Good grief.
:doh
How many times are people going to say that the only reason anyone could possibly be opposed to this bill is because they're stupid or evil?
Really. Enough. It's ridiculous, unthinking, and frankly, disgusting.
Well, kind of not too difficult to draw that conclusion considering the intellectual emptiness of most of the arguments. Factor the craven hypocrisy of people screaming about Socialism, when they themselves demand no cuts be made to their Medicare (you know that Socialist program for 65 and over). Or should we consider the depraved dishonesty from the likes of Grassley, Palin, and Newt and their Death Panels (you know, the ones they were formally in favor of, back when they were correctly called end of life counseling). Consider the so called deficit hawks who cry about the cost, while dishonestly ignoring what the impact of rising healthcare costs and Medicare growth.
Stupidity is arguing against paying for the healthcare of others...while we are already paying! Stupidity is thinking we can stay the course, and still be competitive in the global economy with a 17% GDP expenditure on healthcare. Stupidity is thinking we have such a great healthcare system, when every study shows we do not. Stupidity is using intellectually dishonest claims about our cancer survival rates, while completely ignoring the ironic "Socialist" investment government makes in cancer research. Stupidity is the sheer number of so called anti-Socialist Republicans who want to defeat "Socialist" healthcare, when they themselves do not have the honesty to support ending all our other wonderful Socialist programs. Stupidity is thinking we have a great system, when we are paying thousands of dollars more per person; that translates into higher out of pocket costs, lower wages, and increasing need for businesses to no longer offer healthcare. Stupidity is when NGO healthcare groups have to set up operations in U.S. cities, the same work they do in THIRD WORLD NATIONS (Yes folks, we join Haiti, Afghanistan, and others).
So no, it may not be the only reason that people are opposing HCR is because they are stupid and evil, but god damn if honest opposition is damn hard to find. The reality than any child could see is that opposition so far is primarily for partisan and special interests. Boo hoo the insurance companies might actually have to get a little more honest, I really could not give a bleep. They are one industry that seeks to drag down our whole economy. Where have the honest and thoughtful opponents been? Could it be that the Republicans just want a Waterloo moment, could it be that they care more about winning elections than the good of the nation? Well, I think the past 8 years have said enough.
In 2003 the Republicans in charge of both House and Senate, as well as the Presidency pushed out a Medicare bill without one single thought to how it was to be paid for. This bill alone will end up costing about close to the exact same as the current HCR proposals. Think about it, why was there no Republicans crying then for deficits and costs and so on? Where are these champions of deficits crying about a war in Iraq that will cost us in the end $3-5 trillion more than what was sold to us the public?
Most importantly, think for a second, what does it say about the opponents argument when they have to resort to the most depraved of lies and deceit. The sheer hypocrisy of Newt, Palin, Grassley, and others is despicable. To whip up anger and fear over these Death Panels, when these same despicable humans supported them.