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Political cartoon american businesses trapped like chilean miners by obamacare

Henry Payne??™s cartoon: American Businesses Trapped like Chilean Miners by ObamacareI. Context IssueIn Chili on August 5th, 2010, the San Jose mine in the Atacama Desert collapsed, trapping thirty three miners. Two days later, a second collapse hindered rescue efforts by preventing the rescue workers from getting to the lower part of the mine where the miners were.

Several drills were then made from the surface in hopes of finding the miners (Hundreds Turn). Finally, seventeen days later, a note was attached to a search drill by one of the miners. The note read “ Estamos bien en el refugio los 33.” In English this translates to: “ All of us are well inside the shelter” (Webley). The miners were found 688 meters underground. Miraculously, all thirty three miners survived with only a half a teaspoon of tuna a day, for seventeen long days (Hundreds Turn).

You would think water would be an issue in the Atacama Desert, which is considered the driest place on earth. Deep in the San Jose Mine, it is very hot and humid. In the mine, the rock walls are sealed with clay that is filled with water. The miners were able to use a bulldozer to scrape the mine floor for virtually an unlimited supply of water. No one wants to be trapped underground, but if you had to be, you might choose the San Jose mine.

Aside from mental and psychological problems, the miners had very few physical health risks. There wasn??™t any worry of hypothermia in the hot caves. Explosive or toxic gasses, such as carbon monoxide or methane, were not abundant enough to cause any problems. Copper sulfate didn??™t generate the very bad smelling sulfur dioxide, because mining operations were stopped. A rock burst, which is a phenomenon that causes the rock walls to explode from the pressure of the earth, can be very deadly. This could be very dangerous, but is very unlikely to happen, because the collapse would have released any stress that the mine structure may have had. It may have been dark, hot, and stressful, but at least it was safe. Adding to their safety, rescue workers drilled three, six inch wide shafts.

The shafts were used to send supplies, communicate, and assure there was plenty of fresh air for the miners to breathe. These shafts were much needed, because it took more than fifty days to drill an escape tunnel to bring the miners to safety (Doane). On October 9th, 2010, the rig that drilled the escape tunnel broke through to the workers. Sixteen steel tubes were lined from top to bottom of the escape tunnel to ensure that it would not cave in. Video cameras were used to examine the entire tunnel to make sure it was solid rock. This was very important, because if the walls were not solid, they could have possibly caved in. After double checking everything, the rescue mission was underway.

A specially designed capsule, called the ??? Phoenix,??? was used to bring the workers to safety. In less than 24 hours, all thirty three miners were hoisted to safety with only a few minor health issues. Many of the miners fought to be the last one out of the mine. The friendly battle was started for the right to own the Guinness World Record for the longest anyone has been trapped underground (Franklin).

II. Secondary IssueOne of the first things on President Barack Obama??™s agenda, was to create a plan called Obamacare. Obamacare was designed to ensure that all Americans will be able to afford healthcare. Many people think this is a good thing, but Obamacare now totals over $1 trillion. Everyone knows that money doesn??™t grow on trees, so where will the funds come from American businesses. Obamacare is requiring small businesses to pay a plethora of new, very expensive taxes, including a huge $8 billion tax that goes up to $14. 3 billion in 2018.

The tax will be paid mostly by small businesses and individuals. The law is also making businesses fill out stacks upon stacks of paperwork, including an IRS 1099 form, for every transaction over $600. That might not seem like much, but an estimated seventeen billion dollars in tax revenues are expected to come from this mandate (Danner). Ask President Obama about this, and he will tell you about the small business tax credit. The credit will give money back to a business if it qualifies. In order to qualify, the business must have twenty five employees or less, provide health care, and pay 50% of the health care cost. Less than a third of businesses meet these regulations. Even if the business meets the regulations, the tax credit only lasts six years.

After that, the business owner will be forced to pay the full price (Danner). Business owners??™ health care costs will be increased, causing a rise in the overall cost of doing business. Along with this new law, there is a federal mandate that requires all United States residents to have health insurance by 2014, or pay a fine. Making citizens pay for something they don??™t need just because they are alive is unconstitutional. Some people have argued that Congress should not have the right to do this.

This added cost will fall back on businesses, because they are required to provide health care for their employees, The worst part is that businesses are going to be paying all of these taxes for something they may not need. Many business owners could go bankrupt, and lose their business. With the economy the way it is business owners need to use any funds they get very wisely. Now the extra money they receive will be spent on something they may not want, or that may not help them. American businesses may need to turn to the judicial system to overturn this law. Health care for all Americans sounds nice, but right now it is causing more harm than good (Danner). III.

Description Henry Payne published a cartoon titled, ??? American Businesses Trapped like Chilean Miners??? for The Detroit News on October 21st, 2011. In the middle of the cartoon there is a cement mixer with the words ??? Obamacare Concrete Co.??? written on the side.

In the driver??™s seat of the cement mixer is a happy, smiling man with a very long, skinny face, and very big ears. There is smoke coming out of the mixers exhaust. The cement mixer is angled slightly with the back closer than the front. In the back of the cement mixer is an open chute, which is extended and aimed for a hole in the ground about the size of a manhole cover. Standing beside the hole is a man with a hard hat on.

He is wearing a flannel shirt and jeans. His mouth is open like he is talking. At the bottom of the cartoon is a quote that reads ??? American businesses are trapped down that mine shaft, Mr. President!??¦Pour.??? IV. InterpretationHenry Payne published the cartoon eight days after the Chilean miners were rescued in the San Jose mine. Payne used the Chilean miner rescue in his cartoon, because it was widely publicized by the media during this time.

That is why this issue worked in the cartoon, even though it had nothing to do with the secondary issue. The secondary issue is an opinion that President Obama??™s, Obamacare is burying American businesses. The cartoonist, put president Obama in the driver??™s seat with a big smile on his face. Payne seemed like he was trying to show that President Obama wants Obamacare to work so bad that he doesn??™t care that it may bury American business. The issues in the cartoon didn??™t necessarily go hand in hand, but Payne was very creative, and humorous by combining both issues. Works CitedDanner, Dan. ??? ObamaCare vs. Small Business.

??? The Wall Street Journal. N. p., 27 May 2010. Web. 25 Jan. 2011.

Doane, Seth. ??? Trapped Chile Miners Have Ally in Geology.??? CBS News. N. p.

, 25 Aug. 8, 25, 2010. Web. 5 Feb. 2011. Franklin, Jonathon. ??? Workers Reinforce Rescue Tunnel for Chilan Miners.??? The Washington Post.

N. p., 10 Oct. 10, 10, 2010. Web.

31 Jan. 2011.??? Hundreds Turn Out to Hear Chilean Miner??™s Story.??? Nottingham News. N.

p., 29 Jan. 1, 29, 2011. Web. 2 Feb. 2011. Webley, Kayla. ??? How the Chilean Miners Survived the First 17 Days.

??? Time. N. p., 24 Aug. 8, 24, 2010. Web. 2 Feb.

2011. Payne, Henry. ??? American Businesses Trapped like Chilean Miners by OBAMACARE.??? Cartoon. Daryl Cagle??™s Political Cartoonists Index.

msnbc, Nov. 2010. Web.

Nov. 2010.

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