I saw Star Parker do her best to talk sense while Barbara Walters was incessantly rude and condescending to her.
I saw Joyless Behar be her usual Joyless self, but today she must've been chanelling Rosie. She said that Bush had "taken over" all three branches of the government, and that her proof was the Alberto Gonzales "story." [shakes head in disbelief and exasperation]
Where have I been? And here I thought the House and Senate were Democrat-controlled these days! Not to mention that the balance of the Supreme Court is still tipping in the liberal's favor, what with Ginsberzerk, Kennedy and Seuter still in there. So now they're matched by three conservative justices and that's considered a "takeover?" Wow. Parity is control? What color is the sky in your world Joy?
And, the kicker to the whole experience? I heard Michael Moore tell Star Parker how well our government handles Social Security. No, I am NOT MAKING THIS UP! He maintained that our handling of Social Security is evidence that our government is not only capable of administering a huge centralized socialized healthcare system (at all), but that it would be good at it!
Oh, ouch, my sides still hurt from laughing so hard! He actually said--out loud, in front of millions of people--that the fact that elderly recipients get their checks like clockwork "on time every month" means our government would be good at choosing, providing and administering our healthcare? Yeah, cuz writing a check and picking a doctor are so analagous! Never mind the gargantuan problem the Social Security administration is facing when there aren't enough people paying into the system to have enough to write those checks at all, never mind ON TIME! They are already borrowing from other places to do that now Michael, or did you just return from the other planet on which you've been living for the past decade? That's the only legitimate explanation I can think of for you not knowing that!
He also said that lots of parts of our government are socialized already and cited first responders as an example. He said healthcare should be the same b/c it saves lives, and our lives depend upon it. Just one little problem Michael, first responders--for all the wonderful things they do--do not have the burden of coming up with new and more advanced ways of stabilizing us for transport to hospitals, or of putting our fires. To be sure, they have to do this, but not nearly on the same scale that doctors and researchers and pharma labs have to. We demand more cures, better treatments at lower costs every day, but he doesn't want there to be room for ANY profit in medicine. Well gee, that's just swell. So Mike, without profit, what do you suggest we do about investing in finding those cures and new treatments? What will be the incentive? Our asking for them? The government is going to find, hire and pay the researchers? Really? And how much more tax will we have to pay for all this? And when someone decides to sue because they didn't get what they needed (or are we no longer going to be allowed to do that because it's the government suddenly), will all of us have to pay the settlement or award? From our taxes?
What about energy? Oil, natural gas, electric companies, one could argue their services support life, without them it would be pretty hard to survive in most places in this country, but even they are allowed to make a small profit. Should that stop too? If so, how do you expect them to find new and better ways of heating/cooling and powering our lives? If we only pay for the services rendered, not a dime more, where will the R&D funds come from? The gov't again? Add another line item to our bill folks! Yeah, those pesky profits, they're what's killing us. Having to pay 50-60% of our incomes in taxes just to keep the whole machine rolling along, that would be soooo much better. [Eyeroll]
I have two words for you Mike: WALTER REED. Been there? Check it out. Then ask yourself how you'd feel getting all your care from the government, and how well they are doing taking care of--not the least amongst us, but the BEST?
To add insult to injury, he was telling all of this to a woman who has lived on welfare and has, therefore, depended upon Gov't provided healthcare in the form of medicaid. If she's telling him it doesn't work, maybe he--a person who claims to care about "the least amongst us" should listen?
That's another thing he did that floored me...Michael Moore was quoting JESUS to justify his position on healthcare. Yes, you read correctly. Michael Moore claims to be a practicing Catholic folks. And he said that he is moved by the teachings of Jesus who said that we should care for the least amongst us. And what happened when Star tried to point out--quite correctly I might add--that Jesus never said "go to your neighbors and take from their pockets to care for the least amongst us," he merely said we should EACH individually do what we could, she was shouted down and held back (literally, Barbara kept sticking her arm out to block her when Star was being perfectly polite about it) from making her point.
Yes, Michael Moore doesn't want "socialized medicing" he wants (his words, not mine) "Christianized Medicine." Ah, I see, being Christian is chic when its politically expedient, but when those uppity Christians get their undies in a bunch over abortion rights, well then they are zealots and "just as big a threat" as Islamic terrorists (just ask Rosie, she'll tell you).
So because I'm a Christian who is opposed to socialized medicine I'm what, not Christian enough for Michael Moore? He of all people presumes to sit in judgement of me based on this one issue? I so wanted Star to be able to ask him how "Christian" it is to tell obese people they aren't going to get that knee or hip replacement because they are fat and their "lifestyle choices" contributed to their condition? Because that's how it's done in England. But hey Mike, move there if you really think you'll live longer, only I suggest you look in the mirror before you do. Just be sure to leave a forwarding address, we'll want to be sure you get your social security checks on time.
Posted by insomnomaniac at June 19, 2007 1:22 PM | TrackBack