The Health Care Scare

[lunadelcorvo]

I have seen a lot of people getting really concerned by the buzz over Universal Health Care. Much of that buzz however, is generated by big insurance companies, their PR firms and lobbyists. In the interest of public service, therefore, I am offering these two videos to help present what's really going on.

The fact of the matter is, big insurance and their allies WANT you to be terrified of what will happen to you and your loved ones under UHC. Much like the rhetoric of impending doom which followed 9/11, and allowed the Iraq war to be begun without much objection, this stuff is designed to keep people unsure of who to trust, and fearing for their own personal safety. It's cunningly crafted nonsense, however. These clips help to blow the cover off the attempts these billion dollar players are making in a desperate move to keep your money going to them.

Rachel maddow exposes one of many supposedly "grass-roots" organizations which is sending people to disrupt town hall meetings, harass elected officials, and generally give the impression of an outraged citizenry. Sadly, while these folks may be legitimately upset, the things about which they are upset are fabrications.

Also a must-see on this issue: July 10, 2009 - "With almost 20 years inside the health insurance industry, Wendell Potter saw for-profit insurers hijack our health care system and put profits before patients. Now, he speaks with Bill Moyers about how those companies are standing in the way of health care reform."

One of the pertinent sections of this interview shows memos from inside a major insurance company, outlining the PR plan for discrediting the idea of universal health care by any means necessary. However, the overall picture he gives of an utterly corrupt, purely money-driven industry is also quite relevant at present.

Comments

[primitivepeople.livejournal.com]

We've had universal health care for over 60 years, and you know what? It actually works most of the time! Most British people are amazed and horrified when they find out how much hospital treatment costs in America.

Even that budget-cutting bitch Thatcher didn't dare try to privatise the NHS. People are proud of it and go to great lengths to defend it.

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

What kills me is all the 'horror stories' about health care in the UK & Canada - it's terrifying how quickly people will fall for scare tactics without ever bothering with the facts....

[primitivepeople.livejournal.com]

Yeah...however under-resourced the NHS may be, and whatever isn't perfect about it, it's pretty damn good, all things considered. Admittedly I've never been seriously ill, but every dealing I've ever had with the NHS has been wonderful.

Almost every country in the world - even dirt-poor ones - has better health care provision than the US, and it's the richest nation in the world!

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

I know. It's ridiculous. Then again, we are something like 37th in the world in terms of the % of people who believe the earth was made in 6 days (putting us right after Turkey, I believe), and pretty darned far (I want to say 18th?) in national literacy. So really, maybe not so surprising...

[primitivepeople.livejournal.com]

Best of luck in trying to sort it out - I hope you get there.

[doctoreon.livejournal.com]

Poe's Law is alive and well.

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

In which sense do you mean? (I can think of a few angles....)

[celtickittenmew.livejournal.com]

I had no idea what these slick, corporate, sharks were up to. To say that I'm shocked would be an understatement. To say that I am appalled would be closer. Using honest, hard-working, retired grandparents and others to make false accusations based in overwhelming fear of loss of freedoms is sickening. May they all rot in their respective, unpleasant, afterlives! In the mean time, let's all pray, think, and act, in favor of healthcare reform in spite of it.

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

Totally - it's rather like the fox telling the hens it's perfectly safe to come out of the coop....

[sorshawolf.livejournal.com]

The best quote ever, "We don't want Government Run Health Care!!! and DON'T TOUCH MY MEDICARE!"

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

I know! And I just know all these folk will, in the name of preventing *gasp* socialism, decline to take any of their social security as well.... riiiiight. *headdesk*

(http://punditkitchen.com/2009/04/21/political-pictures-patriotic-american/)
see more Political Pictures (http://punditkitchen.com)

Useful Guide to Distinguishing Community Organizing from Astroturf

[x3non.livejournal.com]

Community Organizing looks like this:


Astroturf looks like this:

Re: Useful Guide to Distinguishing Community Organizing from Astroturf

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

ROTFL! You got that right! "Astroturf" I haven't heard that one before - love it!

[lucretiasheart.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting these entries about this sham of a protest movement.

People are SOOO fucking gullible...

(And that's saying a lot coming from a weirdo like me, right?!)

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

Not at all, hun. And yeah, people seem to have a tnedency, no, even a NEED, to have a Big, Bad Wolf out there to be afraid of. Lacking one that makes some kind of sense, they will happily accept one that is utterly irrational, just to have something to fear, and to blame.

What was it in the Matrix? They made the first several versions of the Matrix to be perfect, peaceful, happy. And the human mind couldn't accept it, rejected any reality which was not ridden with strife and suffering and fear.....