Ignorance

[oselle]

The problem, of course, is ignorance.

When I hear that the brainwashed zombie rioters are shouting things like "keep government hands off my Medicare!" I realize that the ignorance is both profound and irreversible. So much so that even if you showed irrefutable proof that MEDICARE IS A GOVERNMENT PROGRAM, these people would not believe it.

The other flat-out, heinous LIE that's really gathering steam is this business that the government wants to impose "forced euthanasia" upon the elderly and other "non-productive" members of society. Not only is this a lie, but the people supposedly so afraid of it really do believe -- quite vocally and proudly -- that good healthcare is a PRIVILEGE, not a birthright -- a PRIVILEGE that should only be enjoyed by those who have enough money or a good enough job. People who are, in other words...PRODUCTIVE. Everyone else who isn't wealthy or doesn't have the right sort of job, all those people who aren't productive enough well...it's just their own fault that they can't get good healthcare.

There's the real euthanasia. And these right-wingers love it, this sort of euthanasia. They're all for it. So not only are they gleefully spreading the foulest of foul lies with this "forced euthanasia" crap, but they're putting on the most horrifyingly laughable act of being concerned about the very people that they do not give a shit about in the real world. And they're so goddamn ignorant they don't even know it.

Disgusting, repulsive, criminal ignorance.

Comments

[mara-snh.livejournal.com]

I'm so aghast at what's going on. It defies belief. I'm reading American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America by Chris Hedges. It's helping me understand that none of this is happening by accident, and it's part of a much scarier scenario than we think. I strongly recommend this book. I think we all need to be aware of what we're up against.

By the way, it's coming out that the Town Hall screamers are part of a program funded by insurance companies, possibly even AIG. Your tax dollars at work....

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Oh no, none of this is happening by accident. People are being duped into this shit by a very well-organized cabal of hardline conservative activists and organizations directly funded by the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. This whole thing is about as "grassroots" as linoleum. What pisses me off is that people -- ordinary people -- are buying it. At some point you have to stop pitying these people for being conned and start being angry at how willingly they swallow this shit.

[mara-snh.livejournal.com]

The message of Hedges' book is just that: we must stop tolerating the intolerant, or tolerance itself will become a thing of the past.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Every once in a while some hankie-wringing conservative wanders in here and scolds me for being mean and uncivil and not exhibiting sufficient respect and tolerance for their side. What they don't get is that I just can't feign respect for sheer idiocy in order to keep up some drawing-room pretense of civility.

[mara-snh.livejournal.com]

The crafters of all this ignorance are counting on our becoming paralyzed by equanimity.

Of course, if we lose our heads and start shouting that theirs should be forfeit by virtue of holding nothing than hate and fear, we become the unwashed savages that conservatives love to blame for all the nation's dysfunction. (See under "If those goddamn Communist hippies hadn't been against the Viet Nam War, we coulda won it.")

If only it were "conservatives" that we are up against. I'm afraid the enemy this time around is much less rational, but very , very cunning.

[oxer12.livejournal.com]

"Forced euthanasia?" Huh? I'm sitting here shaking my head that people believe such crap. Oy...

I'm honestly baffled as to why so many people are against universal healthcare. I mean, I understand why the insurance companies are against it, but why are so many PEOPLE against it? It makes absolutely no sense to me.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

why are so many PEOPLE against it

They're not against universal healthcare because they have no idea what that really is. They're against what they've been TOLD universal healthcare is -- some sort of intractably FUBARed government morass that will quadruple their taxes and reduce the quality of American medical care to that of some third-world backwater like...England. Or Canada. And now they've also been told that universal healthcare will include horrors like "mandated abortions" and government-run "death panels" (Sarah Palin's exact words) issuing orders of execution against the sick and elderly and other societal "undesirables." So yeah, that's what they're against -- a toxic soup of conservative lies being whipped up and dished out by corporate interests. What a fucking mess it all is.

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

Are you talking about the USA here, or Natzi Germany?

