1) This tweet storm is a lengthy reply to Birrion Sondahl’s “Medicare for All, Not for Some” a critique of efforts working for Universal Health Care programs at the State-level including S-P Programs. See: realprogressives.org/medicare-for-a…
2) Birrion compares a #NIMA strategy w/a State-by-State one. But, Red Berets/WW strategy is "fight on all fronts." (FOAF) It is a strategy pressuring 4 #NIMA, & also supporting State-level Single-Payer (S-P). So, his critique doesn't on its face apply to FOAF.
3) Birrion repeatedly says that only the most wealthy States can afford Single-P. Not true. Savings delivered by S-P can be viewed in terms of savings/person/yr w/upwards of 90% of ppl saving money under S-P, perhaps as much as $3,000. Savings/person critical 2 success!
4) A regional aggregation approach to State-based S-P programs can generate momentum toward #NIMA in successful States & pressure toward NIMA among the “have-nots”.
5) What about “a race-to-the bottom” (RTTB)? What about “a race-to-the-top” (RTTB)? In my view there will be a RTTP if State-level S-P gets started in WA because business, WA, & people will all save money compared to the present system. RTTB critics need specificity.
6) Federal financial passthrus & assistance, Network effects of the FOAF strategy, political pressures & even severe health & economic crises will all interact with State-level S-P programs & #MMT considerations 2 push in the #NIMA direction
7) FOAF better than head-banging against a tightly shut door & better than putting all eggs in 1 basket. Not subject 2 “only rich states” objections, since S-P programs will benefit from huge savings/person, majority federal financing, & ability of states to join in aggregates.
8) The Vermont case was not about the failure of an S-P program; it was about the failure of a Governor to try such a program due to consultant’s likely bad advice & a Governor’s willingness to take it.
9) Birrion asks questions about S-P proposal in WA. I answer them in the attached slides
10) Birrion raises an objection posed by Fadhel Kaboub about the RTTB. The RTTB doesn’t apply in this case because States can deliver can both save money & deliver greater benefits than the present system thru S-P programs.
11) FOAF does not ignore the class struggle by advocating for both #NIMA & State-level S-P programs, because the class struggle exists at the local, state, national, supra-national & international levels of analysis.
12) Birrion claims that State-level universal health care programs are necessarily a distraction &/a compromise. I say that in the context of the FOAF strategy they are neither, but a mid-level strategy to be used in the grand strategy & on-going struggle 4 #NIMA #M4A

