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sabotabbyDear America,
Please, sit down. I think we’re long overdue for a chat, don’t you?
You can sit closer if you want. Communism is contagious I hear, but I don’t think you catch it that way.
Anyway, America, I want to talk to you about the state of your health. I know, I know, I can already hear your objection before I open my mouth. It’s none of my business. I’m not American, I have my own healthcare system—but I really am concerned for you.
Sure, we’ve had our differences in the past. Genocide, slavery, imperialist wars, environmental devastation, reality TV…but you’re the one who’s always saying we should put the past behind us. And there have been good times too. Hey, you make all of those great trashy movies about things blowing up. I love those movies.
Plus, you know, I might bash you all the time, but some of my best friends are American. Bet that sounds familiar.
So yes. About your health. Or, more to the point, about your foaming-at-the-mouth, hysterical, illogical, and dismally worded objections to Obama’s healthcare plan. No one’s claiming it’s perfect—don’t worry, I’m pretty sure it’s still worse than Cuba’s. But I think your virulent opposition and random swastika schtick is, well, misguided. (And offensive, but I’m trying not to judge. Look at me, being all non-judgmental, and enjoy it while it lasts.) And I didn’t understand it until just now.
See, I can envision the streets filling up with HMO managers and maybe the odd smug rich asshole who delights in drinking the tears of orphans, but the rest of you? You can’t all have great health insurance. I know at least some of you confused little souls don’t have any at all.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I’ve been thinking, hey, maybe Americans aren’t very good at math and don’t realize that you’re spending more per capita on health care than anyone else in the industrialized world, and getting less for it. But we can clear that misconception right up with cunning use of actual numbers.
The thought crosses my mind on occasion that many Americans are just assholes. (I told you the nonjudgmental act wouldn’t last.) Maybe you don’t care that you’re drowning as long as you take the other guy down with you. But that’s uncharitable, and I think better of you, America, I really do.
I wonder if maybe you oppose healthcare reform because you’re convinced that Jesus is coming and you’re going to get Raptured before you die of cancer caused by all of the toxins you dump into your food, water, and air. That’s it, isn’t it? You don’t think you’re going to die. Okay, I was 13 once and wanted to be a vampire too and that’s kind of like what you believe. (Except that even at 13, I knew I wasn’t going to get to be an immortal creature of the night. Because I wasn’t stupid. But for the sake of argument, let’s assume that the Rapture is real and going to happen in your lifetime.)
Level with me here, America. What if the Rapture is coming next year, but tomorrow, you suddenly get cancer? And you’re uninsured, or maybe your insurance plan is good but still won’t cover experimental treatments that will prolong your life until Jesus comes back. You’re going to have to go through all that messy dying stuff instead of just getting treatment and surviving long enough for you to be lifted up to heaven to be with the angels and watch Jesus slaughter the infidels with his laser beam eyes. Do you want that, America? Do you really?
(Right now, you’re saying, “Well, I’m in good health, I’m employed, I have a decent plan, so I’ll probably live to see the Rapture.” But shit happens, America. Trust me, I know. And even if you’re okay, what about your dear granny that you claim to love so much? Will she live long enough to see Jesus? Are you positive?)
All I can conclude from this, America, is that there is no logic behind your opposition to health care reform. It is instead a deep primal desire for death— Thanatos, as our Freudian friends would call it. You hate yourselves, and you want it all to end.
I’m really sorry, America, that you feel this way. But I urge you to hang on. We may have had a hostile relationship in the past, but now I’m begging you to move forward, to find a reason to live. I don’t hate you, and I don’t want you to die because it costs too much to save your life. No, not even you, gormless multitudes with your incomprehensible signs and pictures of Obama painted up like the Joker. (Seriously, though, what’s with that? Don't most people think the Joker is fucking awesome anyway?) Not even you, woman in the IDF shirt screaming “Heil Hitler.” If I wish death upon you, let it come when we finally have an international proletarian revolution and you’re up against the wall for being a fascist, not because your HMO wouldn’t approve that treatment that would have saved your life.
Because that’s what it comes down to, America. Every human being in the world deserves the best possible health care, regardless of income, immigration status, or how fucking stupid you are. Even you, America. Even you deserve better than this.
Please, sit down. I think we’re long overdue for a chat, don’t you?
You can sit closer if you want. Communism is contagious I hear, but I don’t think you catch it that way.
Anyway, America, I want to talk to you about the state of your health. I know, I know, I can already hear your objection before I open my mouth. It’s none of my business. I’m not American, I have my own healthcare system—but I really am concerned for you.
Sure, we’ve had our differences in the past. Genocide, slavery, imperialist wars, environmental devastation, reality TV…but you’re the one who’s always saying we should put the past behind us. And there have been good times too. Hey, you make all of those great trashy movies about things blowing up. I love those movies.
Plus, you know, I might bash you all the time, but some of my best friends are American. Bet that sounds familiar.
