More Desperation from the Right
Lou Dobbs, Sean Hannity, Rush, and the right-wing blogosphere seem interested in a talk I gave in September, 2007 to students in a political science class here at Berkeley, in which I played the role of a presidential candidate so politically incorrect and tone-deaf as to pummel every sacred cow in sight -- including the notion that our society could afford and would continue forever to pay whatever amount of money was required to keep everyone alive forever. The whole point of the mock exercise was to show that presidential candidates can't state what everyone knows to be the truth because they'll be taken apart by the Right or the Left. I slew many other sacred cows in that mock exercise, some of which are held dearly by the Left. Nonetheless, two years later the Right has exhumed the lecture and taken my words completely out of context purportedly to show that Obama and the Democrats plan death panels.If their desperation weren't so pathetic it would be funny. After all, they have proven the whole point of my lecture. UC Berkeley maintains an archive of webcasts and my speech is available there verbatim, should you wish to listen to it in its entirety.
Robert Reich
The above paragraphs were written by Reich on his blog . Thanks Linda for asking me (in my post, Public Option ad nauseum) to clear this up for the rightwingnutfucks. Hope this does it for ya!
17 comments:
Whoa, Sue, great post, and Luther on your play list; Frodo's diatribe can wait another day, for now, he's dancin', dancin'.
thanks sweetie!! I knew I would get her, those righties will never learn will they! Glad you like my music, dance like theres no tomorrow!
Sue ~ You OBVIOUSLY did not go back and listen to what R. Reich SAID in the speech. I did. He said (in the speech) that he was saying things that a Presidential candidate would say if he weren't worried about being elected. They were true and everyone knew it is true, but that a candidate who wanted to win would not say that.
How in your mind did you determine that he was NOT telling people that the elderly would not be given medication and that "we will let you die?"
Come on, Sue, LISTEN to what he said in his actual speech, as I did, and tell me that you honestly believe that he was joking. No where does he claim to be joking. He flatly stated that it was true, but that no candidate who wanted to win would say it.
I thought the point of discussing these topics was NOT to "get" the other debator, but to find the truth. You and Frodo can dance all you want, but the truth speaks VERY LOUDLY for itself.
and you obviously did not read the WHOLE speech, just the pieces your people wanted you to hear. Did you read Reichs blog entry below the video explaining the whole speech? I told you on my other post last week that Reich sounded sarcastic and I wasn't so sure about it all and I was RIGHT! Sorry...
It's called "Advanced Directives"
As in this instance here:
http://www.wral.com/golo/blogpost/5755842/
Sue ~ You cannot possibly believe in your heart Reich's explanation of that speech! If you listen to the speech, the ONLY CONCLUSION to be reached is that he was "saying things that everyone knew to be true, but a candidate could not say them if he wanted to be elected." I refuse to believe that you don't understand that he actually was stating his opinion. Listen to his comments right before the statements in question. There was no sarcasm...he was telling you something about his beliefs. No need to be sorry...you are wrong here.
I'm sorry but YES I do believe Reichs explaination. But even more puzzling, why do you and conservatives point out this speech made in 2007 as proof OBAMACARE will destroy us as a country, OH GOD forbid!! wooooooo, I'm so scared...
Listen to the president, congress, 60% of the American people, expert doctors weighing in on reform AND the public option. They all say its what is needed for competition and to bring down costs. But I can't keep harping on this... Stop fearing the inevitable.
Sue ~ Democrats have been trying for decades (probably even longer) to take control of health care for Americans. It is not new, so to say that a speech from 2007 is irrelevant is silly. Reich's ideology is pretty clear in this speech. He was merely "telling it like it is" with health care run by libs. If you think conservatives and liberals alike who disagree with the public option are going away, think again. This is too important to just roll over and let Obama ruin the health care system. Millions of people have REAL concerns, and the fact that you just dismiss them as trivial and tell them to "deal with it" and to stop fearing the inevitable is astounding. Why should we be expected to sit down and shut up and take it?? If we disagree, then we have every right to make that known. I, for one, am angry that you dismiss our concerns and laugh them off. If you look at the Democrat members of Congress, many of them are not convinced that this is the right thing to do either, so I don't think you can blame just the republicans for the distrust of this whole scheme.
the bluedogs who are dragging their feet only do it because they receive huge bundles from insurance co, the same goes for the greedy rethugs. Plus the rethugs don't want reform because they fear change. And God forbid Obama does this fabulous thing (reform) and the country loves it and him for doing it! Wouldn't that just bite weinie!!
