[Ham] In Platt's (and the senator's) defense, perhaps they were aware that, the week before, an Obama video aimed at America's youth turned up at a Utah school...
[Arlo] I saw this video, and I found it's language very misguided, criticisms of that video are largely valid. This, however, does not excuse Russell's rhetoric. His comment was, plain and simple, that a presidential address to the school children is totalitarian. I can spades spades wherever they are, Ham, and I don't justify the evil rhetoric of one side by pointing to the evil rhetoric of the other. [Ham quotes Palin] Given such statements, is it any wonder that many of the sick and elderly are concerned that the Democrats' proposals will ultimately lead to rationing of their health care by -dare I say it - death panels? [Arlo] The public option as proposed by Obama amounted to allowing people the buy in to Medicare before 65. Medicare already contains an "end of life" counseling provision (thanks to Bush's 2003 Medicare Act). "Rationing" already occurs, both in Medicare and in the private sector. [Ham] Now, I realize how difficult it must be for a self-proclaimed "anarcho-Marxist" to see things from a conservative perspective. [Arlo] I've already said I find many parts of Obama's plan problematic, and I disagree with them. Personally, I do not have a problem continue covering the end of life counseling appointments for the terminally ill, but... and you may have missed this in your zeal to try to paint me as an ideologue... as I've said I have NO problem with intellectual dissent. It is the pandering to hyperbole, the willful omission and distortion of facts in order to incite angry mobs of misinformed voters... that is something I wonder why its difficult for YOU to "see". [Ham] Possibly it will enable you to understand Platt's genuine concern over these extreme governmental measures as something other than a "subversion of intellectual discourse". [Arlo] I understand "concern", but it does not excuse subverting intellect to the will of an angry mob. Dissent about Obama's speech could have been dealt with from a principled and intellectual position, instead many "conservatives" chose to pander to fear through distortion and omission, and incite their misinformed constituents. Possibly this will help you understand my frustration at the atrocious and, dare I say, "evil" rhetoric that masquerades as intellectual discourse in this country. Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
