This is a battle between vicious lies and complicated truth.
For those of us who take the time to read and educate ourselves concerning these issues the choices are complex but honest.
For those who simply allow themselves to be educated by FOX News, and GOP talking points, the choices are simple and false.
I believe it speaks to a certain intellectual apathy to simply allow your point of view to be shaped by whatever is the most convenient and accessible source of information. I would encourage anybody reading this post, to also look elsewhere for alternative points of view, read what is in the bill being proposed (I know it is long but do your best) , and reach your conclusions based on the combination of information that you have acquired.
As a rule progressives are not worried about the public learning too much, they are instead concerned about them learning too little.
I thought President Obama did a very good message this week. I'm sorry he had to waste time, again, debunking lies and BS, but I thought he also conveyed the essence of the healthcare reform plan effectively.
ReplyDeleteI think supporters of the bill should start streamlining the message and making it into digestible soundbites that are repeated over and over like a mantra.
To me that message is this...
1. The Option is an option - if you don't want it don't take it. It's really for those who have no options.
2. Prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage because of a person's medical history.
3. Insurance companies will not be able to water down your coverage when you need it the most.
4. There will be no arbitrary amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or a lifetime.
5. There will be a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses, because no one in America should go broke because they get sick.
Make the Sarah Palins and her ignorant minions argue with that message and tell us why that is bad for America.
It's time for us to go nuclear with a simple message about what the bill is and start ignoring the idiots who keep lying about what the bill isn't.
IOW, stop pandering to the minority base. Start educating our majority base!
I'd like an Alaskan to respond to something I just read about on Facebook:
ReplyDelete1) Prison inmates are the only Americans with a constitutional right to healthcare dating back to 1976 Supreme Court decision in Texas Estelle vs Gamble. They ruled that deliberate indifference to a prisoner's serious illness or injury constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.
2) Alaska denies healthcare to almost all inmates and stops nearly all medications upon incarceration. Alaska charges inmates $20 to see a healthcare provider.
What the...???
You go guy! I think we should start lobbying the retailers who sponsor the nay sayers like Limbaugh, Hannity, and O'Reily to stop supporting negative and venomous talk. It has worked on Glenn Beck. It should work on the others. If these retailers are boycotted by progressives they will lose billions.
ReplyDeleteCheck out this simple chart explaining the "Health Care Plan."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/electoral-math/3831797463/sizes/o/
How sad it is that the rightwing nuttery can be whipped into a frenzy to support the financial interests of Corporate America!
ReplyDeleteHow sad it is that our President must battle the damage of the corporate-sponsored wingnuts--the Faux teabaggers/Palinites who are too ignorant/scared/uninformed to recognize that this disinformation/corporate media campaign is sponsored by the health INSURERS.
Here is a great site:
ReplyDeleteIt's called "Please Cut the Crap - Deconstructing the Right Wing Lies on the Health Insurance Bill! The Complete Collection on One Page! "
http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/deconstructing-rw-lies-hcbill.html
Read it and pass it along..
You can see the frustration in the President's tone and in his face growing in the last few addresses he has made.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have absolutely no personal interests in the American healthcare system I myself am terribly frustrated as I watch opposition who is so fevered and passionate as they blindly shout down a reform that would benefit them so much more than those trying to create it.
I can imagine that those who believe the misinformation and outright lies would never actually watch these addresses anyways.