It doesn’t take Stephen Hawking to figure this one out
The conservative opinion magazine Human Events was reputedly Ronald Reagan’s favorite read, and to this day fancies itself the house organ for the hard-right intelligentsia. Among those published regularly in its pages are such luminaries as Newt Gingrich and Ann Coulter.
In my email this morning is a message from Human Events regarding the health-reform debate, warning of “government-forced extermination” of unborn children, grandmothers and grandfathers:
Grandmas and Unborn Babies Face Extermination by Obama’s “Health” Care Plan
Investors Business Daily has just exposed the Achilles’ heel of Obamacare, that hostile, socialist government takeover of your hospital, doctors, children, and grandparents. In an editorial entitled, “How House Bill Runs Over Grandma,” the editors report how President Obama was personally confronted by a North Carolina woman asking if “everyone that’s Medicare age will be visited and told they have to decide how they wish to die.”
In response Obama joked that he hadn’t yet hired enough bureaucrats to conduct such an operation, yet he could not deny the New York Post’s discovery the House bill “compels seniors to submit to a counseling session every five years (and more often if they become sick or go into a nursing home) about alternatives for end-of-life care” (pages 425-430). In other words, your grandmother will be told, when insufficient resources are rationed to young people, that her duty to die begins with mandatory “end-of-life counseling,” or as Obama explained, “encourage the use of living wills” that terminate otherwise salvageable lives prematurely through signed “do not resuscitate” (DNR) legal releases.”
In other words, these people have gone full-blown lunatic on us. Curious, I also looked up the Investors Business Daily editorial cited by Human Events. Published a week ago Friday, it is chock full of lies, distortions and other foolishness, such as the claim that the House bill would compel senior citizens to undergo mandatory euthanasia counseling every five years.
But my favorite part of the editorial deals with the British health-care system, which if you believe IBD is basically condemning the old and disabled to die.
“People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn’t have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless,” the editorial claims.
Of course, that same Stephen Hawking who wouldn’t have a chance in the United Kingdom was in fact born in the United Kingdom, has lived his entire life in the United Kingdom and lives there still today, at the ripe old age of 67. (He was in fact hospitalized earlier this month.) Hawking is, you might say, living, breathing proof that these people are first-class fools.
UPDATE: Investors Business Daily has corrected its editorial, removing all mention of Stephen Hawking. And Hawking himself has responded, telling the UK’s Guardian:
“I wouldn’t be here today if it were not for the NHS. I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived.”
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555 comments Add your comment
Brad Steel
August 10th, 2009
11:48 am
Hawking can talk the talk, be he can’t walk the walk.
I Report/ I Am The Mob :-) You Whine :-(
August 10th, 2009
11:48 am
The AJC’s editorial board spouts plenty of lies, distortions and other foolishness, 46 million uninsured for instance, those in glass houses…..
Midori
August 10th, 2009
11:48 am
One would think, after their abysmal track record, that these losers would develop another strategy.
Pushing fear and lies is no way for stupid people to go through life.
Midori
August 10th, 2009
11:49 am
Andy,
could you please give an example of these AJC lies, distortions and other foolishness?
George American
August 10th, 2009
11:51 am
Defeat Obamacare by any means necessary!
Midori
August 10th, 2009
11:52 am
Defeat fear and ignorance by any means necessary!!
USinUK
August 10th, 2009
11:56 am
“He is, you might say, living, breathing proof that these people are first-class fools”
well, Jay, these people never let the facts get in the way of a good smear …
(and Obama is going to hunt Trig from a helicopter!!!)
Doggone/GA
August 10th, 2009
11:57 am
“People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn’t have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless,” the editorial claims”
This will forever live in my mind as the FUNNIEST line EVER in the healthcare debate. Don’t even try, folks…this one can’t be beaten.
Midori
August 10th, 2009
11:58 am
FLY MONKEYS!!
FLY!!!!!!!!!!
http://cagle.com/working/090808/sherffius21.jpg
I Report/ I Am The Mob :-) You Whine :-(
August 10th, 2009
11:58 am
Let’s leave aside, for a moment, the estimated 47 million or so Americans who have no health insurance.-Queen Pinko, Urinal
Anything else I can help you with, diM?
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
August 10th, 2009
11:59 am
“He is, you might say, living, breathing proof that these people are first-class fools.”
Ah, Jay, it is good to have you and your simple ruminations back. Bush BADDDD – Obumbler GOOD.
