Our own Miss Betty asks some very thinking parent questions and offers some sensible answers, light rather than heat for the health care reform debate.
And better than bi-partisan imo, her approach here is actually non-partisan. As in non-partitioning rather than two partitions, no walls erected on purpose to divide us against each other and segment us for easier market domination, separating us out and setting us against our own shared human interests.
LA Times on health reform:
We need many more Bettys and far fewer of the disruptive thugs-for-hire that have been attending the town hall meetings on healthcare.
Nance
Really! Did you happen to see Rachel Maddow about that last night, btw? She nails the foaming-at-the-mouth farce behind it all — Dick Armey’s lobbying firm et al wrote up the blueprint for the whole thing, following up on his plotting of the tea parties as political strategy. The stated goal is explicitly, “NOT to have an intelligent debate!”
This is about hurting the American people and the American system in order to win their political war with shock and slander and libel and hate speech, lies and spies, agitprop, even constitutional corruption up to and including torture and assassination. For those who promised they would keep us safe here in the homeland, they lied again. They’ve brought the fight here to us after all, because that’s how ruthlessly they want the money and the power for themselves even if blocking health care reform continues to kill 18,000 Americans per year for want of affordability and access, and to them this IS war.
Here are some more encouraging policy (not politics) reforms already working without warfare at the state level:
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices
LMAO, see one of the comments in response to “Right-Wing Harassment Strategy Against Dems Detailed In Memo: ‘Yell,’ ‘Stand Up And Shout Out,’ ‘Rattle Him’” –
“Isn’t this what Gates was arrested for?”
It reminds me of the Delphi Technique alarmists, remember Nance, how every time we’d try to have an intelligent debate of education reform or even a collegial conservation, there was a knot of “nots” drumming away on us for not sharing their paranoia, homeschoolers who would shout us down and accuse us of being Delphi Technique spies and outside agitators?? And it worked for them too, they were rewarded in Home Education Magazine “open” discussions and even at NHEN finally. (Oh, then they “won” on Kay Brooks’ homeschool advocacy list too, with the same tactics to the same end, using creationism as the Wedge.) They shut open forums down when they can’t dominate them ideologically, hence real intelligent debate among independent individuals was never a real option — it’s not possible unless everyone in the room wants that and is trying. Collective wisdom can just as easily be a dangerous mob. I guess this explains how they knew so much about this obstruction strategy! Talk about projecting your own faults. . .
Via Betty (which seems appropriate) here are Old Fat Naked Women for Peace, putting their own collective wisdom and powers of persuasion to much more ethical effect. . .and this is probably not corporate-sponsored, because why would it be profitable?
Fron the ideologically WND-like One News Now, confirming what ThinkProgress reported in comment above:
See our public policy and self-governance reduced to mere employment, a corrupt form of “free market capitalism” where we ordinary citizens provide all the skin in the game with no rewards, pay off the players’ gambling debts and (to mix my miserable metaphors) clean up after the elephants every day, no matter what the issue of the day.
[...] Tea Party Tactics Aren’t Healthy for Health Reform 4 08 2009 Betty’s thoughtful, gentle, Christian voice of reason can’t even be heard on the health care crisis, if these well-funded warmongers get away with [...]
There’s one main GOP fear about the healthcare reform, just like there is about the stimulus plan and cap and trade, and any other Obama initiative; that they will work, thus assuring Democrat majority in 2010.
They have one short year to destroy the Obama following and they will do anything to prevent the Dems from being successful, even if it means negative impact on our country.
I have come to believe that their will never be bi-partisanship in this country again, so if that is the case, then we must build as strong of a Democratic party as we can, continue to bring in the Blue Dogs..and have them be the center of our party, but keep the tent big..unlike the Republicans, who continue to insist on a small tent that holds predominanately white Americans with a strange mix of anti intelleculism and some brand of conservatism, although it’s not Goldwater or Buckeley. Two conservative thinkers and politicians that I really approved of in their day.
Anyway, the battle is on; The economy is now pronounced on the route to recovery thanks to Obama’s administration. Let us all work hard for growth and stability and against the fear mongering, hateful rhetoric, screaming and shouting of the mob rule!
I subscribed to Sarah Palin’s Facebook and Twitter feed, mainly for the laughs..but also to post opposing viewpoints when she writes something particularly loathesome and stupid….which is often.
“. . .even if it means negative impact on our country.:
That’s just sad. Strange and sad.
Equally sad, there are probably/definitely legitimate problems with all of these programs that should be ironed out but without a sane opposition, things aren;t handled in the best way.
But maybe that’s the long-term plan? Let all D ideas, good and bad, flourish (while waving hands a lot) and then sit back and wait for the mistakes to become apparent.
Who can tell. It’s not about what’s best for the country though. You are so right, Betty.
Nance
Ooh, can I stand to read Sarah Palin’s drivel as it is spewed? Hmmm. . . the lure of Facebook.
Nance