Is Something ALWAYS Better Than Nothing?

What are progressive Americans to do about the health care reform bill?

For the Left, healthcare reform might just become a Pyrrhic victory if it gets passed.After defeating the Romans in the battles of Heraclea in 280 BC and Asculum in 279 BC, King Pyrrhus of Epirus is reported to have said, “one more such victory would utterly undo him.” Pyrrhus’s armies were in ruins and most of his principal military leaders killed. Conversely the Romans–having garnered more losses–had the necessary reliefs, will, and supplies to continue fighting. Pyrrhus’s victories had cost him too much to continue.

If this bill, in whatever mutated form they deliver it, passes, it will drain the fever-swamp of the Democratic camp. Ideology will have triumphed necessity. This makes for a very good possibility of the Democrats wandering a political wasteland of their own design for decades too come.

There’s always more.

I’m glad it’s not my health care reform bill!

UPDATE:  From someone who never fell all the way in love with Barack —

As Congress stumbles toward some parody of health care reform, and the White House sends its talking heads out to parrot that this is the delivery of Obama’s promises, those who once provided the grassroots manpower for the President’s presidential campaign have finally started to voice their mass dissatisfaction.

[…]

Obama has taken no leadership and instead passed off reform to Rahm Emanuel, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Joe Lieberman, corporate centrists who shill to the same insurance and pharmaceutical interests who have caused the staggering rate of uninsured Americans — 40 million! — today. What use is a majority in both houses of Congress if you can’t pass the biggest social reform on which you based your candidacy?

I commend the SEIU and the deflated Obama campaign staffers for what they’re saying now. But shoddy health care reform is being signed into law before Christmas. These appeals, which I believe could have had great resonance, have come too late.

Daniela Perdomo has more to say at AlterNet.