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Wendell Potter on ‘Deadly Spin’

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Posted on Nov 30, 2010
AP / Susan Walsh

Former CIGNA Vice President Wendell Potter, who has become a whistle-blower regarding the health care industry, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.

The health industry spinmaster-turned-whistle-blower says the consumer is funding the industry’s smear campaigns: “A big portion of what we spend or pay in premiums is skimmed off to operate and conduct these fear-mongering and anger-mongering campaigns.”

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Shenonymous's avatar

By Shenonymous, December 5, 2010 at 12:33 pm Link to this comment

Spinning always makes one dizzy.  It is obvious how impotent the
second powerful political party is even though at the soon-to-
disappear moment they still have control of Congress.  Stupidly, they
can’t seem to figure out how to fend off the intransigent blockade to
any federal government protection of the general public by the
vulturous Republicans who can only think in terms of chicken crap
(say chickenshit and get it over with!). 

It doesn’t matter how many whistle-blowers like Potter or whistle-
blowing devices like Wikileaks spring information into the media, it is
delusional that it would have any measurable effect.  The only thing
progressives can do, and it will take progressives since most Democrats
will not do anything but bend over for collusional political rape, is to
recreate the political party system.  I used to think that voting the weak
politicians out of office would be the right system to bristle government
action “for the people,” but the larger party structure inhibits a
character change to party politics and very few Democrats within the
partyline have steel vertebral qualities to really stand up for Americans
below the $250,000 income level.  They talk a lot but do little to
nothing.

Democrat voices such as Howard Dean, Chuck Schumer, Anthony
Weiner, and socialist comrade, Bernie Sanders, need to start a real
reform of the Democratic Party if it is ever going to be responsive to
Democratic people in this country.  And what the word ‘real’ in politics
means has been lost sight of, can any liberal bring its definition back?

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By Dennis, December 3, 2010 at 11:04 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

@gerard Perhaps it is all coming together for the year 2012? Speaking of energy, the freezing temps in europe may be because we killed the gulfstream current with our little spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I just read a piece in the examiner Detroit that made me think of the gulfstream. Little ice age in Europe would be icing on the cake?

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By Conden, December 3, 2010 at 12:20 am Link to this comment

Potter praises the corporate welfare bill passed by the right wing democrats; he says nothing in favor of single payer healthcare.

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By cosplay, December 2, 2010 at 11:31 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

the end is not yet in sight.  What can you do to blow the whistle on the military-industrial complex?

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By tomack, December 2, 2010 at 10:29 am Link to this comment

God bless us, everyone.

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By gerard, December 1, 2010 at 9:47 pm Link to this comment

Does it strike anyone as purely coincidental (NOT!) that Wikileaks, health-care whistle-blower revelations, people standing together in front of the White House, increasing awareness of failure in Afghanistan, rising complaints about drone use and cluster bombs, increasing suicides,PTSD and rape in the armed forces, North Korean pot shots, along with decreases in unemployment insurance, cuts for federal employees, and Republican Congressional efforts to thwart Obama’s proposals at any costs, are all coming together just in time for Christmas?

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By V.E. Perkins, Ph.D., December 1, 2010 at 12:34 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Wendell Potter deserves an award for being a man with
courage in our gutless society. He has sacrificed his
lucrative career to become an honest man.  If he ever
runs out of money, I will help support him. He’s a
hero.

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G.Anderson's avatar

By G.Anderson, December 1, 2010 at 3:31 am Link to this comment

So, why doesn’t the justice department investigate the big three for anti trust violations?

Breaking up these companies would go a long way toward reducing their ability. To
influence the political process in this country.

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By gerard, December 1, 2010 at 12:10 am Link to this comment

Practically the same things can be said about the energy industries trying frantically to escape from responsibility for environmental degradation.
  Payback time is coming for the great unwashed silent majority, in spite of their ignorance, cowardice and deliberate evasion of responsibility.  The corporate machinery is just too top heavy to stand and is falling of its own weight, thanks to whistle-blowers.  Slick ads, paid lobbyists and toadying politicians cannot hold back the tide of lies.
  Will war as an institution meet the same fate due to over-reaching?  I hope so, but ,,, the end is not yet in sight.  What can you do to blow the whistle on the military-industrial complex?

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