What can we hope to accomplish in this country if intentional, unsubstantiated fabrications take up a significant amount of the public discourse -- and even, in some cases, drive policy?
Forgive me if I appear partisan, but the political right has more crazies per square foot than any other sector of American politics. They are so unprincipled, so irrational and so loud -- yet the media hands them a megaphone and takes them seriously.
We came off two weeks of listening to insane blathering about Barack Obama not being an American citizen -- even as his Hawaiian birth certificate was staring the instigators in the face -- and we segued into two weeks of shouting and carrying on about "death panels." Those responsible for creating and propagating such rubbish would be ashamed of themselves if they had any decency whatsoever.
The provision that initiated this firestorm, according to Boston.com, "would allow Medicare to pay doctors for voluntary counseling sessions on end-of-life issues, including living wills and hospice as an option for the terminally ill." Sounds like a good idea, doesn't it? The AMA thinks so. So does the AARP.
But now, because of statements that have no basis in reality, it looks like that part of the health care bill is going to be removed. It's a ridiculous way to to run a lemonade stand, never mind a country.
8 comments:
I could not agree more. People will listen to inane talk show hosts (basically entertainment people, not reporters) before they will listen to facts, or make an attempt to find out facts.
This issue also pulls back the curtain and shines a glaring spotlight on money and politics. We have potentially (depending on your situation) the best health care mired in the worst health care system on the planet. As always follow the money.
The solution is simple. Give all citizens the same health care Congress has, problem solved. Or better, give Congress the same care the average citizen has.
Based on what I saw on TV over the last few weeks at town hall meetings and rallies maybe it’s time to offer some of these people “end of life counseling” and thin the herd. :)
We (I) usually dismiss Sarah Palin as an off the charts nut, but it was news of her online claim that Obama's death panel was going to kill her baby that set off the death panel firestorm of the past 2 weeks. Everything cascaded from there.
While we sometimes get the government we deserve, I do hope that health care reform passes. Too many people have been discarded in their health care needs. Is that fair, America? People die to the tune of l8,000 a year because they do not have health care. Is that fair, America? Let our congressional representatives know you support this health care reform bill because if you don't, just maybe the nitwits who don't have the facts and don't care about the facts and who would rather be instruments of those that oppose this for profit making reasons just might make some headway. Help us!
Well, the end-of-life consultation has been scrubbed and now it looks like the public option is being abandoned. I say that the Democrats just go full steam ahead and forget about trying to appease the Right.
What will happen instead is that a weakened plan will pass and it won't bring the change we'd hoped for and conservatives will say, "See...it was a failed plan."
The public option plan will literally bankrupt our economy. We are already trillions of dollars in debt,especially to China. In order to begin economic recovery we would need to cut federal spending by a minimum of 10% annually and begin applying that to paying down the debt.That means no more pork barrel projects, and no more goodies to non citizens. Otherwise we go belly up.We arent far away from that now.
Not sure where you get your information Anonymous, but the public option is key to CONTROLLING costs. Otherwise, the rising costs of health care will eventually bankrupt the country.
I respectfully disagree.The number of people who will gravitate toward govt run insurance will be in the tens of millions.The price will be in the trillions,and with that many more people,many non citizens,it will further tax our ability to provide quality health care.Allowing private insurance to compete in other states will reduce costs, and co-ops will provide for those not carrying insurance now because they cannot currently afford the present rates.
I agree with 2:32.Nowhere has anyone in favor of this come out with a cost analysis.The president didnt present a bill, he left it up to Pelosi and friends to draft it. Obama dropped the ball badly on this issue.At the town hall forum in NH he couldnt answer the "how much" question.These werent nazi lunatics at these town hall meetings,they were seniors and working people who wanted answers.Until there is comprehensive detail on the cost issue,this will not pass.
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