Americans getting energised over 'Obamacare'

U.S. citizens are getting energised and animated over President Obama's plans for healthcare reform.

We mentioned this in passing on this blog a couple of days ago and have been aware of the story for a couple of weeks through monitoring what's said on the controversial but often enlightening Alex Jones show.

A couple of the British broadsheets pick up on it more today - namely The Times and The Guardian.

The UK coverage prompts a couple of points.

As Alex Jones has been saying for a fortnight on his show, the media are portraying the protests against 'Obamacare' as "right wing" protests.

Indeed, if you look at the UK newspaper coverage, images showing Obama cast as Hitler illustrate the stories.

Of course, every media student knows that the press and TV will focus on those most extreme images that illustrate the points being conveyed in as simplistic a manner as gets across a message. One should never assume that such images represent wholesale opinions or actions that protesters are engaged in.

However, if there are a small number of people carrying placards in which Obama is cast as Hitler, one does wonder what on earth they would do if they lived here in the UK under New Labour and their totally Stasi-esque police state.

Which brings us neatly on to our main point.

The people of the United States are often mis-characterised here in the UK. However, here they are getting very worked up about the issue of healthcare.

Rather than condemning silly protest posters (which many political parties - including LibLabCon - in the UK manage perfectly well too), this blog applauds those people in the United States who are exercising their right to express an opinion.

Democracy works by Government representing the views of the people. That's the exact point of democracy! If Government fails to represent the views of the people, then it should expect to have those people say that they think they are not being represented according to their wishes.

Whatever you think of American healthcare, silly posters depicting Obama as Hitler - whatever - let us take a moment to applaud the American people for caring enough about their own lives to wish to make their views known to their representatives in political life.

What a contrast to the UK where the Government seems able to do anything it wishes to the people and protests generally number a couple of thousand before being brutally crushed. That said, there were a few million who protested against the war and they got soundly ignored.

And we must acknowledge that anyone voicing a political opinion in the UK is likely to disappear for a walk in the woods at worst or risks being locked up for six million years without charge after being accused of being a trainspotter. Or something. You get the point. We've all read the civil liberties nightmare stories of life in the UK over the last few years under New Labour.

So, bravo to the American people for not becoming brow-beaten, for wishing to have a say in how they are governed, for choosing to engage in democracy.

What a shame that Britain seems to be completely locked down from citizens engagement in political life. Who knows... maybe one day, the American people might teach us a thing or two again.

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You may remember that - somewhat less controversially - there were recently images circulating of Obama mocked up as 'The Joker' from the 'Batman' franchise. According to what we have heard on the Alex Jones show, Obama supporters are claiming that such images are 'racist'. If true, it's a cowardly way of stifling debate on policy. We're putting the Obama image and a recent British political poster alongside each other below. Maybe it might contextualise claims that the Obama 'Joker' posters are 'racist' - dunno. What do you think?

We've also put a famous British tabloid front page up to contextualise our point further. Apologies to the football legend for reviving it, but it makes the point.

Are any of these really racist, or is the assertion that one might be a mere cop out from debate?