Friday, August 21, 2009

Makes one wish for a crisis

Don't like ObamaCare as a national health care system? How about GodCare? It's a second health system with the Fundie in mind. Here are some of its features:
* Efforts to sustain life no matter the cost or the condition of the patient.
* No birth control, no treatment for STDs, no pain blockers for child birth, no abortions.
* Mental health will be in the hands of pastoral counselors. If that isn't enough, such as for schizophrenia, there's always demonic exorcism.
* No treatments for leprosy or various plagues, because they are the punishment for sin.

Strange that some Fundie women are proclaiming that no government health care will have control over their body! So now they agree government shouldn't ban abortions? Just asking.

The Fundies are trumpeting a new study that shows that a much higher percentage of gays and lesbians see therapists than straight people. Naturally, all that trumpeting dismisses the reason is likely to be because gays and lesbians have to deal with sometimes intense homophobia. The implication is that it must be what's left -- homosexuality is a mental disorder that affects how well a gay person can deal with life. That has left one person wondering about logic (!) behind this statement. The Fundies deride us for seeing shrinks yet insist that by seeing shrinks we can become straight.

Sharon Begley of Newsweek looks at the crazy debates over health care, in particular why some of the more outrageous claims are resonating. Only part of it is the GOP is much better at soundbites -- "death panels" v. "bending the cost curve." She delves into why some crazy claims have been sticking around. Some of her thoughts:
* Citizens are feeling mighty uptight right now and arguments that would have sounded ridiculous last summer before the economic crash turned our world upside down tend to resonate just a little bit. And emotion always wins over logic.
* The GOP side of the debate is good at pushing the hot-button issues of gays and illegal immigrants. They've also preaching distrust of government for about 30 years (leading to one person shouting, "Keep the government's hands off my Medicare!" Umm.
* Ideas, such as rationing (though it's not in any bills and insurance companies do it now), bump up against American ideals of freedom of choice, self-reliance, and the desire to be left alone.

Obama could improve his use of soundbites. Since employers fund health insurance, "the current system takes away your freedom to quit your job." And … "When insurance companies deny care, they bankrupt and kill people."

Some people are furious with Obama for being so timid in his response. Blindsided? It's his job not to be, especially in an issue that so obviously stirs emotions so deeply and previous presidents had so much trouble with it.

Jonathan Alter thinks that Obama needs more than soundbites, he needs to frame the issue differently. There are deep moral issues -- no insurance if there are pre-existing conditions, for a start -- that aren't controversial so aren't getting noticed. So don't worry about getting it right or getting it all the first time because we won't (notice how wrong Congress was in how long the "cash for clunkers" program would last?). So make sure the moral issues are maintained.

Also in Newsweek Fareed Zakaria notes that when we hit the financial crisis last fall our government moved with all speed and effectiveness. Health care? Not so much. The reason is simple. Though health care is a mess it isn't a crisis. And we can't seem to do anything unless it is a crisis.

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