Anger is a legitimate emotion in the face of injustice. Passive acceptance of evil is not a virtue.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Republican Party Is Turning Into A Cult
Something strange has happened in America in the nine months since Barack Obama was elected. It has best been summarized by the comedian Bill Maher: "The Democrats have moved to the right, and the Republicans have moved to a mental hospital."
One of the right wing lies about British health care was that nobody over 59 years of age is entitled to treatment for cardiac problems. For the record, I had a triple heart bypass at the age of 68, and have been receiving FREE medication for heart problems since before the age of 60. As one of the poorer citizens of the UK, I am of the opinion that an American of my economic status, with my health problems, would have been dead and buried at least a decade ago.
Yes, Jemmy you're right -- and that's true even if the person had health insurance. Every American patient and every American doctor can talk for hours about the horrors they've endured fighting to get health insurers to pay for treatment -- having to do this as you or your loved one are fighting to simply stay alive. If you didn't have health insurance, well, you'd be just as dead but the process would be quicker, and involve less paperwork.
And don't forget the other big lie, about how terrible it would be to have government bureacrats making decisions about our health care! OH NOES!! Because it is so much better now, with health-insurance lackeys -- who are paid a bonus depending on how many people they turn down for treatment -- are making those decisions...oh YEAH, way better!!!
Frankly, between the obnoxious, heartless, insurance company a-wipes I've had to deal with just to get a simple, standard checkup paid for and the professional, courteous govt. bureaucrats I've had to deal with at the DMV and the Post Office, I will take the bureaucrats any day.
Then there was a case of being "economical with the truth" rather than outright lying. This was the revelation that cancer treatment patients don't survive as long in the UK as they do in France and Germany. Missing detail, France and Germany both have a national health service. The reason that they produce better results than the UK NHS is that our service has been subjected to creeping privatisation at tha hands of successive governments. These same governments always declare that "The NHS is safe in our hands", no party would ever be elected that said otherwse. They lie of course.
<div class="storyHead"> <h1>This criticism is not coming from the right wing Americans. </h1> <h1> </h1> <h1>Sentenced to death on the NHS</h1> <h2>Patients with terminal illnesses are being made to die prematurely under an NHS scheme to help end their lives, leading doctors have warned.</h2> </div>
<span>This criticism is not coming from the right wing Americans.</span>
<span>Sentenced to death on the NHS </span> <span>Patients with terminal illnesses are being made to die prematurely under an NHS scheme to help end their lives, leading doctors have warned.
"... not coming from the right wing Americans." No, vza, it's coming from right-wing British media who have been motivated by the stuff that's coming out of the US. Does it happen in British hospitals? No doubt it does. All sorts of dubious cost-cutting activity has been introduced into our National Health Service by the overpaid (self-awarding) accountants and quangocrats who have been put in charge of the service by Thatcher and her successors. Their job is to starve the service of funding, than say, "Look, it's not working. We must let the market take over. The market is already taking over piecemeal, aided and abetted by politicians and bureaucrats who are in the pockets of private health care businesses. It's a disgrace. You'll be pleased to know, vza, that the Britsh NHS is doomed, and we can look forward to a shortening life expectancy, as is happening in the USA.
<span>You'll be pleased to know, vza, that the Britsh NHS is doomed, and we can look forward to a shortening life expectancy, as is happening in the USA.</span>
Why on earth would you think I want the demise of NHS? Because I asked you about an article? Must there be NO questioning of a sacred program or else one is labeled a right winger? It is also late in the game to be still blaming Thatcher for everything you think is wrong with your country? Btw, I think they announced last week that our life expectancy has increased.
