Stephen Hawking and socialized medicine.

[Wicked]

A quote from an editorial about socialized medicine in the Investor's Business Daily.

People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless.

Discuss.

[Songtan Sally]

Um . . . he IS British!! And alive.

[Ghedi]

Originally Posted by Songtan Sally Um . . . he IS British!! And alive.

Hush, you.

You weren't supposed to point out the painfully obvious fact that this statement is completely untrue, due to Hawking being British... We weren't supposed to know that socialized healthcare is responsible for the longest surviving case of ALS in the world, and is the reason why the person with the best understanding of black holes is still alive and continuing work on the finer details of the universe; research that could have such far reaching results as Einstein's theories on relativity (though hopefully not such destructive results as the atomic and nuclear bombs).

I mean, how can people continue to live in their small worlds, if we keep on presenting them with verifiable facts? Jeez!

[VerucaSalt]

Originally Posted by Songtan Sally Um . . . he IS British!! And alive.

Coincidentally, I recieved an email from a friend back at home related to this topic. I'm not normally a fan of fwds but as it is relevant to the topic I'll c+p it below:

Subject: They're lying about UK healthcare

Dear friends,

American corporations are spreading lies about Canadian health care to kill Obama's health plan -- and with it his whole movement for change. Sign a message to Americans about how the UK's system really works - and how much we value it. Let's set the record straight!



Obama's movement for change in the US is at risk of collapsing -- in large part because of lies about healthcare in the UK!

It's incredible, but Obama's health plan, and with it his entire Presidency, could be derailed if big corporations and the radical right manage to convince Americans that the NHS is a nightmare rationed service that refuses to treat patients and abandons the most needy, such as Stephen Hawking, without care.

We need a huge popular outcry to show the truth -- how proud and grateful we are in the UK to have a public healthcare system that works, despite its imperfections. Sign on to the message to America and forward this email -- if enough of us sign, we'll cause a stir in US media and help change the debate:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/reform_health_care_uk

US healthcare is run by large corporations - it's the most expensive in the world, but ranks 37th in quality, and 40 million Americans can't afford any care at all. It's an awful system for people, but corporations make enormous profits, so they're fighting to keep it. If they win and Obama fails, the Democrats could lose the Congress in elections next year. If this happens, progress on every global issue is endangered, from climate change to the war in Iraq.

We have no time to lose. Industry lobbyists are ramping up their smear campaigns right now to make sure the Obama plan is dead on arrival when Congress meets in September. Americans are hearing a constant barrage of propaganda that the NHS is a nightmare. Let's say it ain't so below:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/reform_health_care_uk

The NHS isn't perfect -- but it works far better than the US system. Let's stand up to the lies, and help save Obama's movement for change with the truth about the UK's healthcare system.

With hope,

Brett, Ricken, Benjamin, Alice, Graziela, Paula, Paul, Pascal and the whole Avaaz team.

Here's some links for more info:

Myths about the proposed health care reforms
http://www.communitycatalyst.org/pro...alerts?id=0066

Extreme tactics of the conservative right
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/he...townhalls.html http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-08-17-voa45.cfm

Paul Krugman on health care
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/op...=health&st=cse

The extent of the health care lobby
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aZdbr0YXz5jI

Health insurers stocks rise as health care plans fade
http://www.reuters.com/article/hotSt...090817?sp=true

[BumbleBeep]

It's a bit refreshing to see something positive with all the negative trash that I read in e-mails... SO much is just a flat out lie, I really hope some kind of health care bill is pushed through.