So I was sitting on the couch, and I realized: I havent written a blog in, like, over a week! What have I been doing?!?!? Anyways, here it is.
The absolute hate and vitriol being displayed by the extreme right at town hall meetings in the last week is, frankly, quite scary to me. What ever happened to a peaceful discourse of ideas? Did right-wingers decide that yelling over anything being said is a way to spread your viewpoint? I think that this tactic is being used because these people have no ideas of their own. Their only plan of action is to oppose anything Democrats propose. They know if Democratic officials are allowed to explain the health care plan to people, then it will be accepted for what it is: a good and reasonable plan. When they are criticized, these people claim that democracy is being repressed. I'm sorry, but angrily yelling down people who disagree with you is not democracy. It's the politics of fear and intimidation, an art the Republicans seem to have mastered over the last decade. And it's not just the actually yelling that is stupid. They are yelling out things that are flat-out lies. First, the supposed "death panels." The claim is that the government is going to tell you when and how to die. First, this is absolutely ridiculous. Use your brains for half a second. The actual provision that this comes from is one that allows for the compensation of doctors who provide end-of-life counciling that their patients ask for. Somehow, this has been twisted into death for old people? What the hell? Did right-wingers even read the provision, or did they just see "end-of-life" and "patients" and just assume something? These are elected officials and educated people, right? Not, like, 5th graders or something? This is conspiracy-mongering at it's best, and God forbid that anyone do some fact-checking and find out what exactly the bill says. The best part about this? Two years ago, Sen. John Isakson (R-GA), who has recently criticzed this very thing, co-sponsored a bill that passed that contained the exact same wording as the new health care bill! Hypicrosy at work again.
Another lie: that the bill will fund abortion initiatives. This one is easy to prove: it is against the law for any federal funds to be allocated for abortion support. Read the Hyde Amendment. The health care bill says nothing about repealing the Hyde Amendment.
Goodness, that was easy to dispel.
I guess I just really don't understand some of the opposition to health care. What really makes people think that government can't do as good a job as big insurance in providing coverage? I mean, the insurance corporations haven't exactly done a great job. I like this story: a conservative think tank recently issued a statement claiming that if we had public plan, like in Britain, then disabled people, such as physicist Stephen Hawking, would just be neglected and put down. Never mind the fact that Mr. Hawking is from Britain, and issued a statement saying that he would not be here without the great care provided by Britain's National Health Service. Once again, fact-checking: a good thing. Another example, as illustrated by Pres. Obama: government postal service has yet to drive public mail carriers like UPS and FedEx out of business. In fact, both companies are thriving due to the increased competition. So what makes you think the government will drive private insurance out of business? The only way this will happen is if the insurance companies refuse to adapt to the new landscape, in which case, good riddance! Adaption is key to survival.
The final point I want to make is about Republican legislators. Their calls that government-run health care cant work ring hollow, considering their own plans. Most Congresspeople are on government-run health care, and it seems to be working well for them. So the next time a Congressman wants to trash government-run health care, maybe that person should give up their own plan, if it sucks so bad. It's hard to kill something when it seems to be working so well.
Well, that's all I got for now. I'll try to get back sooner next time. And if you are reading this, please, leave your comments and ideas! I want to know what you are thinking, so I know what I need to address! Until next time!
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The main thing I hear coming out of the town hall meetings is the sound of Obama's approval rating DROPPING!...and the echo of falling tears and whinning from the left!!! By the way there are a lot of angry democrates speaking out at these meetings, so grab a tissue, wipe your eyes, dry your nose, and call in ACORN, SEIU, the trailing liberal media and all those people the liberals hired off of Craig's List and go out and forcefully prevent these people from using their 1st Amendment RIGHT! Because apparently thats all your party knows how to do...intemidate by FORCE. And i think there is more hate speech and name calling coming from your side of the fence on this issue.
