America iz numbar won!!!!!
Allow me to rant here for a moment.
I read a story just a few minutes ago which infuriates me to a level like only political dumbassery could.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090813/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_end_of_life_2
Blumenauer said the controversy [over the healthcare bill's "death panels"] was helping Democrats in a “perverse way.”
By continuing to spread a widely refuted claim, Republican critics are undercutting their own credibility, he said. The controversy has drawn more attention to the original proposal, which passed largely unnoticed when a health overhaul was approved by three House committees.
Blumenauer, if I may address you personally, I appreciate you and your views on political discourse. Some of my best friends are intelligent conservatives and I enjoy debating with them immensely. I believe that proper debate is the only way to arrive at the most equitable solution in almost any given situation.
However, republican critics are not interested in their own credibility. They’re not worried about the credibility of their statements; they’re not worried about the credibility of their political party; they’re not worried about the state of political discourse in this country. The only thing these conservative commentators (and by “these conservative commentators” I mean the legions of conservatives who march around bearing a banner for Fox News) are interested in is riling up the largest number of people they can possibly rile up.
Look at the place in the bill that has caused all this controversy. The following paragraphs describe the “advanced planning consultation” which the bill says it will cover every 5 years for citizens who qualify. Remember, these meetings are completely voluntary. Let’s see what these consultations will cover.
(A) An explanation by the practitioner of advance care planning, including key questions and considerations, important steps, and suggested people to talk to.
(B) An explanation by the practitioner of advance directives, including living wills and durable powers of attorney, and their uses.
(C) An explanation by the practitioner of the role and responsibilities of a health care proxy.
(D) The provision by the practitioner of a list of national and State-specific resources to assist consumers and their families with advance care planning, including the national toll-free hotline, the advance care planning clearinghouses, and State legal service organizations (including those funded through the Older Americans Act of 1965).
(E) An explanation by the practitioner of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports that are available under this title.
It seems as though the entire section on advanced care planning describes nothing but informational medical sessions for older citizens.
This has been pointed out time and time again. I would like to give conservatives credit enough to assume that the ones railing against the bill have actually read it. I can only then assume that the only reason Palin and her ilk are spreading such misinformation is malicious intent.
The reason I get so riled up about these things is because it completely floors me that organizations such as Fox News and Freedomworks have goals that involve nothing but whipping large numbers of blissfully ignorant Americans into a frenzy that tears our country further apart among party lines.
I’m disgusted.