The key is the phrase ijn the formulation of the sentence and theory is, ““People such as scientist Stephen Hawking…”, which refers to hypothetical person with the same physical infirmities as Hawking rather than Hawking himself.
Hawking, by virtue of his extreme personal wealth, has access to healthcare far beyond that of most with the same physical infirmities. The article does not say rich people such as Hawking shan’t have healthcare, rather it says sick people like Hawking shan’t have healthcare – a clear, but meaningful distinction that you missed or chose to overlook in your role of a chortling prairie dog protecting the mother hole – Obumbler.
In this case, you tossed the F word a little too quickly and, hence, I must caution – ask not for whom the bell tolls.
Class of '98
August 10th, 2009
12:01 pm
Sorry pinkos, this ship is sinking. You lost this one. As Algore would say, “the debate is over” (doesn’t he sound friggin retarded when he says that?)
Anyhoo, better luck on the cap-and-tax, which none of you understand, but blindly support anyway.
Midori
August 10th, 2009
12:03 pm
http://cagle.com/working/090807/stein.jpg
Andy, Class of ‘98, George American, Wild Bill.
You guys take a great picture.
Andy @ 11:58 — let’s see what else you can pull out of your arse.
Midori
August 10th, 2009
12:04 pm
or is this where you got that “statistic”?
http://www.caglecartoons.com/images/preview/%7Bb1080614-b57c-4ec1-9d1d-c152e8d27d9b%7D.gif
I Report/ I Am The Mob :-) You Whine :-(
August 10th, 2009
12:08 pm
Look up top^^ diM.
Sister Souljah
August 10th, 2009
12:08 pm
Again I will post again, of the 48 million “uninsured”: Subtract the millions of young healthy people who choose NOT to have health insurance in lieu of smartphones, broadband, cable, etc. Also subtract the millions who are ALREADY eligible for state medicaid but are either unwaware or too lazy to apply for it. Subtract the 12-20 illegal immigrants whose healthcare should be the responsibility of their home countries or their (illegal) employers….And the real number or “uninsured’ is around 15 million…..Still a huge number…..but talk about lies and distortions propogated by…..the government and media
N-GA
August 10th, 2009
12:09 pm
This is simply another example of how the Commandment “Thou shalt not bear false witness…” simply does not apply to right-wing conservatives.And their apologists (enablers) who post here say it must be okay because others do it (AJC?). So I assume they think that must apply to all the other Commandments as well.
Of course these supposedly eductaed people couldn’t correctly define what “Socialist” or “Socialism” really mean. The idiots don’t realize that government-provided health insurance isn’t socialized healthcare whereby Veteran’s Hospitals are a form of socialized healthcare.
But what genuinely worries me is the number of voters who believe this drivel. It simply goes hand-in-hand with the miserable quality of American schooling. That and that fear drives all of these people. Heck, fear of death makes them believe that there is life after death. The alternative frightens them into church. You would think they would actually pay more attention to obeying the Commandments. Oh yeah, I forgot that they also believe that God will forgive all those sins if you ask Him…even if you commit the sin while anticipating His forgiveness. You see, they think they are smarter than God!
ROTHLMAO…..
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2009
12:11 pm
Obama is going to hunt Trig from a BLACK helicopter!!!
FYT.
Mac
August 10th, 2009
12:11 pm
The uneducated, undereducated and just-plain-Rushannityboortzwashed in North Georgia are already stating as fact that all senior citizens will be killed under the Obama plan … “just like they do overseas in them socialist European countries.”
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
August 10th, 2009
12:13 pm
N-GA
August 10th, 2009
12:09 pm
Let me axes you this, has the country ever seen a more prolific liar than Obumbler?
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2009
12:13 pm
Of course these supposedly eductaed people couldn’t correctly define what “Socialist” or “Socialism” really mean.
Given that the most (supposedly) radical approach being proposed by any legislator would be a single payer plan, one would have to believe that Canada is a “Socialist State” in order to follow their twisted logic.
Paul
August 10th, 2009
12:14 pm
The part about Hawking was astounding.
This is the magazine of the ideological intelligentsia?
From down below, repeat:
Just saw a Facebook poll, “Are you in favor of a Government run health care system?”
Of course, I just had to comment:
“we already have a government-run healthcare system: Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran’s Administration…”
Joey
August 10th, 2009
12:15 pm
Jay;
Would you provide us with the text of pages 425-430 of the legislation they referenced?