So yes. About your health. Or, more to the point, about your foaming-at-the-mouth, hysterical, illogical, and dismally worded objections to Obama’s healthcare plan. No one’s claiming it’s perfect—don’t worry, I’m pretty sure it’s still worse than Cuba’s. But I think your virulent opposition and random swastika schtick is, well, misguided. (And offensive, but I’m trying not to judge. Look at me, being all non-judgmental, and enjoy it while it lasts.) And I didn’t understand it until just now.
See, I can envision the streets filling up with HMO managers and maybe the odd smug rich asshole who delights in drinking the tears of orphans, but the rest of you? You can’t all have great health insurance. I know at least some of you confused little souls don’t have any at all.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I’ve been thinking, hey, maybe Americans aren’t very good at math and don’t realize that you’re spending more per capita on health care than anyone else in the industrialized world, and getting less for it. But we can clear that misconception right up with cunning use of actual numbers.
The thought crosses my mind on occasion that many Americans are just assholes. (I told you the nonjudgmental act wouldn’t last.) Maybe you don’t care that you’re drowning as long as you take the other guy down with you. But that’s uncharitable, and I think better of you, America, I really do.
I wonder if maybe you oppose healthcare reform because you’re convinced that Jesus is coming and you’re going to get Raptured before you die of cancer caused by all of the toxins you dump into your food, water, and air. That’s it, isn’t it? You don’t think you’re going to die. Okay, I was 13 once and wanted to be a vampire too and that’s kind of like what you believe. (Except that even at 13, I knew I wasn’t going to get to be an immortal creature of the night. Because I wasn’t stupid. But for the sake of argument, let’s assume that the Rapture is real and going to happen in your lifetime.)
Level with me here, America. What if the Rapture is coming next year, but tomorrow, you suddenly get cancer? And you’re uninsured, or maybe your insurance plan is good but still won’t cover experimental treatments that will prolong your life until Jesus comes back. You’re going to have to go through all that messy dying stuff instead of just getting treatment and surviving long enough for you to be lifted up to heaven to be with the angels and watch Jesus slaughter the infidels with his laser beam eyes. Do you want that, America? Do you really?
(Right now, you’re saying, “Well, I’m in good health, I’m employed, I have a decent plan, so I’ll probably live to see the Rapture.” But shit happens, America. Trust me, I know. And even if you’re okay, what about your dear granny that you claim to love so much? Will she live long enough to see Jesus? Are you positive?)
All I can conclude from this, America, is that there is no logic behind your opposition to health care reform. It is instead a deep primal desire for death— Thanatos, as our Freudian friends would call it. You hate yourselves, and you want it all to end.
I’m really sorry, America, that you feel this way. But I urge you to hang on. We may have had a hostile relationship in the past, but now I’m begging you to move forward, to find a reason to live. I don’t hate you, and I don’t want you to die because it costs too much to save your life. No, not even you, gormless multitudes with your incomprehensible signs and pictures of Obama painted up like the Joker. (Seriously, though, what’s with that? Don't most people think the Joker is fucking awesome anyway?) Not even you, woman in the IDF shirt screaming “Heil Hitler.” If I wish death upon you, let it come when we finally have an international proletarian revolution and you’re up against the wall for being a fascist, not because your HMO wouldn’t approve that treatment that would have saved your life.
Because that’s what it comes down to, America. Every human being in the world deserves the best possible health care, regardless of income, immigration status, or how fucking stupid you are. Even you, America. Even you deserve better than this.
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no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:08 pm (UTC)don’t worry, I’m pretty sure it’s still worse than Cuba’s
no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:12 pm (UTC)I wanna be a Canadian.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:19 pm (UTC)(But we still have a government that thinks a good H1N1 plan for First Nations communities means sending body bags instead of hand sanitizer.)
no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:26 pm (UTC)(And Ha! My government doesn't even acknowledge that there should be an N1H1 plan for the people they surrounded by a concrete wall/barbed wire fence, with bad hygiene conditions and forcing them to be crowded together for hours on end in order to cross one road in order to get to another... So There!)
no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 03:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-23 03:28 pm (UTC)if only it were that easy!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 12:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:15 pm (UTC)Also I got an invite to a pro-Obama pro-Healthcare reform rally tomorrow. I still have horrific flashbacks about the way some of our antiwar rallies were hijacked and terrorized by right-wingers back in 2003-2004, but I think I'm gonna go anyway.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:17 pm (UTC)(And yes, of course many of these attacks are motivated by racism. Probably most. But I was trying to be charitable.)
Good luck at the rally, and stay safe. The climate down there looks pretty scary from where I'm sitting.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:36 pm (UTC)These are some of my new favorite macros, BTW.
Back during the Presidential campaign, my liberal lesbian mother voted for McCain, because she got a mass email claiming that Obama was a muslim born in Kenya with possible ties to Al Quaeda. (To which I'd say - don't worry, Republicans. Bush still has him beat what with his ties to Bin Laden at this point.) She was legitimately afraid that Obama would declare homosexuality a stoning offense and that we would all be forced to wear burkas until I sent her some articles debunking that email.