<span><span>You'll be pleased to know, vza, that the Britsh NHS is doomed, and we can look forward to a shortening life expectancy, as is happening in the USA.</span>
Why on earth would you think I want the demise of NHS? Because I asked you about an article? Must there be NO questioning of a sacred program or else one is labeled a right winger? It is also late in the game to be still blaming Thatcher for everything you think is wrong with your country. Btw, I think they announced last week that our life expectancy has increased.</span>
<span><span><span>You'll be pleased to know, vza, that the Britsh NHS is doomed, and we can look forward to a shortening life expectancy, as is happening in the USA.</span>
Why on earth would you think I want the demise of NHS? Because I asked you about an article in the Telegraph? Is this program sacred and there can be NO questioning its effectiveness in certain areas or else one is labeled a right winger? It is also late in the game to be still blaming Thatcher for everything you think is wrong with your country. Btw, I think they announced last week that our life expectancy has increased. Also, I would like a national health care plan for Americans, too. I would like to see us adopt the best practices from different countries without also adopting the less than admirable aspects. </span></span>
Why? Because the NHS is under attack from the right. The lines have been drawn, vza, and whether in good faith or out of malice, you chose to further the campaign of the rabid right. Based on what I've read of your other comments I make the assumption that you are politically of the right, and that you know what you are doing when highlighting a weakness in the NHS. Perhaps one day you'll prove me wrong by posting a more sympathetic comment. I did write "Thatcher and her successors". That old witch was the one who introduced a programme of taking everything out of public ownership, and selling it off to her cronies at knockdown prices - "selling off the family silver" as a former conservative prime minister labelled it. She did intend to privatise the NHS, but that was a crime even her own party could not, or dare not, stomach. That has had to be done by stealth.
It's the same approach rightwingers take here: Starve the government of the funds it needs to work, staff government agencies with corrupt incompetents, and then, when disaster strikes, say "See? We told you government programs don't work!" As a glaring example, take FEMA: Under Bill Clinton, it became a model of efficiency. Under Bush, we had Katrina.
Of course, now that the Democratic Party is just as much in thrall to right-wing beliefs, headed by a president who lavished praise on Ronald Reagan and never even used the word "Democrat" in his campaign literature, we can expect even more market-privatization deliciousness.
Yes, it was the same that Lord Oliver Cromwell felt when they wanted to heave ho their "righteous" asses out of power many moons ago
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that Seymour Hersh called the Bush administration a "cult." The administration was merely a manifestation of this neocon movement.
ReplyDelete"IT'S A CULT"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/v/ToHhSrmDBjs
One of the right wing lies about British health care was that nobody over 59 years of age is entitled to treatment for cardiac problems. For the record, I had a triple heart bypass at the age of 68, and have been receiving FREE medication for heart problems since before the age of 60. As one of the poorer citizens of the UK, I am of the opinion that an American of my economic status, with my health problems, would have been dead and buried at least a decade ago.
ReplyDelete"18,000 US citizens die every year needlessly, because they can't access the care they require."
ReplyDeleteWho'd believe with the way things are in their own country they'd be going anywhere telling people how to live.
Yes, Jemmy you're right -- and that's true even if the person had health insurance. Every American patient and every American doctor can talk for hours about the horrors they've endured fighting to get health insurers to pay for treatment -- having to do this as you or your loved one are fighting to simply stay alive. If you didn't have health insurance, well, you'd be just as dead but the process would be quicker, and involve less paperwork.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget the other big lie, about how terrible it would be to have government bureacrats making decisions about our health care! OH NOES!! Because it is so much better now, with health-insurance lackeys -- who are paid a bonus depending on how many people they turn down for treatment -- are making those decisions...oh YEAH, way better!!!
Frankly, between the obnoxious, heartless, insurance company a-wipes I've had to deal with just to get a simple, standard checkup paid for and the professional, courteous govt. bureaucrats I've had to deal with at the DMV and the Post Office, I will take the bureaucrats any day.
Then there was a case of being "economical with the truth" rather than outright lying. This was the revelation that cancer treatment patients don't survive as long in the UK as they do in France and Germany. Missing detail, France and Germany both have a national health service. The reason that they produce better results than the UK NHS is that our service has been subjected to creeping privatisation at tha hands of successive governments. These same governments always declare that "The NHS is safe in our hands", no party would ever be elected that said otherwse. They lie of course.
ReplyDeleteSince some want to talk about health care, I just recently watched this sick video that reinforces what you are saying -
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCyc5IfIFP4
RETHINKING HEALTHCARE
ReplyDeletehttp://burtcohen.com/Portals/0/RadioShows/Wolfe_Health%20Care%20Roots.mp3
<div class="storyHead">
ReplyDelete<h1>This criticism is not coming from the right wing Americans.
