Evan McMorris-Santoro reports: "Blitzer asked if under Paul's libertarian philosophy, a sick man without insurance should be allowed to die in the hospital rather than have the state pay his medical bills. Before Paul could answer that question, shouts of 'yes!' and cheering bubbled up from the audience."
Republican Rep. Ron Paul speaks during the presidential debate sponsored by CNN and The Tea Party Express, 09/12/11, (photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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First, he said "that's what freedom is all about - taking your own risks". Then when pressed if "society should let him die", they showed him saying, "no... well...duh... uh..." as the audience cheered for the uninsured death penalty.
Back pedalling is what I got from the clip. I'm not masochistic enough to have sat through the real thing live.
This revealing outburst, similar to the recent one that celebrated Rick Perry's record number of executions in Texas, shows that the charity and compassion that once motivated us to provide care for the indigent, are now being replaced not just by indifference, but indeed calls to let them to die, and quickly too. The freak show now on interactive display in the GOP presidential "debates" could only be sponsored by a very sick body politic; one suffering from a syndrome of arrogance, selfishness, hatred, greed, and fear.
How is any of this possible? Who could, or would, cheer the death of the uninsured? Look next door. And vote.
We can go back to the colonial days where a fire department only responded to fires in homes where people had paid their fire department subscriber fees.
Folks who support the Tea Party get some perverted satisfaction out of the emotional outbursts.
Those who don't like the Tea Party types have more ammunition to use against them and their extreme attitudes.
This particular question ignores a more realistic scenario concerning insurance, however, in that thousands of folks cannot AFFORD insurance as opposed to choosing not to have it. Probably comes up a lot in these "debates".
Afterall, they're "responsible for their actions" too, right - even if the action they're responsible for not affording parents who could afford to help them afford college, so they could afford to keep their job.
At the time (I don't know if the rules have changed since), I was actually denied a student loan because I wasn't supposedly making enough to prove to the state that I was "independant". Therefore, I must have been receiving financial help from my parents, who were retired and relying on the Social Security checks. I couldn't go to school for two years, because I didn't make enough to pay for it, or even enough to be given a frickin' loan.
Later, I worked a low wage job for the state of texas (sorry to say). They had a way to get around the legal requirement to pay overtime for working overtime. As soon as you worked 1 minute over 40 hours, you were "technically" working for a "private contractor" - hence, working a "second job". This way, you could work 80 hours a week without earning overtime. In fact, the "private contractor" paid less than the state. Afterall, they were private and needed to show a profit. So, in effect, overtime pay was LESS than the base rate.
The cards are stacked, and the people who stacked them are now the Twit-Party base.
Most all questions, as in tests in schools and attempts to gain information from citizens in surveys, can be skewed with no right answer. The questions in these events, I will bet, are as this one, and framed to trap even the audience.
As an illustration, my dad died in a private room in comfort, and dignity in Scotland paid for by a national system WHICH HE'D PAID INTO ALL HIS WORKING LIFE. He was an engineer and not wealthy. This took so much stress from his survivors including myself; the grief of losing a loved one is enough without having to be saddled with the astronomical costs of his care.
Now my American wife's dad, who was comparatively well-off as a former car dealer and, WW11 pilot on the carriers, would have been OUT ON THE STREET if he had not been financed in his waning months by an former fellow pilot and dear friend who had become very wealthy and wanted him to die in dignity.
I have personally been bankrupted by the US non-health-care system (with insurance) and have gone from a six-figure income, to being one of the "New Poor", struggling to recover some form of business and having had to take early Social Security to have any income and pay the mortgage. -And I'm a fiercely independent entrepreneurial type with a good work ethic and deep sense of pride in what I do.
And these ignorant, unfeeling bastards want to make it worse!
One is reminded of Schindler's List" where the Nazis just shot at will, anyone not fully productive or elderly.
I would love to drop them off in a colony of lepers with no way to leave. These people know nothing about caring, understanding and that comes from their family, church, upbringing. It is becoming so evident there is no feelings, we lost that when we allowed Technology to raise our children not us.
That Cell Phone is just not that important. That Call could have gone unanswered...instead our children were given pc's and xboxes. I remember going and doing acts of charity, helping others..not for money. I do not see kids giving a darn to even help their parents without that money sign
Americans?
First you have to be brought up to believe in what the Lord created and gave us, in order to have any belief in oneself or accept and love others.
Yes these are the'Jesus Freaks" the Born Agains aren't they just what this World needs. They sound and jeer a lot like the other parts of the World when we are being killed there.
I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. What's really ironic is, the Republicans and their Tea Party supporters claim to be CHRISTIAN! I thought the Christian ethic was taken from Christ: "I was hungry, and you fed me, I was naked, and you clothed me." No if, ands or buts, no "If I do this for you, then you owe me!" Add to that: "I was destitute, and you helped me find lodging, a job, a rise out of poverty."
And Christians can't claim to have this idea as their own, either. Since Christ was a Jew, he was only repeating an ancient Jewish custom - the Mitzvot, or good deed. I'm afraid Americans in general have lost sight of this simple morality and have sunk into the sewers of greed, selfishness, blame, ignorance and arrogance. If there is a God in this country anymore, I hope he/she gives them a dose of their own medicine!
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