The Nobles Betray America: How Republicans Are Abandoning the Republic at Its Hour of Need

Braveheart is great entertainment, if less than perfect history. Mel Gibson plays the hero, William Wallace, who battles to deliver the Scots from the hated English, who had brutally murdered his father, brother, and wife. Wallace attracts a growing following as he begins to defeat the English in several skirmishes and battles. Following the Battle of Stirling Bridge, where his heavily outmatched and outnumbered troops defeated the English, Wallace became something of a legend and demanded that the nobility join him in the fight.

The nobles, who have holdings in both Scotland and England, while not enthusiastic about English occupation, want nothing to do with the peasant rebellion. After a tense meeting, Wallace gains a promise of noble support for the upcoming battle from their ostensible leader, Robert the Bruce.

Wallace carefully plans the battle (the Battle of Falkirk) but is dispirited when he calls for the noble cavalry to take the field, only to watch as they turn and abandon the fight. Betrayed, the English are victorious. An injured Wallace goes after the English King, only to have one of the king’s defenders intercept him. The defender unhorses Wallace, but when he approaches the Scotsman, Wallace disarms him and discovers that his opponent is none other than Robert the Bruce.

A conflicted Bruce then helps Wallace escape, and the now-mythic figure takes a cathartic vengeance on the nobles. He is then betrayed a second time and ends up dying on the rack with “Freedom” his final utterance.

Anyone who’s ever seen the movie can remember the visceral reaction they had when the nobles turn and leave Wallace in the lurch. It’s been thirty years, but I remember it as if it were yesterday. But the funny thing is, the reason I even thought of it is that I feel the exact same way today, but towards a different set of nobles.

The GOP in Congress has left Donald Trump and America out to dry just as much as the nobles did to Wallace and the Scots. And the betrayals aren’t just one battle; there are countless ways the GOP is shivving the American people.

First and foremost is the lack of election reform. The argument that the 2020 election was a coup is now an established fact. From Georgia to Arizona to Minnesota and beyond, election fraud seems to have been the norm rather than the exception. Add to that the simple existence of a lack of voter ID in so many blue states, and it makes one wonder when America’s last honest election was.

Yet somehow, the Republicans in the Senate have refused to pass the SAVE Act. Ensuring honest elections is the single most important thing on their plate, but somehow they can’t seem to get it done.

Another thing the Senate GOP can’t seem to get done is abolishing the filibuster. We constantly hear that it’s a check on the other party if they return to power, but the reality is, it’s not, as Harry Reid demonstrated in 2013.

Having failed to eliminate it in 2024 because of holdouts by “independents” Manchin and Sinema, you can be certain that Democrats will eliminate the 60-vote threshold the next time they can muster 51 votes. So, instead of eliminating it now and doing good things for the American people while the GOP holds both chambers and the White House, the eunuch John Thune and the rest of the RINO grifters in the upper chamber apparently have better things to do, like give $5.7 billion to immigrants.

But of course, it’s not just voting. Across the country, activist, traitorous federal judges are seeking to usurp President Trump’s powers, yet Congress does nothing about it. Congress literally controls the federal judiciary; it’s right there in the Constitution, yet the GOP’s elected members do nothing and allow judges to exercise a stranglehold over the Executive Branch.

Then there’s fraud. Last year, in the wake of the hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud identified by DOGE, the Senate voted not to codify the DOGE cuts, with three Republicans joining Democrats to help protect the waste.

But honestly, it’s not just Congress, it’s the White House as well. The reality is, the FBI and the Justice Department have yet to indict anyone for practically anything. 2020 election fraud? J6 persecutions? Russiagate? COVID? And more. This is in stark contrast to the Biden administration arresting practically everyone associated with Donald Trump, up to and including Trump himself.

“Obamacare....17 Republicans in the House just voted to extend the subsidies for the hated program.”

PPACA subsidy extension is the leverage the Republicans should use.

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From my plan:

PARTIAL ENHANCED SUBSIDY CONTINUATION [for 2026 & 2027]

Except as required by the Fair Share PPACA premium minimums below, the monthly to be paid on a plan would not exceed the Schumer formula amount by more than 1.5 times the household’s income in percentage terms of FPL exceeds 90% FPL in terms of dollars.

