Sol and others have been so blinded by the positives of the ACA they aren't even willing to acknowledge the negatives. What is worse when you spend years preaching those benefits it becomes very difficult for the psyche to admit that maybe you were not 100% right. These people will go on to ignore facts and make convoluted examples such as thinking every person in the US can become mustachiane overnight and get ACA subsidies. It is a perfect example of cognitive dissonance.
That was both personally insulting and demonstrably untrue. Want to try again?
Hopefully, you're just having a rough day and got a little out of hand. I've come to expect better from you.
Sol,
I will admit that of recent I have picked on your comments. I do so because I interpret you to be intelligent with honorable and moral intentions. My hope is to show that not everything is as black and white as you present. This fluidness allows for better negotiation with those who may disagree with you. By understanding what principles your opponent is being driven by, you can make adjustments in your own argument and potentially allow them to see more broadly and make concessions with their hard stances.
You state "demonstrably not true" A few posts above I demonstrate that it is true. I explain how many middle class Americans have been harmed by the ACA making healthcare much more unaffordable to them. You completely ignore that statement telling me they should just be more mustachian to qualify for subsidies when we both know that such a transition is unfathomable to most Americans. Another example is telling me that Republicans take money from rich corporations completely ignoring the fact that democrats do the exact same thing. You also said
[regarding poor republican voters] They're like 1850s plantation slaves pressed into service to hunt down runaway slaves with the argument that runaways make it harder for the slaves left behind.
You are comparing poor republican voters to slaves which is an insult to slavery.
I understand why you do this. It is your moral compass that makes you want the best for the most amount of people. It is very honorable, but it also blinds you from seeing all sides of the equation.
The reality is:
1) Despite the massive benefits of the ACA, the law has harmed a large percentage of middle class tax payers. The law has not only made healthcare more unaffordable to those people, it also made it very cumbersome being forced to change health plans and doctors on a yearly basis. Also just because a group of people has health insurance does not mean they can still afford the deductibles and a significant portion of the newly insured find their subsidized insurance not that helpful. These people want the ACA amended or dismantled.
2) Politics is dirty and corrupt. Both democrat and republican politicians are mostly scum who care more about being reelected and satisfying their lobbyists as opposed to doing what is right for the American people. Republicans do it in the guise of cutting taxes, cutting the deficit, and improving the American way of life. Democrats do it in the guise of social justice, environmental benefits, and improving the lives of those less fortunate.
3) Not everyone who votes republican is a racist idiot redneck. There are many intelligent hard working middle class Americans who pay taxes and are constantly squeezed by the government. They find their cost of living going up, their taxes going up, and their disposable income dwindling. They chose to vote republican last year. It doesn't mean they are stupid or racist. It just means they became fed up with our political system that the last 8 years has given and want change. Maybe in 3-7 years those same people will vote democrat after seeing no benefit from the current regime. But the reality is that they are not racist morons.
Sol, Cognitive dissonance is a normal part of human thinking. Everyone gets this when their strong beliefs are questioned. Who knows, maybe I am the one with cognitive dissonance discussing this subject with you. Although difficult to accept, maybe with the right arguments I can see that in myself. I will try and be open to that thought.