Health Insurance Industry is Using Mob Violence to Prevent Reform
The shocking truth is the health insurance industry is organizing what are essentially goon squads to prevent people from asking questions and learning the truth about health care reform. They’ve become so desperate in preventing people from understanding just how harmful and counterproductive the health insurance industry is to health care, that they are using ignorant and fearful bigots to disrupt these town hall meetings.
The lies and rhetoric being used to whip these people into a frenzy is of a piece; the same rhetoric that’s been used by Beck, Limbaugh and others that sparked some of these recent political killings. Unfortunately it’s working all too well.
These people have the nerve to call Obama a “Nazi” and “Hitler,” and those who support him “brown shirts.” This is clearly projection on their part, and it’s not even debatable: that is exactly what they are doing with their mob violence and behavior.
At the root of it, as is the case with all things in politics, is race:
And these people are becoming more violent, and even though I believe the best response is non-violence, I have to admit there is a part of me that would literally like to go to one of these meetings, grab one of these idiots and beat the crap out of them. They know though, that is not our way, so here’s what they get away with:
And here’s what some in the media are saying about these wingnut mobs:
Jeffrey Feldman, Huffington Post:
“With fists pounding on exterior windows like a street mob out of a 1930s newsreel, a crowd of right-wing agitators against health insurance reform descended on a town hall meeting in Tampa, Florida, “banging on windows” until police and organizers were forced to end the event. The result? A violent mob silenced the voices of each and every American desperate to find a way out of the endless cycle of fear, shame and family bankruptcy brought on by an inhumane, profit-driven health insurance market. Moreover, by using violence to shut down civic discussion between neighbors, this right-wing horde trampled underfoot one of the most sacred and historic symbols of American democracy.”
Paul Krugman, NY Times:
“There’s a famous Norman Rockwell painting titled “Freedom of Speech,” depicting an idealized American town meeting. The painting, part of a series illustrating F.D.R.’s “Four Freedoms,” shows an ordinary citizen expressing an unpopular opinion. His neighbors obviously don’t like what he’s saying, but they’re letting him speak his mind.”
“That’s a far cry from what has been happening at recent town halls, where angry protesters — some of them, with no apparent sense of irony, shouting “This is America!” — have been drowning out, and in some cases threatening, members of Congress trying to talk about health reform.”
Steve Pearlstein, Washington Post:
“As a columnist who regularly dishes out sharp criticism, I try not to question the motives of people with whom I don’t agree. Today, I’m going to step over that line.”
“The recent attacks by Republican leaders and their ideological fellow-travelers on the effort to reform the health-care system have been so misleading, so disingenuous, that they could only spring from a cynical effort to gain partisan political advantage. By poisoning the political well, they’ve given up any pretense of being the loyal opposition. They’ve become political terrorists, willing to say or do anything to prevent the country from reaching a consensus on one of its most serious domestic problems.”
Once again, democrats and progressives are behind the curve and are being forced to react. But better late than never. Health care reform is too important to allow a bunch of hateful, ignorant goons to prevent it.
I for one am tired of waiting to hear one congress man or woman, stand up and confront these goons and tell them: if you want to ask a question or make a statement, fine. But I am not going to allow you to intentionally disrupt these proceedings and prevent others from talking and asking questions. And then have them thrown out.
If they don’t do that, we’ll have to do it.
The lies and rhetoric being used to whip these people into a frenzy is of a piece; the same rhetoric that’s been used by Beck, Limbaugh and others that sparked some of these recent political killings. Unfortunately it’s working all too well.
These people have the nerve to call Obama a “Nazi” and “Hitler,” and those who support him “brown shirts.” This is clearly projection on their part, and it’s not even debatable: that is exactly what they are doing with their mob violence and behavior.
At the root of it, as is the case with all things in politics, is race:
And these people are becoming more violent, and even though I believe the best response is non-violence, I have to admit there is a part of me that would literally like to go to one of these meetings, grab one of these idiots and beat the crap out of them. They know though, that is not our way, so here’s what they get away with:
And here’s what some in the media are saying about these wingnut mobs:
Jeffrey Feldman, Huffington Post:
“With fists pounding on exterior windows like a street mob out of a 1930s newsreel, a crowd of right-wing agitators against health insurance reform descended on a town hall meeting in Tampa, Florida, “banging on windows” until police and organizers were forced to end the event. The result? A violent mob silenced the voices of each and every American desperate to find a way out of the endless cycle of fear, shame and family bankruptcy brought on by an inhumane, profit-driven health insurance market. Moreover, by using violence to shut down civic discussion between neighbors, this right-wing horde trampled underfoot one of the most sacred and historic symbols of American democracy.”
Paul Krugman, NY Times:
“There’s a famous Norman Rockwell painting titled “Freedom of Speech,” depicting an idealized American town meeting. The painting, part of a series illustrating F.D.R.’s “Four Freedoms,” shows an ordinary citizen expressing an unpopular opinion. His neighbors obviously don’t like what he’s saying, but they’re letting him speak his mind.”
“That’s a far cry from what has been happening at recent town halls, where angry protesters — some of them, with no apparent sense of irony, shouting “This is America!” — have been drowning out, and in some cases threatening, members of Congress trying to talk about health reform.”
Steve Pearlstein, Washington Post:
“As a columnist who regularly dishes out sharp criticism, I try not to question the motives of people with whom I don’t agree. Today, I’m going to step over that line.”
“The recent attacks by Republican leaders and their ideological fellow-travelers on the effort to reform the health-care system have been so misleading, so disingenuous, that they could only spring from a cynical effort to gain partisan political advantage. By poisoning the political well, they’ve given up any pretense of being the loyal opposition. They’ve become political terrorists, willing to say or do anything to prevent the country from reaching a consensus on one of its most serious domestic problems.”
Once again, democrats and progressives are behind the curve and are being forced to react. But better late than never. Health care reform is too important to allow a bunch of hateful, ignorant goons to prevent it.
I for one am tired of waiting to hear one congress man or woman, stand up and confront these goons and tell them: if you want to ask a question or make a statement, fine. But I am not going to allow you to intentionally disrupt these proceedings and prevent others from talking and asking questions. And then have them thrown out.
If they don’t do that, we’ll have to do it.
Hello everyone,
However, my question to all of you is, what are each one of you using to secure the sovereignty or complete independence of American Blacks? When we become sovereign we will have the best health care system since we will be providing our own health care.
Remember that through this country's history Black American have been the ones experiment on, am I right?
Now, do not foreget that I have an IQ of 68 and I can figure out these things while you all have above average IQ and can figure out what is best for us as an entire people. How do anyone of you explain that?
What say you?