Human Need, Human Greed
One must be careful of brain damage while watching cable news. I tuned in recently to watch the daily coverage of the health care drama. There was Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi presenting a woman who told a harrowing story about how she got cancer and how she went bankrupt after her insurance company refused to cover treatment. After five minutes they broke for commercials from Tax Masters, Binder and Binder, three pharmaceutical companies, and that idiot who sings for Free Credit Report dot com.
That American society as a whole seems at times to be rather ill is evident in the health care reform debate. One has to marvel at the degree to which Americans are willing to be smacked down by the inequities of the system in order to pop back up and ask for more. Polls indicate that much of middle America is beginning to turn away from its initial support of the Obama health care plan after buying into the argument from the Republican Party that the plan will result in "socialized medicine" that will put a government bureaucrat in charge of making health care decisions. For the observer of the American scene, it is fascinating that the GOP can still feel confident that by dragging out the moldering ghost of Senator Joe McCarthy from the dustbin of American politics they may influence the debate over such an important issue.
The story of the woman that Speaker Pelosi introduced has been tragically replicated time and again, day in and day out, across the United States. As the battle over health care rages in the media this summer, we are treated to a daily spectacle of American citizens calling radio talk shows and, rather than expressing sympathy with the person Speaker Pelosi presented, they are boldly stating that they wouldn't want their tax dollars being used to pay some stranger's health care.
It wouldn't be shocking to find out that many of these callers are conservative Christians who identify with the GOP's long-held beliefs of the importance of moral values and the sanctity of life. The hypocrisy of those who call themselves Republicans has been aptly demonstrated over the last several years. The fact that so many of us feel no sense of solidarity with our fellow citizens may indeed be one of the most severe lessons of the argument over health care. The fact that so many Americans don't seem concerned that the top six health insurance companies raked in over a billion dollars each in profit last year by denying consumers medical treatment is mind boggling. Perhaps it is time that we consider putting aside some stimulus money for renewing the teaching of civics alongside American history in high schools. One thing is certain: the brain damage induced by cable news is a pre-existing condition in America and, as of now, won't be covered by insurance.
One must be careful of brain damage while watching cable news. I tuned in recently to watch the daily coverage of the health care drama. There was Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi presenting a woman who told a harrowing story about how she got cancer and how she went bankrupt after her insurance company refused to cover treatment. After five minutes they broke for commercials from Tax Masters, Binder and Binder, three pharmaceutical companies, and that idiot who sings for Free Credit Report dot com.
That American society as a whole seems at times to be rather ill is evident in the health care reform debate. One has to marvel at the degree to which Americans are willing to be smacked down by the inequities of the system in order to pop back up and ask for more. Polls indicate that much of middle America is beginning to turn away from its initial support of the Obama health care plan after buying into the argument from the Republican Party that the plan will result in "socialized medicine" that will put a government bureaucrat in charge of making health care decisions. For the observer of the American scene, it is fascinating that the GOP can still feel confident that by dragging out the moldering ghost of Senator Joe McCarthy from the dustbin of American politics they may influence the debate over such an important issue.
The story of the woman that Speaker Pelosi introduced has been tragically replicated time and again, day in and day out, across the United States. As the battle over health care rages in the media this summer, we are treated to a daily spectacle of American citizens calling radio talk shows and, rather than expressing sympathy with the person Speaker Pelosi presented, they are boldly stating that they wouldn't want their tax dollars being used to pay some stranger's health care.
It wouldn't be shocking to find out that many of these callers are conservative Christians who identify with the GOP's long-held beliefs of the importance of moral values and the sanctity of life. The hypocrisy of those who call themselves Republicans has been aptly demonstrated over the last several years. The fact that so many of us feel no sense of solidarity with our fellow citizens may indeed be one of the most severe lessons of the argument over health care. The fact that so many Americans don't seem concerned that the top six health insurance companies raked in over a billion dollars each in profit last year by denying consumers medical treatment is mind boggling. Perhaps it is time that we consider putting aside some stimulus money for renewing the teaching of civics alongside American history in high schools. One thing is certain: the brain damage induced by cable news is a pre-existing condition in America and, as of now, won't be covered by insurance.
Comments
The other day I was listening to NPR - Kai Risdall's Marketplace - the sponsor was Monsanto - ck them out- http://www.monsanto.com/ with their WE'RE GREEN SLOGAN & pictures of smiling children from 3rd world countries! Pleease!!!!
Monsanto is the manu for agent orange and the 15 other herbicides use in the Vietnam war----- we are still reaping the devastating repercussions and medical fallout from these clowns some 40 yrs later - and they are still doing it--- going strong... the Europeans got savvy - the Germans banned them- but to date- they are the largest agricultural manufacturers on the planet...... with no invested interest in the good of mankind and the evolution of the human species or concern for the generations to follow- just pure fat cat GREED.... just like all the rest...ATT, Chevron, Pfizer, Merck and the list goes on and on -
until this changes - we may be headed toward Soylent Green http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soylent_Green
faster than we thought.
Joanne Lara MA
Autism Movement Therapy, Inc.
Autism is all our Responsibility!