A Hollow Victory for a Hollow Man

"Nothing will come of nothing." King Lear, Act 1 Scene 1

So the House passed a terribly flawed health care bill without even trying to fix the Affordable Care Act (ACA aka Obamacare), without a rating from the Congressional Budget Office, without reading it, without thought for the harm it would do.  What kind of a victory is this?

It's a fake victory, just like the fake president spouting fake news from the White House. It is a hollow victory for the hollow man leading the House down the path of evil, as well.

Patting themselves on the back for a
fake victory. (BCC news/Reuter photo)

It was political theater, "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing" (Macbeth, Act 5). The unconscionable thing is that these hollow men were playing politics with real people, with the life and death issues of their constituents.  It didn't matter to them. They smiled, laughed, posed for photos, partied, congratulated themselves as if it were a real victory.  What an astonishing display of delusion on the national stage.

People caught on right away, and so did the Senate. It rejected the Ryan/trump fake bill.  Mindful of the upcoming mid-term elections, most Senators will aim for a real bill, maybe one that fixes the flaws in the ACA, doesn't remove coverage for pre-existing conditions, and doesn't include provisions that allow insurers free reign or that essentially cut taxes for the super rich.

At this point what happened in the House doesn't matter.  The House Rs once again exposed themselves for the anti-democratic, uncaring, inhumane elected officials they are.  These are fake politicians who prefer a game, political theater, over the hard work of making policy. These are fake politicians who aren't listening to their real constituents and who are pursuing their own personal issues agenda come hell or high water. Many will be voted out in 2018. Resisters are ready. The campaign has begun.

The clock is ticking on this Administration and this Congress. Hollow victories don't last long. Trump's days are numbered, and the Senate knows it. Most of them want to stay in office after he's gone. The political theater orchestrated by hollow men is like a Shakespeare tragedy that won't end well. "Nothing will come of nothing."

Reading:
https://www.vox.com/2017/3/6/14829526/american-health-care-act-gop-replacement

https://www.yahoo.com/news/look-house-republican-health-care-bill-081428198.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/04/health/health-care-bill-criticisms.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/ahca-house-vote/?utm_term=.65ddfd2990ae