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Alas, it's the good ol' USA.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, and YES! You've put into words exactly what is so abhorrent about the conversatives' attitude toward healthcare.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised I could even find words. The ignorance -- and hypocrisy -- just leave me speechless.

[sixth-queen.livejournal.com]

In a way, this is pretty awesome. Conservative constituents had a chance to use good logic and reasoned arguments to convince their Congrespeople against reform. Instead, they squandered their opportunity and went batshit.

Even Bluedogs and Repubs aren't going to be swayed by these locos. What *I'm* worried about is the private meetings that we don't see, the ones with the real money. It's well established that the thoughtful purchase of a Congresscritter is the best return on investment in the world.

----------

Here's a positive story. Anthony Wiener (D-NY-Brooklyn) is made of win. He introduced an amendment on the bill to abolish Medicare, and double-dog dared Republicans to vote for it. Witness this Textbook Snark courtesy Tony From Da Block:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTh-Yu9RfF0

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Conservative constituents had a chance to use good logic and reasoned arguments to convince their Congrespeople against reform.

See, the thing is that "good logic and reasoned arguments" just don't exist here. What possible "good logic" can there be for maintaining the current system? There isn't any, so conservatives literally have no choice EXCEPT going batshit and making up crazy shit about "death panels" and lynching congressmen in effigy and hollering that they want the government out of Medicare. And speaking of Medicare and Anthony Wiener, can I just say how pissed off I am to see so many seniors protesting at these town hall meetings? I mean yes, I know, who else is most likely to have the time for this if not a lot of retired people (I wonder if FreedomWorks gives them a box lunch with their little bus trip?) but for God's sake, it burns my ass bigtime to see a bunch of people WITH GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE protesting GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE. I mean is that Alzheimers or, as Jon Stewart calls it...BALLSheimers?

[golden-berry.livejournal.com]

This is all so bizarre. The things these idiots say would be laughable if the people saying them weren't batshit crazy.

I thought when Obama was elected that maybe now the country would return to some semblance of sanity. But if anything, the nutcases are even WORSE.

I don't think it's awful to wish that each and every one of these crazy hate-filled morons goes bankrupt from medical expenses some day.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's awful to wish that each and every one of these crazy hate-filled morons goes bankrupt from medical expenses some day.

I just think these folks should all have to sign something saying that they will never, ever accept any sort of government healthcare, including Medicare, and be able to opt out of paying into it out of their taxes. Then they can permanently leave their own and their family's well-being up to the tender mercies of the free market, where the real "death panels," in the form of corporate bean-counters, literally decide every day who is productive (i.e. profitable) enough to merit medical care and who is not.

[sixth-queen.livejournal.com]

Not just seniors, but the Congresspeople themselves. The Congresscritter health plan is effectively single-payer. Commenters on DailyKos have a great question: If Republicans love the free market so much, and hate government so much, then when will they be giving up their government health plan, and buying their insurance on the free market? I'd love to see someone like, say, John McCain apply for private coverage. How many pre-exiting conditions do you think he has?

By the way, I read that the Palin clan, including baby Trig, is also covered by the US government through the Native American health service. Todd is of Native heritage.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

By the way, I read that the Palin clan, including baby Trig, is also covered by the US government

Even if this isn't true, I'm sure they were covered by the government when Palin was governor...and yet somehow, I didn't see the "death panel" ordering an abortion for Baby Trig. That woman is just a psychotic liar.

[iyalode.livejournal.com]

I have been lurking reading your posts on the current Medicare debate in the US. And whilst the Medicare in Australia is far from perfect the more I read on the current US private v's Medicare debate the more grateful I am our own system differs.

We are required to pay 1.5% levy each year. The current system operates in hand with private health insurance but from what I've read is different from the US system.

All I can do is offer up my own example ie: Me with flu going to local doctor. Receiving Tamifu due to risk category. Total cost:$0.00

What is covered by Medicare (http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/claims/what-cover.jsp)