The Tea Party Says - "Let Them Die"

[Thrasher]

"Dying because you lack health insurance is apparently a laughing matter to some — especially tea party members and supporters."

“Last night we got a disturbing view into the tea party’s extreme right-wing position on healthcare when members of the audience clapped and cheered the idea of letting someone without health insurance die,” Eddie Vale, communications director for the group Protect Your Care said in an e-mail. “Even worse, none of the Republican candidates on stage expressed a word of disapproval as the tea party audience literally clapped for blood. This was a spectacle one would have expected back in the gladiatorial combat of ancient Rome, not at a presidential debate.”

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-ron-paul-gop-debate-20110913,0,3161863.story

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/41981

 

[booboo]

I always think of the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland when I hear Tea Party! I suppose that's not too far of the mark? I must confess, though, that I know little of their politics (being a world away) - except that Ms Palin's their poster girl (or something..?)

Its quite bizarre that even in our little corner of the world, the government realizes that providing accessible public health care to your citizens is 'the right thing'. They're busy with a massively expensive overhaul of the public health care system - which is rather shoddy (so those who can use private health care). All these new plans will be funded by tax payers like myself - still, I do not object since I think its the right thing to do. I suppose it helps that we have effective 1 party state here, so there can be no objections :-o

 

[azarhal]

This was a spectacle one would have expected back in the gladiatorial combat of ancient Rome, not at a presidential debate.

Somebody haven't seen a lot of Republican debates...

 

[Motoki]

There's a belief among that segment of people that you go out, work hard and get what you deserve, which is supposed to be some degree of modest wealth, a house with land, picket fence, two and half kids blah blah.

They absolutely resent anyone that they perceive as taking shortcuts to get there and have a fixation that borders on paranoia that others (and particularly, minorities and people not like them) are trying to steal the fruits of their labor while sitting on their asses eating bon bons and multiplying like rabbits.

They believe that if you work hard and are a good person you will have the things you need and by implication, that the converse is also true. If you don't have the things you need it is your own fault because you did not work hard enough and/or are not a good person and thus are not entitled to them.

Of course, an irony here is that the majority of people in the US with this mentality are Christians and yet this is decidedly un-Christian-like behavoir. Whether someone believes in Jesus Christ or not aside, everything written and known about him says there is no way he would ever approve of letting the poor and sick suffer.

 

[zahratustra]

Not every Christian believes that God=Love Motoki. Quite a few of them follow Calvin's teachings and his Predestination theology. For them being poor or disabled can be considered as a sign of God's disfavor.

 

[Motoki]

Not every Christian believes that God=Love Motoki. Quite a few of them follow Calvin's teachings and his Predestination theology. For them being poor or disabled can be considered as a sign of God's disfavor.

I know that and in some sense it's a very Old Testament way of looking at things, I just struggle to see the Christ part of Christian in that point of view. You definitely have to ignore a good chunk of New Testament stuff to allow for that mentality, but the cynic in me says that religion is all about cherry picking what supports your own personal agenda anyhow.

I suspect some of these Tea Partiers are completely ignorant of this philosophical divide and have What Would Jesus Do buttons and bumper stickers while nodding their heads in agreement that the uninsured should just die off.

 

[hishadow]

Watching the video clip it seems more like one person going yahoo. The question about how to deal with a person without healthcare got a bit mixed-up with his appeal for personal responsibility. His solution about delegating this to churches and charities seems a bit naive. I'm glad we finance our healthcare through taxes here in Norway, and it seems strange that the world's economic superpower can't manage better. From what I understand the american healthcare is one the the most costly in the world, partly helped by private health-industry lobbying.

 

[Thrasher]

I heard more than one voice, but it could have been an echo chamber.

 

[Couchpotato]

Well welcome to the USA home of the bigots. We pride are self's on being the best country but we cant even solve are own internal affairs. Its a sad day indeed when people in charge say let them die.

I see this type of thinking on many forums were people have the same mentality. I have everything with handwork why should I support the lower class.

The answer because its the right thing to do. I was jobless for almost two years applied for all the lovely state programs and denied everyone. The programs that are meant to help dont even help the right people. Sad day indeed.

So many problems in our own country yet we worry more about foreign policy's and conflicts.

 

[Corwin]

Taking care of the poor and needy is a basic tenet of both the Jewish and Christian faiths. Cherry picking the Bible (also called Proof-Texting) while common (especially with 'money' TV so called evangelists) is IMHO an abomination!! Jesus and His disciples healed ALL who came, so how can people claim that He wouldn't support helping those who for various sound reasons are not capable of getting the medical attention they need? I tend to get annoyed when people try to use religion in ways it should not be used in a vain attempt to justify an untennable position!!

