, those words mean nothing to him, and thus lack persuasion.
I thought of Patch Adams while watching the South Carolina debate last week on television. Tom Brokaw asked Kucinich what he would do about health care in this country, and Dennis launches into a minute long diatribe describing how drug companies and HMO's have hijacked health care, how this is a moral issue, how the profit motive of these companies have driven up costs, how the insurance companies squandered our co-pays in the stock market, how the government works best when it eliminates profit motive from essential services, how patients and doctors both suffer under a regressive system built mostly by profiteers literally cashing in on our pain. Then Dennis boldly offered the idea of a government-run, single-payer system. Kucinich just stood there and stared right past Brokaw into the audience, as silence fell over the auditorium, as if the self-evidence of his words had ended the debate. None of the other candidates had a damn thing to say to Dennis Kucinich.
And what could they? Does John Kerry really want to say, "Dennis, you're a lunatic"? Does John Edwards want to jump in and explain his bad-idea "Lawyers policing lawyers" proposal for tort reform? However, it's tough to argue with Kucinich's case, except to say that it's completely unrealistic and unworkable. But Dennis bore his cross further: "(With the money I'd save from cutting out private sector greed, I offer) a system where everybody is cared for, where all medically necessary procedures are covered, plus vision care, plus dental care, plus mental health care, plus long-term care, plus a prescription drug benefit."
How do you tear down that vision without sounding like the most cynical bastard in politics? So Kucinich just stood there while everyone let the single-payer idea soak into their souls. For a brief moment, I thought to myself, "You know what? Dennis Kucinich is making sense. This is the sort of bold visionary America needs, maybe not to govern, but at least to have a voice."
And then Howard Dean broke the trance: "I think Dennis makes some very good points...." and it was over. Like waking from a dream, Dennis Kucinich transformed from bold visionary back to the crazy short guy trying to get a date at the Iowa Caucuses.
Essentially, what Kucinich offers is the Patch Adams approach to health care policy. But he does say some things that the rest of the candidates don't have the guts to talk about--things that need to be talked about, like insurance gouging, laws against suing HMO's, and spiraling administrative costs. And as much fun as it is to mock Dennis Kucinich, I respect his convictions and his willingness to hold the health care industry culpable for its own profiteering. Still, as symbolized by his plege to use his hands to heal America, Kucinich advocates the liberal equivalent of faith-healing, the belief not in the healing power of the messiah but the healing power of massive, benevolent government. Yet, the awkward silence of the South Carolina debate points to this: When considering the ideas of Dennis Kucinich, laughter may not always be the best medicine. Except when he's campaigning with Patch Adams.
----shimes
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posted by: progressive (reply)
post date: 02.25.04 (7:01 pm)
Patch Adams campaigning for Dennis Kucinich. What a great guy =)
posted by: filmsnobs (reply)
post date: 02.27.04 (9:41 am)
Thanks for the picture!!! That's so awesome!!!!
posted by: Terry (reply)
post date: 03.27.06 (4:01 am)
Must have really Gotcha
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