DISCUSSION OF DEATH AND THE DEATH OF DISCUSSION

We are witnessing the death of reasonable discussion
in open forums like town meetings. Noisy thugs are
claiming that "free speech" entitles them to trump
others' right to listen, learn and reason together in a
civilized manner and atmosphere. What we are being
robbed of is not only the sacred privilege of civil discourse,
but also the sense and practice of community.

Disruption of deliberative discussion is one of the first
tactics employed by antidemocratic forces throughout
history. Naomi Wolf has documented in The End of
America how thuggery has been used in the early
stages of mass movements in Germany, Italy, Chile
and innumerable other societies to disrupt and take
over public gatherings and then use them for propaganda
purposes to take over the government.

Another tactic used to cause confusion and disruption is
the invention and propagation of outright lies. One of the
leading ones at the moment is "socialism." "Government
takeover of the health system" is a variation of this lie.
To be socialism, the government would have to own the
hospitals and employ all the doctors, nurses and support
personnel. That is not being advocated here by anyone!
Under Obama's plan, private doctors practice, private
hospitals flourish, and private insurance companies con-
tinue to do their thing. That's not socialism, folks. Not
even close.

Part of the lying going on equates our health reform plan
with the National Health Service in England. Sen. Grassley
(who gets his misinformation from Glen Beck) remarked
that Sen. Kennedy would be refused treatment for his
brain tumor in England because of his age. "That's just
wrong," retorted a British Health Department spokesman,
who went on to say "The NHS in England provides health
services on the basis of clinical need, irrespective of age or
ability to pay." The British public approves of their health
service at a much higher rate than our people approve of
ours. They wouldn't if they didn't see it as fair and equitable.
Actually, truth be told, there is very little that can be done
by conventional medicine anywhere for advanced brain tumors.
Dr. Burzynski in Houston has had considerable success with
brain tumors, but the FDA has tried for years to shut him
down. He doesn't jump through their hoops or do chemo,
so big Pharma hates him and wants him out of business!
Google him if you are interested in that story.

And we won't have living will information paid for in the
new plan, thanks to Sarah Palin and her lie (repeated by
Glen Beck and Sen. Grassley and others) about "death
panels." Many people, particularly in their later years,
want to make plans about end of life matters. They want
peace of mind and do not want to be kept alive by extra-
ordinary measures when terminally ill. Currently, we
already have death panels: they are called insurance
companies. By deciding what treatments they'll pay for,
and what they refuse, they are deciding life and death
decisions all the time. They are also rationing. After
taking people's money for years, the first serious illness
may result in a "rescission" by your insurer. They may
now go back and discover you had a pre-existing con-
dition (perhaps a childhood illness) you had forgotten
to tell them about when you signed up. That makes your
insurance null and void, per fine print in the contract.
Have a nice day!