Big day today for hopes and dreams.Marchers arrive in Washington today to rally for real health care reform. Many of them marched more than a hundred miles in memory of a progressive activist who died of breast cancer while still fighting an insurance company for benefits. Others are armed with personal stories from around the country of victims of the industrialized world's worst health care system.
On the other coast, Bloom Energy will unveil its much-hyped fuel cell, known as the Bloom Box, at eBay headquarters in California. The company calls it an off-grid source of cheap electric energy -- from a cell the size of a loaf of bread.
The health marchers are sincere, but not likely to succeed. Dr. Kidglove has already given us the "reform" he will talk about tomorrow at the over-hyped bipartisan gathering of the congressional clan at the White House. No public option; hence, no real reform. Twenty-some Senators have signed a proposal to pass a public option using budget reconciliation rules -- a process that circumvents Republican filibustering and needs only 51 votes for passage. But the Republicans are solidly against anything, and the Milquetoasts with (D) after their name are afraid of all the papier mache ogres the Republicans have built to do battle against reconciliation.
The Bloom Box has been developed in more secrecy than Dick Cheney's energy plan. Not even a sign on the secret location headquarters. Bloom has dropped enough hints about the technology to attract $400 million in venture capital and the support of Colin Powell. "I have seen the technology and it works," said the general and former Secretary of State. He is on Bloom Energy's board of directors.
Of course, Gen. Powell also told the United Nations, "What we are giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence" about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. You be the judge.
Bloom energy has provided tantalizing little peeks at its gizmos to Atlantic magazine and the CBS TV show "60 Minutes." Who would not share in the hope that this will be what 60 Minutes called "the holy grail" of clean energy?
But anyone who would bet the farm on it should join those marchers in Washington who believe, really believe, that the corporatized wimps who hold office there will give us something resembling real health care reform.
Dreams die hard. Hope dies last.
