Kali (Christmas)

Jane Hamsher over at Firedoglake is in full Kali Mode demanding HEADS right and left because she's been thwarted in her unfocused campaign on Health Care Reform.

She started the current phase of her operations with the demand for Hadassah Lieberman's head, and now she's hooked up with the odious right wing toad Grover Norquist to demand Rahm Emanuel's head. She wants Bernie Sanders' head. No doubt she'll go after Barbara Boxer's head. She wants Marcos's head. Arianna better watch her own head. Jane won't be satisfied in her current fury until she has Obama's head as well, you can be sure. And she won't be denied!

The unfocused Health Care Reform campaign turned into an epic "progressive" FAIL. Essentially nothing that "progressives" demanded (even when they could make coherent demands, and the Public Option was not one of them) made it into the Senate bill, and the House bill is so watered down, there's nothing much for "progressives" to crow about in it, either. "Everyone agrees" that the Senate bill, with a few minor tweaks, will be the final bill and Obama will sign it. Yay.

Well.

Jane and others have now shifted their campaign from "Public Option Please!" to "Kill the Bill" to complete and utter, scorched earth destruction.

Their issue is their pocketbooks. They have made very clear, just like Jane's Toad Prince Grover, that they don't want to pay for health care or health insurance if it's going to benefit anyone else. It's about the money. It's about their individualism. It's about themselves.

Jane has thrown a lot of chum in the water to attract Libertarians, and it seems she's done a remarkable job of it. Her site is a free-for-all of Libertarian cant and argumentation. And, oh yes, rebellion. "I won't pay! You can't make me!"

Rebellion. Revolt. Revolution! NOW!

Makes me laugh. When the Busheviks were essentially overthrowing the American Constitutional Republic and replacing it with an Imperial Autocracy, there was plenty of grumbling and argument from the Libertarians over the Bushevik program, but there was nary a hint of Rebellion let alone Revolution. In fact, whenever someone said something about it, the proctors would ritualistically shush any mention of active opposition. Now that the Busheviks are pushed to the side -- make no mistake, they're still around -- Libertarians are free to fantasize about any level of insurgency they choose. And if it directly affects their MONEY, they become the most active Rebels you ever saw. It's funny. In a sad sort of way.

The Busheviks were smart about how to handle this: Overthrow the Republic by all means, institute Imperial Rule, no problem. Make war all over the world. Just be sure you cut the taxes of the Rubes so they won't catch on they're being robbed.

And lookit! It worked.

Obama comes along with his neo-Liberal program and says, "You know, we gotta pay for this somehow, how about on the backs of the middle class?" and all holy hell breaks loose.

Of course I would have preferred the revolt to occur on the basis of principles of social justice and community, the Rule of Law, and the Constitution. You know? All the things that the Busheviks were trashing and trying to destroy? But no. Any hint of Rebellion in those days was rigorously denounced or shouted down. The ONLY way to make serious progress against the March of Empire was Incrementally -- and peacefully.

Now that the Imperium is consolidated and institutionalized, the issue isn't even germane. Few care, and those who do are pissing into the wind if they think they're actually going to make any headway against the Empire by hooking up with Grover. Ain't gonna happen.

But then, that's not the issue. The Rebellion is against mandated health care insurance.

You see. Priorities, people.

You'll shoot your eye out.