Why can't you admit the insurance cos. are the ones killing us and they must be put in their place!
I guess the kid that was interviewed here must have parents who work in the insurance industry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvANJbu96aw&feature=player_embedded
Feel free to dismiss it.
Linda, text without context is pretext.
Sue ~ Why can't you just admit that you don't like insurance companies making a profit? Insurance is something that no one likes to pay for, but when you need it, it is a huge blessing. The insurance companies take risks to provide customers with coverage. I'm not saying that some things about insurance do not need to be changed. The insurance companies only became "the boogie man" when Obama couldn't sell his health care take over to enough people to pass it. All of a sudden, it's big health care that is the problem. He also said that doctors cut off limbs in order to take that vacation they want...do you honestly believe that that is not a despicable lie?
TC ~ Reich's statements were not taken out of context. Typical lib EXCUSE.
and Linda you are a typical neocon who puts profits before people! I am living proof of the change we need, we have been thru this before. My meds cost 250 every 3 months, thats alot when you are trying to live on unemployment. If we had the public option I would still be covered even tho my husband is laid off. God forbid one of gets really sick or needs hospitalization! I do not give a rats ass if ins. cos. make a profit, but NOT at the expense of sick people. They are the ones killing old people, and having death panels, NOT OBAMA. Get real girlfriend!
Sue ~ You are so willing to give up the free market system for the "public good". That speaks volumes. I'm not for people in your situation to be left with no help. There does need to be a system that helps those who find themselves in your situation with no place to go...but the public option is NOT the way to do it. The entire system is not broken, but dems want to overhaul the entire system at HUGE cost to taxpayers...here I go about MONEY again. What you don't understand is that the USA is B-R-O-K-E. Obama has put the entire future of America in the dumpster and dems love him for it. We will be unable to pay for his plan...it is as simple as that. More than 50 percent of Americans don't want his plan...it is a simple as that.
and that is what the public option will do, help those in the same situation as me. Why is that a bad and scary thing? OPTION means just that. Those with JOBS and insurance thru their employer will not be affected, JUST those like ME! The numbers show the deficit will be reduced because of this, waste and fraud will be handled once and forall. Thats a GOOD THING!! So it really boils down to the fact you just don't trust Obama and what he says. Maybe thats because you haven't been able to trust the right and what they said for 8 years.
One more time for the dems who can't seem to grasp this concept...THERE WILL BE NOTHING BUT THE PUBLIC OPTION IF IT IS PUT OUT THERE.
Picture this scenario: You have a good plan where you work and you like it. You plan to stay with it.
Boom! Along comes the public "option." The ruling is also made that you cannot be denied for pre-existing conditions (the part I agree with instituting), so lots of people opt to pay the $1,000 fine and skip insurance. Lo and behold, they get sick and have to then buy insurance. It will cost them a lot more, of course, but they buy it at the last minute and are covered. Insurance companies usually use money collected from everyone (lots of healthy people included--not costing them anything currently). Suddenly, the sick person who has just recently signed up for insurance at the last minute needs big bucks to pay for his condition. What happens? The insurance companies have to make up their losses somewhere, so they raise their rates. Your employer has your insurance through an insurance company hit with lots of claims by those who just signed up. Wham! Your employer's insurance costs sky-rocket because of it. They think, "Hey, this is no good...we'd better sign up for the cheap public option from Obama." There goes your great insurance from your employer. All of you who keep saying that there will be plenty of options are simply hiding your head in the sand. The public option will KILL all other options out there.
Its already out there as a lie and a scare tactic, the insurance companies will NOT go out of business just because of a PO. Those of you who have jobs and coverage will not be able to get the PO. Stop listening to FOX!!! People are wising up, they are not falling for the scare tactics!
Post a Comment