ReplyDeleteIf the "death panel" provision was so crystal clear WHY did the Dem. Senate Finance Commitee take steps to remove it from the bill. Last week they claimed it didn't exist...today they said they are going to remove it. Maybe Obama is misleading people more than FOX news...No that can't be right...he would never do that...only his whole presidency is resting on this issue at the moment so he would never do that!!! Oh and the Hyde Ammendment comes up for renewel every year...and up until lately Obama has publicly been strongly opposed to it. So if it ever does get repealed the "panel" of 17 Presidential Appointees (which require NO congressial confirmation), 1 that requires confirmation, and 8 appointees appointed by an appointee, can make the needed changes. So wait...all benifits basicly are controlled by the President, with no checks or balances!! And you still believe he doesn't want to rune the private sector? How would you like this bill if Bush got to choose the panel that made all the decisions??
So Obama and you agree that the Government isn't compitant enought to find a cost efficeint way to mail a package, yet you think they can run a massive take over of 1/7th of our countrys private sector...and OUR HEALTH??? But really this analogy doesn't fit, because the Postmaster General isn't creating strict rules and penalties that UPS and FEDEX have to follow. And the customers of UPS and FEDEX aren't being taxed 2%, because they didn't choose to go with the government option. The problem is that if the Government is making the rules they, shouldn't be allowed to play! Private companies are forced to follow these strict regulations but not able to take their funds by FORCE like the govt. does!!!
I know I said I would be out of your hair...but I couldn't help myself.
ReplyDeleteOh I forgot...The Government runs Medicare...which is bankrupt and more like what the public will get as opposed to their public/private plans. They aren't giving the public their plans. So the real question is "why DO you think that the government can run everyone's health insurance?"
ReplyDeleteI knew i would be hearing from you eventually lol.
ReplyDeleteYes, i do think the government can run health care. the point i was making was the government has run an efficent mail service, and it hasnt run private companies out of business.
In all the town halls ive seen, it hasn't been left-wing groups yelling down members of Congress. You can continue to bring up ACORN, but they havent been busing them to Republican town halls and encouraging them to shout down Congress members, unlike conservative group FreedomWorks, the main group behind this. I have no problem with the 1st amendment. However, these people are exercising the 1st amendment. they are simply yelling and screaming when they hear something they dont like. real mature. and people wonder why the republicans have no power in this government?
and as for the "death panels." i explained what the bill actually is. its not "death panels," its living wills. and nothing has happened to it in the last few days, because Congress is not in session to kill it right now. They were talking about taking it out of the bill before the recess, because it simply costs too much money ($2+ billion.) dont ignore the facts for the sake of hating obama and the dems.
It was actually announced Thursday that Senate Finance Committee was dropping the provision because "of the implications it could have." not the cost. So please keep up!
ReplyDeleteApparrently you are unable to understand the inadaquecy of Obama's analogy. Yes UPS and FEDEX are doing well. Obama even said they are thriving and it is the "postal service who is struggleing." So apparently they can't efficeintly run a mail service as good as the private sector. But what you can't grasp is the fact that Congress is going to put STRICT regulations on Private insurers that will prevent them from being able to compete. Not to mention the proposed taxes and penalties for not going with Obamacare!! There aren't the same kind of restrictions on UPS and FEDEX. If there were they wouldn't be doing so well.
You refuse to except the FACT that Medicare cost 9 times more than they thought it would and is now bankrupt, along with the governmental ponzi scheme we call Socail Security. You might not be able to take care of yourself, but please don't force the rest of us to.
And the 1st Ammendment doesn't say how loud you can be when choosing to express yourself. So if you want to talk about maturity...tell the Dems to stop calling us "mean names." (I'm being sarcastic if you can't understand that either)And you should tell Obama to talk to real peope not his standard "fixed" crowds of supporters. He is losing the faith of the rest of us...well the ones who had faith in the first place. And the only ones I have seen getting of of buses is ACORN. I wonder if those buses were paid with using tax dollars...I THINK SO.
But I don't want to misinterpeted here. I think both sides can't be trusted...they are ALL liers. That is why they need as little power as we the people choose to give them. You just want to give away everything to only the Dems, but unless the current Admin. declares himself king (again joking), the Rep. will be back in office and willl be able to weild ALL this power you've given them. Stop and think. That's all I ask.