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2 years ago
Friday, August 21, 2009
Houston, We lost Barney
Ok, I have put this off long enough. Barney ‘let-me-answer-your-question-with-a-question’ Frank, on what planet do you spend most of your time? In the comfortable halls of Washington (Barney Frank’s world) he makes no bones about wanting to phase out private insurance and force everyone on to a single payer government plan, but back here on earth, he seems uncomfortable when faced with questions from his constituents advocating his approval of such a plan. At the risk of sounding juvenile, if it’s such a great plan, why can’t he say it to our faces? Uh-oh, I just answered a question with a question. It’s starting to rub off on me. But in all seriousness, people are not buying this pitch anymore. The republicans are not in power anymore, it is laughable for Frank to take a question about the health care bill and turn it into a republican bash-fest, and blatantly refuse to answer any uncomfortable questions about HR 3200. The American people are not stupid, sticking to a talking points memo is not going to skate you by a town hall meeting anymore. Barney Frank, I dare say, you sounded like a 5 year old little girl on the school play ground during this town hall. I am sorry; I really have a hard time believing that democrats in Washington represent the majority of democrats in this country. Sometimes, I get the feeling that they think we the people, the “mobs” belong in the Smithsonian. Anytime they refer to opposing points of view, it is with contempt. If you are a liberal, or even just left of center, I would like to hear from you. Is this how you want your representatives behaving before the people? Whether you agree with protesters or not, I would think you would want to see your representatives logically debating them to make them look stupid and wrong. But all this ‘I am rubber; you are glue’ equivalent strategy of debate does is make Frank look like a child. I can’t believe that you wouldn’t want to hold your government representatives to a higher standard than that. I know I would for any republican.
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Barney Frank's comment was in response to a foolish woman who tried to equate a concern for reform of the US health care system with Belsen and Auschwitz. That is garbage, but if someone is determined to believe it there is no point in attempting to argue, because there is simply no common ground - they might as well be literally on separate planets.
ReplyDeleteThat woman was simply one of many people that Barney Frank refused to answer to. Even still, the overall point of my blog remains valid. Whether he was talking to a Lyndon Larouche like loon or to a reasonable constituent, the behavior he exhibited on that day in response to all of his opponents made him look like a four year old little girl. You are right about one thing however. Sometimes it does seem as if Barney Frank, as well as other members of congress, reside on a separate planet from the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteBarney Frank is concerned about Uranus (delete this if it offends you)
ReplyDeleteNot at all sir, all views are welcome here. I happen to agree wholeheartedly. I would have included it in my post, but I would have had to credit Rush for coining the association.
ReplyDeleteAnyone equating those promoting improved health care in the US with those who perpetrated the abominations of Belsen, Auschwitz, Lidice and many others is either delusional or lying to promote a political agenda. Given that so many people in the US are putting this line forward, it seems unlikely that they are all delusional.
ReplyDeleteThose who promote such lies are beneath contempt. There is no point in trying to engage with them, because they will continue to lie.
They are not just lying about this of course. They have been lying systematically about the Briish NHS and how it operates and no doubt they will continue to lie about that too.
I assume that the rather grubby comment from 'Ed' is an allusion to Barney Frank's sexuality. I have no idea if he is gay, but it is irrelevant. That you appear to think it is, says much more about you and your associates than him.
Ok, first of all, what happened to not feeding the troll? If anyone who follows my blog and wants to know what I’m talking about; follow the link at the bottom of this comment. Be sure and read all the comments at the bottom of the page I link to.
ReplyDeleteNow, ibanda, if that is indeed your real name, this is what happens when you start ignoring what the opposition writes, you miss the point. As I said, this woman was but one person that stood up to oppose the health care bill. She was a Lyndon Larouche democrat; however she makes a valid point concerning the health care bill. If you look around at the conservatives calling the health care plan a Nazi plan, you should note that they referring to the pre-Munich invasion era of National Socialist Germany. In this comparison we are correct. Not only does the current health care plan effectively socialize medicine, it grants the government unprecedented access to our everyday lives, thus opening the door to expansion of a National Socialist agenda.
You see, blowing off opponents by saying that they are liars and beneath contempt doesn’t invalidate their argument, and only makes their voices louder. This was Barney Frank’s mistake, and you’re making it again here. That is why over half the people in the country are now opposed to nationalized, single payer health care.
Now, tell me about some of these “lies” you’ve heard from our side about the British NHS program. I’d love to hear about what you think is untrue.
The grubby comment from Ed is something called a joke. It means nothing. I thought your powerful brain would have been able to digest that.
about that link. http://www.timegoesby.net/weblog/2009/08/american-madness-stupidity-and-ignorance.html#comments
You came over to Time Goes By to provoke an argument and get yourself banned. That is trolling.
ReplyDeleteI come here to argue my case and you respond with insults which don't even have the merit of wit. Yes you are a troll, but not a very good one.
I do recognise 'Ed's' comment was meant to be a joke. It is still nasty and grubby and still says more about you and your associates than it does about Barney Franks.
As for lies about the NHS go here to that hotbed of socialism the Daily Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6018237/Barack-Obama-health-plan-how-US-Right-wing-claims-about-NHS-have-been-answered.html
As an example what about this:
Allegation: NHS patients over 59 years of age cannot receive heart repairs, stents or bypasses.
Response: A national audit on cardiac surgery showed that one in five of all patients was aged over 75.
Or this:
"People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the UK, where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless" to which Prof Hawking responded "I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS, I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived." (also via the Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6017878/Stephen-Hawking-I-would-not-be-alive-without-the-NHS.html)
As for your stupid comment about my sign in name, you really are scraping the barrel aren't you? I suggest you investigate the way people have to sign on your blog in order to make comments before making any more such inane statements. Is this what you mean by 'ripping my arguments apart'?
I'm going to be blunt. I think you are a pompous overgrown schoolboy, way out of his depth and not worth wasting any more time on. Goodbye. No doubt you will come up with some smart-arse comment in response and think how wonderful you are but I won't be here to read it.
You see, I expected no less than this demonstration here. It’s all too typical; so much anger over the fact that I have exposed your hypocrisy to my readers. If I am guilty of “trolling” then you most certainly are guilty of the same charge over here by your logic. However, I will not make that charge, you see, I agree with you. You have the right to bring your argument to my back yard and make a statement. All I did was allow other observers to see the whole picture. Enough said.
ReplyDeleteThere are no treatments that the NHS provides for The UK that are not available here in the US. I agree that the claim of Steven Hawking not getting treatment is absurd, the extremely rich will always get great treatment under any system, whether the government approves the treatment or not. It is however a fact that certain cancer treatments are unavailable in the US, in the private sector, that are not available in UK because the treatments are too costly and NICE won’t approve them. Besides, the president himself has said that spunk, spirit, and the will to live will not be a determining factor on what a government panel decides for you. “…maybe we can let the doctor know, and your grandmother know, that maybe you don’t need the surgery, maybe she’d be better off with the pain pill instead.”
It is truly laughable that you would make such a big deal over “ibanda, if that is indeed your real name.” I was of course referring to the fact that you chose that name here and Ian over on Time Goes By. Now as I have stated previously, I do not know much of the commenting process here on blogspot as I am still new to the site.
Now, you can think I’m pompous all you want, most rash, angry liberals do when their argument dissolves under the solvent of rational opposition. I would much rather fill this forum with “smart-arse” comments than dumb-arse comments.
Actually I got the "Uranus" comment from Boortz. I'm not a fan of Rush.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you for the correction. I only assumed because that was the first place i heard it.
ReplyDelete