If the household’s income is 400% of FPL [$128,600 for 4 people], the percentage difference is 310% and increase would typically be capped at $465/month.

If the household’s income is 300% of FPL [$96,450 for 3 people], the percentage difference is 210% and increase would typically be capped at $315/month.

FAIR SHARE PPACA PREMIUM MINIMUMS

I would impose these premium minimums, whichever is the higher:
1. 2% of the Medicare premium amount per insured year of age as of the start of coverage
2. a percentage of the premium amount equal to the household income percentage of FPL - 60% divided by 3

For a 5-year-old, 7-year-old, 32-year-old and 34-year-old, the ages would sum to 88 and the monthly absolute minimum premium amount would be a (88/65)*$185 or $250.46.

For a 5-year-old kid and a 27-year-old mom the ages would sum to 32 and the monthly absolute minimum premium amount would be (32/65)*$185 or $91.07.

To make all that palatable to the Democrats, I would lower the original PPACA subsidy threshold from 100% of FPL to 80% of FPL.

PPACA AFFORDABILITY

Silver plans would be limited to a maximum deductible of three times the Medicare Part A amount [2026: $1736].

I would also make bronze plans low cost by having $10,000 50% co-pays with $10,000 paid up front to the insurance company by the insured. Unused amounts of the $10,000s would be refunded after the policy is closed out.

I would also make copper plans low cost by only covering Part A scope items plus what Part B would pay for any general or regional anesthesia surgery.

I would allow Federal PPACA exchanges to offer Interstate Class Drug Plans,
exempt from state control that cover under contract at the time of policy issue at least:
1. 80% of all FDA-approved recombinant drugs by key active entity
2. 80% of all key FDA breakthrough chemical active entities under patent as of January 1 of the coverage year
used in a drug approved by the FDA by August 1 prior
3. 80% of all key chemical active entities under patent as of January 1 of the coverage year
used in a drug approved by the FDA by August 1 prior
4. 90% of all WHO “essential” drugs

Interstate Class Drug Plans that don’t meet all those minimums could be sold off the exchanges.

This system would allow for genuine negotiation between drug plans and drug companies. Drug plans would have an incentive to try to buy drugs from drug companies and drug companies would have an incentive to make deals to make sales.

Plan formulary drugs would be supplied on an all-the-doctors prescribe basis. The co-pays on plan formulary drugs would be roughly equal to mere manufacturing cost.

Non-formulary drugs might be covered by timed vouchers with plan-set amounts ($700 plan pay, 30-day supply, TV_Drug_32, to be dispensed by plan-listed pharmacy in June 2026). Voucher plans would not have fixed premiums.

The copper, bronze and Interstate Class Drug Plans would not be subsidy eligible.

EMTALA (and Medicaid ER) Reform

To get care under the EMTALA or Medicaid for yourself or custodial child, the hospital might require you to
1. pay $100 in cash or by financial organization card accepted at the emergency care facility,
2. hand over your valid SNAP card and tender a matching valid domestic governmental picture ID,
3. hand over your valid domestic driver’s license,
4. hand over your valid US passport,
5. hand over your operable Apple or Samsung cellphone model listed by a current regulation issued by a Secretary of HHS, or
6. hand over a valid domestic governmental picture ID of yours and
a tender matching financial institution statement less than 70 days old showing a domestic governmental or employer direct deposit of at least $150, both for hospital photocopying and recordkeeping.

States might be allowed to authorize emergency care facilities to contemporaneously debit SNAP cards for EMTALA incidents.

Items handed over may be retained by the emergency care facility until retrieved within one month by the responsible party by paying $100, or more, for the care, plus a retrieval fee not exceeding $20 in a manner the facility accepts. Items not timely retrieved may be disposed of in a legally allowable manner.

NOTE: People can get the care they need, but only by paying $100, forfeiting an expensive cellphone, or going through the hassle of replacing a SNAP card or government picture ID.

HOSPITAL EMTALA COST ASSISTANCE

I would allow hospitals collect up to $1,000 per incident of EMTALA service from patient related employers, with payment not in excess of $50 per week per employee concerned being due to any and all EMTALA providers and not for more than 100 weeks after service. Such payments on behalf of an employee would be considered to be a debt of the employee to the employer. Employers could collect back from employees and ex-employees (and require EMTALA incident employees to participate in an employer plan).

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