If you want to participate in an experiment in terror, go to the "reality check" website
and check out the videobytes intended to "combat myths about healthcare reform." What
you'll see is a series of vignettes by White House minions that set up straw men (things
no one in their right mind is actually saying) and then proceed to blow them out of
the imaginary water. It gave me a strange sense of Orwellian foreboding, and I could
almost see the zombie-like face of Barack Obama hovering in giant relief over the
free-flowing doublespeak.
But the site, along with Obama's New Hampshire town hall meeting and tactics
employed by various lawmakers in similar settings make the Democratic strategy
to pass healthcare reform crystal clear. Discredit dissenters. Call them un-American,
Nazis, a mob, holligans and thugs. Seize on arguments no serious critics are making
and paint all dissent with the same brush as misinformed extremism. What sticks in
the craw is that Obama and his people think Americans are really that dumb.
But their strategy will work UNLESS those who oppose Draconian government
control of the quality-of-life issue that affects every one of us takes action now. It
is clear that a part of the Democratic strategy is to flood the town halls with union
thugs like the ones who assaulted someone for distributing American flags in St.
Louis. We must not be intimidated, show up in force and give them a fight, verbally
if we can and otherwise if they want it that way. The New Black Panthers bullied
voters successfully in Philadelphia and the politicians that benefited from their
intimidation let them go unpunished. If they think we're afraid and that they can
keep us away then they will win. Find a town hall meeting near you and by all
means, go.
But the big thing we have to do is make the Democratic politicians answer the
real questions: the ones they weasel, twist on, dodge and avoid. Those questions
are not the straw men on Obama's phony website. They are as follows:
1. Does the bill currently before the House of Representatives allow the funding
of abortion with public money? Yes or no? It's a simple question.
2. Does the bill provide healthcare for illegal aliens with taxpare money? Yes or no?
It's not rocket science.
3. Does the bill specifically and unambiguously debar the National Health Board
being created from ever rationing or limiting care based on age, chronic disease or
cost? Yes or no? 'Fess up!
4. Does this bill or does it not impose a sirtax on businesses with payrolls of $250,000
or more that do not provide "acceptable" health insurance for their employees? Yes nor no?
a. If yes, is the government saying businesses that cannot provide health
benefits and still make a profit should just go out of business? And who decides what's
acceptable? What are the criteria?
b. Consider this scenario: Joe and Molly own a flower shop. In addition to themselves
they have two clerk/order takers, one delivery man and one bookkeeper who handles
the bills, the taxes, billing and receivables. The payroll is a modest $256,000. Is this
bill saying that Joe and Molly must provide full health benefits for everyone who
works for them or pay a surtax? If so, why not just close them down?
5. What provision is built into this legislation to guarantee that private insurance
options will continue to exist and not be closed down by trying to compete with
the same entity (the government) that also makes the rules? What guarantees that
this bill will not, over time, force a "single payer" scenariio by default?
6. Is it true that this bill authorizes the government to look into our checking and
savings accounts without our specific knowledge and permission? Yes or no?
Spit it out.
There are many more such questions that can be asked. But by the time you've
finished these they will either have shouted you into silence or forced you to leave
hall. They won't answer them because they're partisan cowards and because they
know that if they answer them truthfully they will ignite a storm of protest from
which they can never recover politically.
Doublespeak, threats, intimidation and namecalling can never silence us as long
as we refuse to be silenced. Let's call these people out for what they are and MAKE
them wear what they're shoveling. Let's MAKE them write bills, as one Pennsylvania
educator suggested to Senator Spector in a town hall meetung, that can be read and
understood by a junior high school student. Or let's, as another gentleman requested,
see a list of the people who actually write the bills, find out about their political
affiliation and agenda. Or as the best suggestion of all would have it, let's have a
national referendum on healthcare reform. Then, Mr. President, we'll be glad to
tell you what we think of your program. But, then, you're probably too big a
coward to that either. George Orwell is alive and well in Obamerica!