In an article entitled "Why It's Impossible to Talk to a Liberal" (Los Angeles Times, February 19, 2012), Charlotte Allen prefaced a point by referencing "the leftist novelist E.L. Doctorow".
The leftist novelist. Wow.
E.L. Doctorow has written nearly a dozen novels. He's also published four short story collections, one play, and about a half dozen collections of essays. One would think all of his published works were printed on cheapo, ink-smeared, pre-Gorbachev newsprint, the greige covers all stamped with a hammer and sickle, and that every plot was a thinly-veiled, cobbled together apology for Stalin. In other words, a hack. Not someone to be taken seriously.
Allen's argument with Doctorow? He wrote an "incendiary anti-George W. Bush op-ed piece" wherein he painted the former president as being uncaring. A friend of hers passed along the piece to Allen in an email, who right away sniffed out an error. "It was not 40% but 40 million Americans--more like 15%--who lacked health insurance for various reasons."
Which completely refutes Doctorow's silly idea that Bush was indifferent to people being uninsured. Well, actually not. In fact, Allen's huffy "correction" kind of doubles down on Bush's alleged indifference and raises to to a level that would have embarrassed Richard Nixon, who at least made a pro-business stab at getting Americans health insurance. (Nice bit, by the way, Allen's "for various reasons". She didn't cite any particular reasons why people didn't have health insurance, but reading between the lines something tells me shiftlessness played a part. People making "poor choices". Or this country being full of proud rugged indivualists who would never accept it.)
Only forty million, silly Doctorow. Not forty percent, you foolish leftists.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Mercy-phobia and The Affordable Healthcare Act
When President Obama pressed for and eventually signed the Affordable Healthcare Act I thought, Great, it's about time. What a wonderful thing that more people will have health insurance, that insurance companies can't deny you coverage for pre-existing conditions, and that, somehow, the White House crafted the bill so that over time it will lower the deficit.
Good news, right? Apparently not. From former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's lies about eugenic death panels to shrieks about socialized medicine, our brothers and sisters on the right still bemoan the Act. Obamacare, candidates Romney (!), Santorum, and Gingrich say with a sneer, like it's a step down for them to even have to utter so vile a phrase. Promising to dismantle it on their first day as president is a sure- fire applause line at their rallies.
How could something so obviously beneficial to the country be seen as something sinister to be stamped out?
Yes, there are the insurance companies who stand to lose some profits under fairer rules; naturally they will instruct their pols to scream bloody murder. And of course there are people who yearn for the Obama presidency to fail on all fronts (hi Senator McConnell!).
What about everyday folks who claim to hate the law? What's their beef?
I think there's a large demographic of Americans suffering from mercy-Ahobia--a paralyzing, crazy-making terror that someone, somewhere may receive a benefit that he or she does not deserve.
From Ronald Reagan's (afterwards deified) welfare queens and young bucks to today's women being called horrible names just for demanding their employers offer the full gamut of benefits, mercy-phobes see themselves under attack by sub-human parasites.
Mercy-phobes would rather go without universal health care, excellent public schools, or, say, four weeks mandatory vacations if it means the great undeserving "they" would get these things, too.
At some level mercy-phobes are correct. Out of 100 people certainly a handful will try to game the system, will not "deserve" easier access to healthcare, would have "derserved" to go bankrupt after a self- induced illness.
Another handfull out of the 100 will reach a great old age without ever spending one night in a hospital.
The great majority, though, will surely benefit from The Affordable Health Care Act's fair, responsible, and quite sensible health care reforms.
It's time to let go of the dead-weight burden of mercy- phobia. If you suffer from it, try spending one day without it. Feel the lightness. Enjoy the new energy you have from not lugging it around.
Good news, right? Apparently not. From former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's lies about eugenic death panels to shrieks about socialized medicine, our brothers and sisters on the right still bemoan the Act. Obamacare, candidates Romney (!), Santorum, and Gingrich say with a sneer, like it's a step down for them to even have to utter so vile a phrase. Promising to dismantle it on their first day as president is a sure- fire applause line at their rallies.
How could something so obviously beneficial to the country be seen as something sinister to be stamped out?
Yes, there are the insurance companies who stand to lose some profits under fairer rules; naturally they will instruct their pols to scream bloody murder. And of course there are people who yearn for the Obama presidency to fail on all fronts (hi Senator McConnell!).
What about everyday folks who claim to hate the law? What's their beef?
I think there's a large demographic of Americans suffering from mercy-Ahobia--a paralyzing, crazy-making terror that someone, somewhere may receive a benefit that he or she does not deserve.
From Ronald Reagan's (afterwards deified) welfare queens and young bucks to today's women being called horrible names just for demanding their employers offer the full gamut of benefits, mercy-phobes see themselves under attack by sub-human parasites.
Mercy-phobes would rather go without universal health care, excellent public schools, or, say, four weeks mandatory vacations if it means the great undeserving "they" would get these things, too.
At some level mercy-phobes are correct. Out of 100 people certainly a handful will try to game the system, will not "deserve" easier access to healthcare, would have "derserved" to go bankrupt after a self- induced illness.
Another handfull out of the 100 will reach a great old age without ever spending one night in a hospital.
The great majority, though, will surely benefit from The Affordable Health Care Act's fair, responsible, and quite sensible health care reforms.
It's time to let go of the dead-weight burden of mercy- phobia. If you suffer from it, try spending one day without it. Feel the lightness. Enjoy the new energy you have from not lugging it around.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Tibet: Culture on the Edge
By Phil Borges, Rizzoli, 2011. 207 pp
A beautiful book of photographs of Tibet ( what the Chinese government calls TAR - the Tibetan Autonomous Region). Mainly the images are portraits of the Tibetan people. The book has three main sections: Climate change, which has affected glaciers; development--one gets the feeling the roads &c weren't put in for the local people's benefit but the zillions of non-Tibetan people pouring in; and Devotion. Despite no pictures of His Holiness the Dalai Lama being allowed in Tibet the people cling to their belief.
I wonder if the Dalai Lama has seen these photographs. He isn't allowed in the country of his birth, having been forced to flee decades ago.
Lake Manasarovar has to be the most beautiful lake on the planet. Maybe even the universe--the waters shimmer an other worldly blue. It's holy to the Tibetans and the cover photo of it surrounded by dar gray mountains and light gray skies--with a red-robed monk to the side--makes their reverence seem completely appropriate.
God bless and keep the Tibetan people, and thank you Mr. Borges for this document to their lives.
A beautiful book of photographs of Tibet ( what the Chinese government calls TAR - the Tibetan Autonomous Region). Mainly the images are portraits of the Tibetan people. The book has three main sections: Climate change, which has affected glaciers; development--one gets the feeling the roads &c weren't put in for the local people's benefit but the zillions of non-Tibetan people pouring in; and Devotion. Despite no pictures of His Holiness the Dalai Lama being allowed in Tibet the people cling to their belief.
I wonder if the Dalai Lama has seen these photographs. He isn't allowed in the country of his birth, having been forced to flee decades ago.
Lake Manasarovar has to be the most beautiful lake on the planet. Maybe even the universe--the waters shimmer an other worldly blue. It's holy to the Tibetans and the cover photo of it surrounded by dar gray mountains and light gray skies--with a red-robed monk to the side--makes their reverence seem completely appropriate.
God bless and keep the Tibetan people, and thank you Mr. Borges for this document to their lives.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)