She still voted for McCain/Palin, on the grounds that as a woman Palin would be president if anything happened to John. She's seen the light since then, and is horrified by a lot of the stuff that has been done by the GOP since then.
This has become
no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:39 pm (UTC)Basically the point is, all the GOP has going for them now is misinformation. There are a few rational conservatives who are wondering how we'd pay for the public option, but they are being drowned out by the "AAAAAAAAAAAjskkaSDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASEKRITMUSLIMKENYANSOCIALISTwaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHrrrrrrrGAAAAARRRRBALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL1!!!!!!!!!" from the rest of the GOP
:(
no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:50 pm (UTC)(Sorry, I'll stop spamming your comments page now. *hides*
no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:59 pm (UTC)Pshaw I am a comment-whore. Keep spamming.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 11:09 pm (UTC)Well, exactly. "Socialism" has pretty much become a buzzword for anything that the Neoconservatives don't like. It can be whatever they want it to be. They can use the word without their base knowing what it really entails at all.
I could lament the lack of political education in America at this point, but I'm pretty much afraid that this guy is right. My own Mom did a very good job at explaining the concepts behind Socialism and Capitalism to myself and my brother when we asked Why Do The Russians Want To Bomb Us back during the 1980s - but then, she was anti-establishment back during the 1960s and 1970s, and had educated herself accordingly. I have since of realized that she was in the minority, and when your average kid asks those kinds of questions, they get the standard "THEY HAAATE OUUUR WAYYYY OF LIIIIIIIFE" answer instead.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 01:34 am (UTC)http://numb3r-5ev3n.livejournal.com/477193.html
no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 03:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 03:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 10:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 11:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 11:11 pm (UTC)O Canada!
Date: 2009-09-22 03:17 am (UTC)Re: O Canada!
Date: 2009-09-22 04:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-21 11:42 pm (UTC)gawd I love you.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 12:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 12:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 03:16 am (UTC)Spamming you, continued.
Date: 2009-09-22 03:59 am (UTC)What Teabagger protest signs say, vs what they actually mean.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 05:29 am (UTC)John Conyers' H.R. 676 (The United States National Health Care Act) is the only proposal representing any meaningful reform yet it does not have the administration's support, and what Obama does support isn't worth the having.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 02:14 pm (UTC)<3
no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 07:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 10:15 pm (UTC)I disagree entirely with your "deserving" bit - stupid dicks deserve shite-smothered noses. But of course in principle there should be healthcare for all just in case occasionally a decent person needs it. Not that there are many decent people, but rather a hundred fuckwits are cured of pestilence than one decent nice person has a life of puking and boils.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-22 10:33 pm (UTC)My take on it is that it's actually nothing to do with what they think about healthcare - I rather suspect most of 'em don't think about healthcare - but they so totally believe that Obama is the devil(or liberals in general) that any accusation made against him becomes necessarily true merely by virtue of being made. He was born in Kenya? Of course he was born in Kenya! Don't try to tell me otherwise! Any so-called birth certificate must be a liberal forgery! He's a secret Muslim? Of courwe he's a secret Muslim!
And so this isn't about health reform and whether it would be a good idea to have a system where everyone has coverage and where people don't get dropped for being ill and so forth. Maybe some of them would even think this was a good idea. But when Obama says that's what he's trying to do, it can only be a cunning lie to hide the fact that actually he want's the government to take over the entire health system so that they decide who gets to live or die, and exterminate all the disabled children in the process.
The excellent slacktivist has some pretty good analysis of the type of mentality behind this sort of thing. Not to mention a whole lot of commentary on Tim LeHaye which might entertain you...
no subject
Date: 2009-09-23 01:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-23 03:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-24 08:48 am (UTC)Totally late to the party, as usual, but just had to contribute my two cents -
I think the thing that we as outside observers truly underestimate or don't understand is the depth and strength of the libertarian, free-market strain of thought in the US that equates unfettered capitalism with freedom, in the face of every single case study to the contrary, coupled with a long-standing and deep-seated distrust of 'Big Government' and 'Big Business' (although the latter to a lesser extent, as it is more important to hold to the principle that unfettered capitalism is good) - then you have the passionate conviction that true patriotism is all about staving off any instance of 'government intrusion' into your life. For some reason, the biggest slice of the guvermint pie, the military, doesn't count as it is equally and fervently important to 'support our troops!'.
But from this perspective, any grand guvermint initiative is basically a power grab, an authoritarian imposition. So it's not about health care at all - that's why they're holding up those bizarre and offensive signs - they hold the conviction that the Democrats want to move down the slippery slope to Big Brother via social programs. These are exactly the people that Bush appealed to, and so mystifyingly voted for him again in 2004 - they will always go for tax cuts and any Republican who promises to 'get guvermint out of our lives' - except for 'defense' spending, of course.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-30 08:25 pm (UTC)Just sayin'.