Stays Klassy.
The CNN debate last night was wretched. It was everything that is wrong with this country — including feckless media and pundunces who should be ashamed for mainstreaming Teabilly bullshit — crammed into a studio so laden with patriotic lights, flags, and other Americana that even the creators of South Park and Team America were likely shocked and awed.
Then came the “cheering for Rick Perry’s high execution rate” moment: The Tea Party audience cheered — actually cheered at the notion of letting an uninsured man die if he didn’t decide for himself to buy Liberty Health Insurance from Liberty Health Associates, using his Liberty cell phone:
Blitzer: Let me ask you this hypothetical question. A healthy, 30-year-old man has a good job, makes a good living, but decides, “You know what, I’m not going to spend $200 or $300 a month for health insurance because I’m healthy, I don’t need it.” Something terrible happens, all of a sudden he needs it. Who’s going to pay if he goes into a coma, for example?
Paul: In a society that you accept welfare-ism and socialism, he expects the government to take care of it.Blitzer: Well, what do you want?
Paul: He should do whatever he wants to do, and assume responsibility for himself. My advice to him would be have a major medical policy. But not forced—
Blitzer: But he doesn’t have that. And he needs intensive care for six months. Who pays?
Paul: That’s what freedom is all about. Taking your own risks. This whole idea that you have to prepare to take care of everybody.
Blitzer: But congressman, are you saying that society should just let him die?
Crowd: [Yeah! Yeah! Laughs.]
Karoli of Crooks and Liars nails it:
Wolf Blitzer did his best to pin Ron Paul down on a health care question where a 30-year old uninsured person had six months to live. After getting a bit of a runaround, Blitzer flatly asked Ron Paul whether that person should simply be left to die.
Before Paul could answer, the audience did, with cheers of “Yeah!” and applause. If anything comes of these debates, let it be this: Conservatives really believe people should be left to die with no intervention. Ron Paul answered the question after the audience cheered with an answer about churches taking care of their own.
This morning on Twitter, the Paul enthusiasts1 were out in full force. You see, every time Ron Paul opens his mouth, the Paulites slinker out of the shadows to defend Paul against charges of racism and rampant assholery, and it’s hilarious to watch. This time, some Paulite tried to tell me that the audience was not cheering for death of the uninsured, but rather was cheering in support of Paul’s statements generally.
This is blatantly false, as a review of the video demonstrates:
The audience cheered immediately after Blitzer asked: “Are you saying that society should just let him die?” No amount of Twitter shenanigans can erase that fact.
The simple truth is this: The Tea Party is comprised, primarily, of savages. That’s the only word I can think of to use. They are the party of Die Early and Often. They are the party of “No Government except for in A Woman’s Vagina.” It’s so horrifying, that I am rendered nearly without power to snark about it.
Anyone who seriously contends that churches and good old-fashioned neighborliness could possibly cover the expenses of a serious illness, is not someone who can be taken seriously.
Accordingly, and notwithstanding his anti-war stance, Ron Paul is not someone who can be taken seriously.
‘Nuff said.
1 Please, stop using the term “Paultards.” Just stop it! It’s ableist and it’s offensive.
[via Crooks and Liars; image via News Corpse]
[cross-posted at Balloon Juice]
You do realize his campaign manager from 2008 died of a treatable illness, and left a $400,000 bill to his fam?
Really, does anyone need any additional proof that “Libertarian” is political-speak for sociopath?
I totally agree !
http://www.leftinalabama.com/diary/2087/
For My Libertarian Friends, Ron Paul’s Campaign Manager Has Died
by: mooncat
Tue Jul 08, 2008 at 15:58:51 PM CDT
Xpatriated Texan calls this an unbearable irony of life. Kent Snyder, 49 years old, died of pneumonia on June 26. He was uninsured and left his family about $400,000 in medical bills. Snyder was the guy who convinced Paul to run for president.
There is, of course, the tendency to point out that Snyder would be here today if the policies he opposed were in effect. It also has to be balanced with the fact that he remained true to his principles right up to, and including, his death.
There’s a website for those who want to chip in to help his family with the bills — the goal is to raise $400,000 by July 17th but haven’t made much headway so far.
For the Libertarians here, both small the “l” and large “L” variety, is it fair to use Snyder’s death as an example of what happens to people when health insurance isn’t affordable? And where are all the Ron Paul supporters who donated $19.5 million to Paul’s campaign in the 4th quarter of 2007? Do they not know or care about Snyder’s family or is altruism really an ideological no-no?
And pointing that out is bang-on accurate. Sure, he remained true to his “principles” – self-absorption and the willingness to stick others with a huge tab in the name of his own liberty.
I have exactly zero sympathy here. He died as he lived – proudly, even arrogantly ignorant.
This is what happens when someone’s erstwhile principles bump up against living, breathing human beings. From that intersection, it’s a short, bright line through to Pol Pot, Mussolini, Pinochet, Mao, and Hitler – all acting in the name of their principles, all responsible for massive numbers of dead human beings.
Libertarianism is outright evil. Those who embrace it are outright evil. Those who would promulgate it are monsters.
I am beginning to hope I see Ron Paul drowning so I can tell him it’s his responsibility to save himself. But any teabilly will do…
The Paulites. I used that term the other day on a website. (ADH(ag)D minds think alike. Teheehee. I feel like a grade school girl!)
The people who follow Ron Paul. Where to begin. Hmmm… let’s see. First off, they immediately resort to name-calling, and ad hominem attacks whenever anyone states that they will not vote for Ron Paul. His fanboy base is the most abusive I have ever come across. I’ve always been of the mindset that you can judge a leader by his/her followers.
Second off, they do not want to admit that he is just another Texas Republican in sheep’s clothing.
Third off, they are worshipping (yes, I went (where I have gone before) there) a guy who is a regular on “Coast to Coast.” Bat. Shite. Insane.
Fourth off… They do not recognise the fact that they, and Ron Paul, are batshite insane.
Oh. On a different rant, my hubby played a video on CNN this morning that actually had me defending Rick Perry. (Well, the hubby was defending him also) It was where he stood by his state’s decision to allow children of illegal immigrants to attend state colleges and pay in-state tuition. My state passed this, and I am very happy about it. The other candidates COMPLETELY ignored the qualifying criteria for being allowed this privilege. You must have a high GPA. You must STILL pay your in-state tuition fee. This is not a free ride. If you have ever committed a crime, you are not eligible.
Everybody’s parents make bad decisions (in these cases, I’m not so sure they were bad, just illegal.) Why should the child have to pay for the parents’ decisions? Oh yeah, it’s Biblical.
I defended Rick Perry. It really is Armageddon.
Not really. I can’t find a single other issue with which I agree with him.
I… I don’t even…
I take a four-month sanity break from the interwebs, and this is what I come back to find? Looks like I’m back in hermit mode.
I really, sincerely applaud everyone on this site for continuing to read/write about this shit. You’re much stronger people than I.
I don’t want to live on this planet anymore.