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More from @joefirestonephd

19 Aug
@RedBeretsM4All @shansen614 @LouisTheCellist @jeffchao228 @JENFL23 @GeoDavenport @WholeWashington @M4M4ALL @StephanieKelton Not just me. @realityisralph @netbacker @SherryWise1 @JefferyDenton & @DesnoyersScott r all members of the MMT community, & also supporters of Red Berets/WW, 2 at least the same degree as the RP critics who have stated opposition to the #FOAF strategy of RB/WW. In addition...,
@RedBeretsM4All @shansen614 @LouisTheCellist @jeffchao228 @JENFL23 @GeoDavenport @WholeWashington @M4M4ALL @StephanieKelton @realityisralph @netbacker @SherryWise1 @JefferyDenton @DesnoyersScott .... I believe there r other recognizable members of the #MMT community, who have been reluctant 2 go public, who are either supporters of FOAF strategy or who think RP has gone 2 far in trying 2 compel belief its strategy 2 the exclusion of FOAF. I can't say whether they will...
@RedBeretsM4All @shansen614 @LouisTheCellist @jeffchao228 @JENFL23 @GeoDavenport @WholeWashington @M4M4ALL @StephanieKelton @realityisralph @netbacker @SherryWise1 @JefferyDenton @DesnoyersScott ever come forward, given their understandable reluctance 2 engage in public conflict w/RP leaders, but I urge them to do so now. It is damaging 2 the #MMT community to be associated w/a group that refuses to recognize a basic rule of civil debate, specifically:
Read 17 tweets
10 Aug
@KeithMcCallin @netbacker @sdgrumbine @AdamCforMD @SheilaRuthD44B @OurPlanet2024 @SandyDarity @MarkFabian21 @RedBeretsM4All @WholeWashington @GabrielAcevero @CaptainStack @briebriejoy 1) WW is an SP system. Also, The RTTB argument is an easy one to make because we've seen it in operation both domestically & internationally since the 1950s when some manufacturers started moving South to escape high labor costs & high taxes in Northern States.
@KeithMcCallin @netbacker @sdgrumbine @AdamCforMD @SheilaRuthD44B @OurPlanet2024 @SandyDarity @MarkFabian21 @RedBeretsM4All @WholeWashington @GabrielAcevero @CaptainStack @briebriejoy 2) OTOH, there are reasons why the populations of States like NY, IL MI, MN, MA, PA, TX, FL, CA, OR, WA, GA, NC, and NV, have grown faster than neighboring States at various times in history. To see whether businesses and/or people will be victims of an RTTB or beneficiaries...
@KeithMcCallin @netbacker @sdgrumbine @AdamCforMD @SheilaRuthD44B @OurPlanet2024 @SandyDarity @MarkFabian21 @RedBeretsM4All @WholeWashington @GabrielAcevero @CaptainStack @briebriejoy 3) of an RTTT, one has to look at a variety of advantages & disadvantages offered by a State. People criticizing a State-based strategy look at higher taxes 4 businesses & conclude that businesses will flee the State 4 higher taxes. Georgia Davenport points out that employers ...
Read 10 tweets
6 Feb
@RashidaTlaib (1) It seems many of the commenters on this thread are unaware of the best CV economic relief bill introduced so far, namely your own HR 6553, The Automatic Boost to Communities Act. The Bill provides 4 payments of $2000/mo 4 individuals & 1000/mo 4 children 4 the duration ...
@RashidaTlaib (2) of the CV crisis, + $1000/mo 4 individuals & 500/mo 4 children 4 1 yr after the end of the crisis. In addition, the bill provides 4 minting platinum coins 2 facilitate Federal Reserve additions to the Treasury Spending Account 2 be used to make Treasury payments into . . . ImageImage
@RashidaTlaib (3) newly created prepaid debit cards, or digital wallets established at Federal Reserve Banks 4 individuals. So the bill provides new electronic digital infrastructure 4 augmentation of the Federal safety net & providing future, permanent automatic stabilizers 4 the economy.
Read 8 tweets
5 Jan
@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (1) The #ReplacePelosiJan3 & negotiate w/other Speaker candidates 2 THEN #ForceTheVote + get more changes campaign was drowned out by the FTV movement. Today, the FTV ppl on the ground in DC r condemning Squad votes 4 Pelosi. Way too little & way 2 late.
@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (2) But, a more important 1, is that the Squad felt free 2 decide how 2 vote on Pelosi w/o consulting the ppl's movement. These advocates of bottom-up democracy did not practice it all when it came 2 the most important decision they would make during the next 2 years.
@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (3) They're not the only ones of course. Bernie Sanders did the same thing when he dropped out of the pressidential race. His "Not me. Us!" movement suddenly turned into an "it's my decision alone", affair. That enraged me at the time. It still does. After extracting all that ...
Read 21 tweets
2 Jan
(1) #ReplacePelosiJan3 & negotiate w/other Speaker candidates 2 THEN #ForceTheVote + get more changes. Why? We can't tolerate 2 more yrs of her leadership in the House. She has an awful record & is an incompetent negotiator.
(2) #ReplacePelosiJan3 & negotiate w/other Speaker candidates 2 THEN #ForceTheVote + get more changes. Pelosi led the Democrats to a disastrous defeat in 2010 after failing to pass MFA then. In 2020, she led Ds to lose 10 seats in the House & set them up 4 a disaster in2022.
(3) #ReplacePelosiJan3 & negotiate w/other Speaker candidates 2 THEN #ForceTheVote + get more changes. Pelosi is a fiscal disaster imposing paygo on the Dem Party for yrs & stopping progressive legislation requiring deficit spending. She is a fiscal hawk down with austerity.
Read 22 tweets
30 Dec 20
(1) @CoriBush Thank you 4 not committing to vote 4 Nancy Pelosi 4 Speaker. Instead, please #ReplacePelosiJan3 #ForceM4ALLVote U & ur Squad mates have the votes 2 block Pelosi 4 multiple ballots until she withdraws then u can negotiate w/others 4: many floor votes including MFA,
(2) GND, monthly survival payments via the ABC ACT, & other priorities; rule changes such as, noPayGo, & requiring automatic floor votes if a specific # of Reps co-sponsor a bill; & Committee spots See:
(3) Is the Risk Worth it? It is 4 #ReplacePelosiJan3 & #ForceM4ALLVote, but not just 4 an MFA vote alone. @lanadell @RamonaMassachi @TiMEoFPoSTiNG @OzbatRisa @ProudSocialist @marwilliamson How it would work is coming up:
Read 4 tweets

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