Paul
August 10th, 2009
12:16 pm
Hey N-GA
[[This is simply another example of how the Commandment “Thou shalt not bear false witness…” simply does not apply]]
Practical living of the principles is such a challenge…
jconservative
August 10th, 2009
12:16 pm
I Report/ I Am The Mob
You Whine 
August 10th, 2009 11:48 am
The AJC’s editorial board spouts plenty of lies, distortions and other foolishness, 46 million uninsured for instance, those in glass houses…..
You are correct – two lies do make a truth.
George American August 10th, 2009 11:51 am
Defeat Obamacare by any means necessary!
Again, I say that the problem you guys face is not Obamacare but the 30 million retirees who will be drawing Soc Sec, Medicare, Medicaid & VA in 20 years.
I really believe you guys are targeting the wrong problem. You already know, or should know, that the House plan is dead.
Greg
August 10th, 2009
12:18 pm
It is very difficult if not impossible to have a meaningful discussion on the healthcare issues when people take the stance they have regardless of which side of the debate (if it can be called that) they are on.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
August 10th, 2009
12:18 pm
Well, if this Obama health care passes one day you will set down to Thanksgiving dinner and the woman of the house will put something in the center of the table. What’s this? you will ask. Then people will say all together, It’s Grandpa!
And if you’re getting on in years and you happen to walk toward a bunch of young people looking kind of hungry, best get out of there while you can.
And don’t ever let them check you in to a hospitle. There’s hearses parked in the basement just waiting for them to give you a little shot.
Anyhow, I ain’t entrusted in paying for anybody’s doctoring but my own and my kin’s. If God had of wanted everybody to get a Dr. and live a long time, you would of been born with a little insurance policy in your hand. It’s a jungle out there and only the people fit to live will survive. If this Obamacare passes we will be getting in the way of God’s Plan. This Sister Souljah sounds like my kind of Dr.–a good Conservative one that knows how things are suppose to work.
Have a good p.m. everybody.
USinUK
August 10th, 2009
12:19 pm
WBH –
“which refers to hypothetical person with the same physical infirmities as Hawking rather than Hawking himself”
um. epic WRONG — you seem to be conveniently ignoring the last half of the sentence: “where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless”
ahem: THIS BRILLIANT MAN. not “random guy with handicaps”. THIS. BRILLIANT. MAN.
nice try, but … fail.
Maw & Paw Kettle
August 10th, 2009
12:19 pm
Why does President Obama want us dead?
Normal
August 10th, 2009
12:19 pm
Midori
August 10th, 2009
11:58 am
FLY MONKEYS!!
FLY!!!!!!!!!!
Wails that will be heard after the healthcare package passes:
I’M MELTING! I’M MELTING! What a world, what a world…
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
August 10th, 2009
12:20 pm
The question, very simply, is, if Obama care is so nifty, why do the liberal sheople spend so much time explaining the flaws in the conservative thought process rather than explaining the good characteristics of Obama’s so called plan. After all, with Democrat majorities, this can be done without conservatives. Makes one wonder, doesn’t it?
Midori
August 10th, 2009
12:21 pm
hey Andy
BOO!!!
George Soros Pledges $5 Million To Bankroll Health Care Push
Jay
August 10th, 2009
12:21 pm
Joey, I provided that in a previous post on this topic.
TnGelding
August 10th, 2009
12:22 pm
Time for a reality check?
“Anyone that’s watched the news in the past few days knows that health insurance reform is a hot topic — and that rumors and scare tactics have only increased as more people engage with the issue. Given a lot of the outrageous claims floating around, it’s time to make sure everyone knows the facts about the security and stability you get with health insurance reform.”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/?e=10&ref=text
Fly-On-The-Wall
August 10th, 2009
12:22 pm
Too bad we can’t get more information on other nations healthcare methods. I hear that France is #1 in healthcare and spends far less than the U.S. Theirs is a hybrid style which means it isn’t a total government plan. So what is wrong with that plan? Could we do that here? I know for conservatives using anything from France is a sin but if it isn’t a total government controlled plan wouldn’t that be more exceptable?
Midori
August 10th, 2009
12:22 pm
LOL Normal!!!
Doggone/GA
August 10th, 2009
12:25 pm
“Let me axes you this, has the country ever seen a more prolific liar than Obumbler?”
