Well, then there are those who believe that government health care for the elderly means that when the elderly get sick, they will be euthanized. No, really - a lot of people think that.

Mandatory suicide counseling. "Are you sure your family wouldn't be better off with you gone? Really?"

No, seriously, I'm not making that up. There are Congressmen claiming this is part of the draft bill.

Well, then there are those who believe that government health care for the elderly means that when the elderly get sick, they will be euthanized. No, really - a lot of people think that.

I like the Paul Krugman piece in the Times this morning:

At a recent town hall meeting, a man stood up and told Representative Bob Inglis to “keep your government hands off my Medicare.” The congressman, a Republican from South Carolina, tried to explain that Medicare is already a government program — but the voter, Mr. Inglis said, “wasn’t having any of it.”

[link]

The conspiracy theory that is bugging me right now is that government health care for the elderly means that the elderly won't get health care and die.

Well, then there are those who believe that government health care for the elderly means that when the elderly get sick, they will be euthanized. No, really - a lot of people think that.

Oh, god, you guys. The Boy's parents, who are both in their v. early 70s, really believe that government health care/single-payer means that they'll be euthanized. They read and listen to all the right-wing propaganda, and swallow it wholesale.

There was a piece on All Things Considered on Wendesday, I think, about this exact thing, and they even had an AARP spokesman on to explain what part of the proposal is being spun to make it sound like elderly people are going to be euthanized.

All it is, is that Medicare would pay for elderly people to have an office visit/consultation in order to discuss end-of-life options, ahead of time. Right now, Medicare doesn't pay for that, not on its own visit. If a doctor discusses end-of-life options with a patient as part of a checkup, well, then the doctor gets paid by Medicare b/c it was a checkup. But if the patient just wants to sit down and discuss end-of-life options, without a checkup, Medicare won't pay for it right now. Under the proposed plan, it will.

And so the very necessary end-of-life planning being paid for by Medicare is being spun by vile, waste-of-oxygen jackholes to make it seem like federal agents are going to show up on elderly people's doorsteps and whack them.

Well, then there are those who believe that government health care for the elderly means that when the elderly get sick, they will be euthanized. No, really - a lot of people think that.

I dunno - the wacky conspiracy stuff is good and facepalmy, but what actually worries me are the much more common types who are dead set against the government touching their Medicare - because they don't get that they already have government health care.

Some people are too stupid to live. Let's add that to the Health Care Bill and then it REALLY will be about killing people off. t /black humor

Some people are too stupid to live.

In all seriousness, people are just far less rational than we believe. Many people just believe what they want to believe, and if you present them with facts that show they're wrong, they'll actually embrace their wrong beliefs even more strongly.

than we believe

Who's this "we", mister touching faith in the perfectibility of man?

you say to-may-toe.

IO stupid people N - Person who said they would call me today, or that I could call them? that person? NOT WORKING IN THE OFFICE TODAY! So possibly not stupid, just a fucker.

Also? Dr. who observed mac yesterday, No call or email to me today. GRRR.

Both of these are concerning what I consider important to urgent matters.

Who's this "we"

Most people.

mister touching faith in the perfectibility of man?

I resent that innuendo!

You know, if there are intelligent aliens out there, I bet they haven't contacted us because we don't meet their definition of 'intelligent', which would include the ability to recognize and prevent long-term, abstract threats to our existence. Like, for example, global warming. Or overpopulation. Or depletion of natural resources, water, etc....