Obamacare is a Republican concept - who knew?

I've been having the usual debates with my predominantly (and in some cases it has to be said, rabidly) Republican friends on Facebook as a result of them posting various rants about the current situation with the Government Shutdown.  Why won't Obama negotiate, they cry.  Why won't the President back down and talk about a solution, because the republicans are offering solutions left right and centre, aren't they?  Or should that be right, right and even farther right?

Anyway, after one of them posted an quite frankly incredible rant about Obama prohibiting Catholisism!!!!!! I discovered this article which shows that the concept underpinning Obamacare is in fact a Republican idea. I don't think I will show this to my FB friends as I fear they are a lost cause.

But here's a summary for the record.

A brief timeline of Republicans and the individual mandate:

1960s: President Kennedy subtly hints at universal healthcare for America. Republicans don’t know how to react.
1970s: Republican President Nixon offers market based solution and employer mandate.
1980s: Republican think tank comes up with individual mandate.
1990s: Democrats offer ‘HillaryCare’ a step on the path to universal healthcare.
1990s: Republicans respond by sponsoring market-based Acts with individual mandate attached.
1990s: Republicans propose individual mandate, to prevent government-run healthcare.
2000s: Republicans create individual mandate system in Massachusetts.
2010s: Democrats throw out universal healthcare goal, adopt Republican individual mandate idea.
2010s: Republicans forget that it was their idea for decades, and decide it’s actually Marxist.

And in conclusion, all I can say is - what a damn shame the Democrats backed down from trying to get you Yanks universal health care.  Surely you, the richest nation in the world, could have come up with a scheme that could have taken the best aspects of the various public health care systems around the world and made something wonderful for your nation.

Obamacare is a Republican concept - who knew?

I've been having the usual debates with my predominantly (and in some cases it has to be said, rabidly) Republican friends on Facebook as a result of them posting various rants about the current situation with the Government Shutdown.  Why won't Obama negotiate, they cry.  Why won't the President back down and talk about a solution, because the republicans are offering solutions left right and centre, aren't they?  Or should that be right, right and even farther right?

Anyway, after one of them posted an quite frankly incredible rant about Obama prohibiting Catholisism!!!!!! I discovered this article which shows that the concept underpinning Obamacare is in fact a Republican idea. I don't think I will show this to my FB friends as I fear they are a lost cause.

But here's a summary for the record.

A brief timeline of Republicans and the individual mandate:

1960s: President Kennedy subtly hints at universal healthcare for America. Republicans don’t know how to react.
1970s: Republican President Nixon offers market based solution and employer mandate.
1980s: Republican think tank comes up with individual mandate.
1990s: Democrats offer ‘HillaryCare’ a step on the path to universal healthcare.
1990s: Republicans respond by sponsoring market-based Acts with individual mandate attached.
1990s: Republicans propose individual mandate, to prevent government-run healthcare.
2000s: Republicans create individual mandate system in Massachusetts.
2010s: Democrats throw out universal healthcare goal, adopt Republican individual mandate idea.
2010s: Republicans forget that it was their idea for decades, and decide it’s actually Marxist.

And in conclusion, all I can say is - what a damn shame the Democrats backed down from trying to get you Yanks universal health care.  Surely you, the richest nation in the world, could have come up with a scheme that could have taken the best aspects of the various public health care systems around the world and made something wonderful for your nation.