Yep
NP
August 10th, 2009
12:26 pm
The House bill offers voluntary counseling. It’s scary that an editorial piece can be based on outright misrepresentation of the facts. It’s sad that the public’s standard for critical thinking and reading has fallen so low.
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
August 10th, 2009
12:26 pm
USinUK
August 10th, 2009
12:19 pm
Read it once more. “…where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, BECAUSE OF HIS PHYSICAL HANDICAPS (emphasis added), is essentially worthless”, what part of – the manner in which Hawking pays from his own pocket is not available to other similarly infirm people – don’t you understand.
But for his personal wealth, Hawking would have long ago been pushing up daisies. As would those similarly afflicted but without such resources in America were Obamacare to pass.
TnGelding
August 10th, 2009
12:28 pm
Joey
August 10th, 2009
12:15 pm
http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/webreturn/?url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3200:
Ray
August 10th, 2009
12:28 pm
Where is the right’s movement to repeal Medicare, being that this ’socialism’ is a death machine for the elderly?
OctoMom
August 10th, 2009
12:29 pm
I fear for you. Had the govt known I was having 8 little precious, lovely babies I fear they wouldve killed some of them because I cant afford them. Or after having them the govt would make me sterilized.
I will leave this country now.
TnGelding
August 10th, 2009
12:30 pm
Midori
August 10th, 2009
12:21 pm
We could use $5 billion to fund the “wars” for a few of days.
AmVet
August 10th, 2009
12:32 pm
OK, maniacs, spare the kids and the innocent people, but I’m all for all of you paranoid suiciders, birthers, flat earthers and Jim Adkisosn fans doing the Koresh dance.
Paradise is just a little gasoline and one match strike away…
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
August 10th, 2009
12:34 pm
AmVet
August 10th, 2009
12:32 pm
Don’t get too far in the air, Obumbler only wants to wage eldercide on the aged and genocide on whitey.
OctoMom
August 10th, 2009
12:34 pm
TnGelding
August 10th, 2009
12:22 pm
That site is full of lies and BS. A complete waste of time
stands for decibels
August 10th, 2009
12:35 pm
Ray @ 12.28, actually the Pubbies had a chance to vote down that death machine, courtesy of (the unfortunately named) Anthony Weiner.
N-GA
August 10th, 2009
12:35 pm
Hello, Paul….
Sometimes I wish Obama would take a page from H. Ross before he had his meltdown. Just get in front of the cameras and use some simple charts/graphs showing how much money is spent on the insurance layer. Then show what is spent on doctors, hospitals, labs, pharmacueticals, etc. (direct healthcare expense).
Yes, I understand the purpose of health insurance. But it is out of control. My wife & I pay BC/BS (emphasis on the BS) more than $2k/month. And that doesn’t include dental or eyewear, but does mean high deductibles and co-pays. My premium has more than doubled since January, 2008. Georgia’s insurance commissioner (now running for governor) says that he has no role in regulating private/individual health insurance. Of course Delta, Coca-Cola and other big companies have negotiated multi-year contracts to restrict how large the annual increases can be. Not so for policies like mine. So BC/BS and the rest of them get their money from the little guys. If you complain, they (laughingly) tell you that you are free to go elsewhere. It is very interesting for people over the age of say, 55 to get health insurance.
The next argument is always: We can’t let big government mismanage another program like Medicare, Social Security, etc. So we should leave it to Big Business like Chrysler, General Motors, Nortel, Worldcom, etc.? Besides, Big government managed to build the A-bomb, the interstate highway system, Hoover Dam, put a man on the moon, etc. (Just trying to get ahead of the wingers, here).
USinUK
August 10th, 2009
12:37 pm
WBH (Wyld Bill Hyperbolator)
“what part of – the manner in which Hawking pays from his own pocket is not available to other similarly infirm people – don’t you understand. ”
and you know he pays for his treatments out of his own pockets … how, exactly??? it’s not stated in the editorial …
PGeorge
August 10th, 2009
12:37 pm
I would be in favor of reforming health care in this country so long as there was an opt-out option. You see I am against the idea that those who are so afraid of health care reform and hate anything that says “government” to them will one day collect social security and one day be on Medicare. As far as I’m concerned let the them deal without government services — they don’t want them anyway. There are plenty of us who want real health care reform to create a good program. Maybe then we can get out single-payer system and those against health care reform can have their beloved insurance companies.