Is Obamacare the Democrat version of "A Bridge Too Far"?
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| Bernard Law Montgomery |
In the Fall of 1944, Allied Command finally gave Monty his opportunity for glory on the continent of Europe. Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery had proposed an ambitious plan to capture four bridges in the Netherlands as part of an attempt to sweep around German defenses into the Reich itself. In deference to Churchill and British sensibilities, Eisenhower and the Allied command accepted Monty's plan and his assurances that the troops under his command would sweep over the old men and young boys who were all that was left defending German positions in Holland.
Montgomery was wrong. Operation Market Garden, Monty's complex and intricately timed battle plan began to go wrong almost as soon as it was launched. As do most battle plans, Market Garden did not survive contact with the enemy. A lot of men were killed or captured and when the dust settled the key Arnhem Bridge remained in German hands. Cornelius Ryan memorialized the incident in his 1974 book "A Bridge Too Far" which was later made into a surprisingly accurate movie three years later. It is well worth watch as a cautionary tale of what happens when a leader's ego is greater than his ability.
Montgomery was wrong. Operation Market Garden, Monty's complex and intricately timed battle plan began to go wrong almost as soon as it was launched. As do most battle plans, Market Garden did not survive contact with the enemy. A lot of men were killed or captured and when the dust settled the key Arnhem Bridge remained in German hands. Cornelius Ryan memorialized the incident in his 1974 book "A Bridge Too Far" which was later made into a surprisingly accurate movie three years later. It is well worth watch as a cautionary tale of what happens when a leader's ego is greater than his ability.
The President's big plan for social change was appropriately named "Obamacare", tying President Barak Obama's "Hope and Change" legacy to his signature piece of legislation. If you're going to "fix" healthcare, it was thought, then why not do it BIG. Some legislators had doubts, but as with Montgomery, nobody wanted to tell Obama his plan had some problems. Instead they buried it in 2000 pages of regulatory details and pushed it through, House Speaker Pelosi proclaiming, "You'll have to pass it to find out what's in it."
Tuesday was the big Obamacare launch. Like Operation Market Garden, Obamacare did not do well when it came into contact with the ene......I mean, the American citizens who were supposed to rise up and shout for joy when they found out, "....what's in it."
Obamacare's Facebook page erupted in negativity following it's first bug-filled days of bringing healthcare to the ignorant masses. Operated by Organizing for Action, a pro-Obama group supported by deep-pocketed members including billionaire investor George Soros and Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, Obamacare's Facebook page has a big banner that proclaims "Signed, Sealed and Delivering." As millions of Americans have discovered to their financial discomfort this week, Obamacare is delivering all right, but not anything like it promised to.
Is Obamacare the president's "Progressive Socialist Program Too Far"?
Perhaps the Republican stand is not ill-advised after all - perhaps something on the order of Concord Bridge. Hopefully it's nothing like Arnhem. First the Germans were the bad guys and unfortunately, for our analogy, Montgomery still managed to fall back, recover and roll over them German defenders. The Reich fell anyway, despite Monty's partial defeat. That was a good thing for democracy, but I'm pretty sure if the Democrats manage to salvage this "government program too far", democracy is likely to lose big this time around.
© 2013 by Tom King
Tuesday was the big Obamacare launch. Like Operation Market Garden, Obamacare did not do well when it came into contact with the ene......I mean, the American citizens who were supposed to rise up and shout for joy when they found out, "....what's in it."
Obamacare's Facebook page erupted in negativity following it's first bug-filled days of bringing healthcare to the ignorant masses. Operated by Organizing for Action, a pro-Obama group supported by deep-pocketed members including billionaire investor George Soros and Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, Obamacare's Facebook page has a big banner that proclaims "Signed, Sealed and Delivering." As millions of Americans have discovered to their financial discomfort this week, Obamacare is delivering all right, but not anything like it promised to.
Is Obamacare the president's "Progressive Socialist Program Too Far"?
Perhaps the Republican stand is not ill-advised after all - perhaps something on the order of Concord Bridge. Hopefully it's nothing like Arnhem. First the Germans were the bad guys and unfortunately, for our analogy, Montgomery still managed to fall back, recover and roll over them German defenders. The Reich fell anyway, despite Monty's partial defeat. That was a good thing for democracy, but I'm pretty sure if the Democrats manage to salvage this "government program too far", democracy is likely to lose big this time around.
© 2013 by Tom King
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