 

[Captain Buzzkill]

Taking care of the poor and needy is a basic tenet of both the Jewish and Christian faiths. Cherry picking the Bible (also called Proof-Texting) while common (especially with 'money' TV so called evangelists) is IMHO an abomination!! Jesus and His disciples healed ALL who came, so how can people claim that He wouldn't support helping those who for various sound reasons are not capable of getting the medical attention they need? I tend to get annoyed when people try to use religion in ways it should not be used in a vain attempt to justify an untennable position!!

+1 It's also a basic tenet of Islam, Buddhism, and a lot of other faith traditions and philosophies. Strikes me as funny that the philosophy of Objectivism to which many modern "Christian" Republicans subscribe, was founded by a rabid athiest (Rand).

 

[dteowner]

Tempting as it may be, I'm not taking the bait for once.

I will say that Motoki, while clearly pontificating about something he completely fails to understand and weaving in as much caricature as humanly possible to justify his scorn, didn't do half bad in post #4.

 

[zahratustra]

Well dte, since you imply that you, in contrast to poor, deluded Motoki, DO understand, please share your insight!

 

[Ubereil]

Well dte, since you imply that you, in contrast to poor, deluded Motoki, DO understand, please share your insight!

I'd love to read that. And not because I look forward to massacring some clearly delusional rambling either (as I'm guessing zahratustra would).

Übereil

 

[zakhal]

+1 It's also a basic tenet of Islam, Buddhism, and a lot of other faith traditions and philosophies. Strikes me as funny that the philosophy of Objectivism to which many modern "Christian" Republicans subscribe, was founded by a rabid athiest (Rand).

The only modern god is hard cash (in currency crisis gold will do well also). You either have it or dont. Everyone worships it from doctors to politicians to common man on the streets. Its the only real thing in this world if power is not included.

Perhaps through globalisation world has lost some of its soul.

 

[dteowner]

Well dte, since you imply that you, in contrast to poor, deluded Motoki, DO understand, please share your insight!

If you wanted to understand flying, would you talk to a fish? Probably more useful to talk to a bird about that topic, eh?

I'd love to read that. And not because I look forward to massacring some clearly delusional rambling either (as I'm guessing zahratustra would).

Sorry, still not taking the bait.

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

We pride are self's on being the best country but we cant even solve are own internal affairs.

I saw a caricature the other day.

Imagine two holes. You see them in the landscape.

One has an U.S. flag coming out of it, from the other hole there emerges the E.U. flag.

From the hole with the U.S. flag comes an advice : "Try to get rid of your debts !"

 

[JemyM]

I know that and in some sense it's a very Old Testament way of looking at things, I just struggle to see the Christ part of Christian in that point of view.

No. The predestination issue have it's roots in Augustinus philosophy, one of the most important philosophers Christianity ever had. Predestination is the logical conclusion between an allknowing God that is also the creator. God therefore already knows what will happen with his creation before creating it.

This doesn't work with the Old Testament since that God is much more falliable and humanlike.

You definitely have to ignore a good chunk of New Testament stuff to allow for that mentality, but the cynic in me says that religion is all about cherry picking what supports your own personal agenda anyhow.

I suspect some of these Tea Partiers are completely ignorant of this philosophical divide and have What Would Jesus Do buttons and bumper stickers while nodding their heads in agreement that the uninsured should just die off.

I believe one of the greatest example in the new testament is the scene in which a woman begs Jesus to heal her child. Initially she is cut off and called a begging dog, until she confess complete and utter loyalty to Jesus. Jesus then heals the child. Note that the childs survival is dependent on the childs mother showing loyalty.

 

[DArtagnan]

The joke is that the ultimate "measurement" of what you've "done to deserve" something, is how wealthy you are.

 

[lostforever]

Taking care of the poor and needy is a basic tenet of both the Jewish and Christian faiths. Cherry picking the Bible (also called Proof-Texting) while common (especially with 'money' TV so called evangelists) is IMHO an abomination!! Jesus and His disciples healed ALL who came, so how can people claim that He wouldn't support helping those who for various sound reasons are not capable of getting the medical attention they need? I tend to get annoyed when people try to use religion in ways it should not be used in a vain attempt to justify an untennable position!!

You don't include Islam on that list. is that because you think Islam does not follow that principle or you don't know enough to comment?