</h1>
<h1>
</h1>
<h1>Sentenced to death on the NHS</h1>
<h2>Patients with terminal illnesses are being made to die prematurely under an NHS scheme to help end their lives, leading doctors have warned.</h2>
</div>
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6127514/Sentenced-to-death-on-the-NHS.html
<span>This criticism is not coming from the right wing Americans.</span>
ReplyDelete<span>Sentenced to death on the NHS </span>
<span>Patients with terminal illnesses are being made to die prematurely under an NHS scheme to help end their lives, leading doctors have warned.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6127514/Sentenced-to-death-on-the-NHS.html</span>
"... not coming from the right wing Americans." No, vza, it's coming from right-wing British media who have been motivated by the stuff that's coming out of the US.
ReplyDeleteDoes it happen in British hospitals? No doubt it does. All sorts of dubious cost-cutting activity has been introduced into our National Health Service by the overpaid (self-awarding) accountants and quangocrats who have been put in charge of the service by Thatcher and her successors. Their job is to starve the service of funding, than say, "Look, it's not working. We must let the market take over. The market is already taking over piecemeal, aided and abetted by politicians and bureaucrats who are in the pockets of private health care businesses. It's a disgrace. You'll be pleased to know, vza, that the Britsh NHS is doomed, and we can look forward to a shortening life expectancy, as is happening in the USA.
<span>You'll be pleased to know, vza, that the Britsh NHS is doomed, and we can look forward to a shortening life expectancy, as is happening in the USA.</span>
ReplyDeleteWhy on earth would you think I want the demise of NHS? Because I asked you about an article? Must there be NO questioning of a sacred program or else one is labeled a right winger? It is also late in the game to be still blaming Thatcher for everything you think is wrong with your country? Btw, I think they announced last week that our life expectancy has increased.
<span><span>You'll be pleased to know, vza, that the Britsh NHS is doomed, and we can look forward to a shortening life expectancy, as is happening in the USA.</span>
ReplyDeleteWhy on earth would you think I want the demise of NHS? Because I asked you about an article? Must there be NO questioning of a sacred program or else one is labeled a right winger? It is also late in the game to be still blaming Thatcher for everything you think is wrong with your country. Btw, I think they announced last week that our life expectancy has increased.</span>
<span><span><span>You'll be pleased to know, vza, that the Britsh NHS is doomed, and we can look forward to a shortening life expectancy, as is happening in the USA.</span>
ReplyDeleteWhy on earth would you think I want the demise of NHS? Because I asked you about an article in the Telegraph? Is this program sacred and there can be NO questioning its effectiveness in certain areas or else one is labeled a right winger? It is also late in the game to be still blaming Thatcher for everything you think is wrong with your country. Btw, I think they announced last week that our life expectancy has increased. Also, I would like a national health care plan for Americans, too. I would like to see us adopt the best practices from different countries without also adopting the less than admirable aspects.
</span></span>
Why? Because the NHS is under attack from the right. The lines have been drawn, vza, and whether in good faith or out of malice, you chose to further the campaign of the rabid right. Based on what I've read of your other comments I make the assumption that you are politically of the right, and that you know what you are doing when highlighting a weakness in the NHS. Perhaps one day you'll prove me wrong by posting a more sympathetic comment.
ReplyDeleteI did write "Thatcher and her successors". That old witch was the one who introduced a programme of taking everything out of public ownership, and selling it off to her cronies at knockdown prices - "selling off the family silver" as a former conservative prime minister labelled it. She did intend to privatise the NHS, but that was a crime even her own party could not, or dare not, stomach. That has had to be done by stealth.
It's the same approach rightwingers take here: Starve the government of the funds it needs to work, staff government agencies with corrupt incompetents, and then, when disaster strikes, say "See? We told you government programs don't work!" As a glaring example, take FEMA: Under Bill Clinton, it became a model of efficiency. Under Bush, we had Katrina.
ReplyDeleteOf course, now that the Democratic Party is just as much in thrall to right-wing beliefs, headed by a president who lavished praise on Ronald Reagan and never even used the word "Democrat" in his campaign literature, we can expect even more market-privatization deliciousness.