Not "should the Federal Government let them die?" It was "Should society let them die?"

[Recursion]

There's a reasonable (but I think wrong) case to be made that the Federal government shouldn't be in the business of providing access to health care. I think that's wrong, but there's an argument to be made that is not absurd or unethical on its face for that.

But listening again, the question wasn't "should the Federal government just let him die?" but "should society just let him die?". That's a huge difference, and the response is all the more appalling when you think about that.

[DonCoquixote]

1. To the right wing

there IS no society, just their money and maybe their churches.

[Tx4obama]

2. Here's a link to the FULL transcript of the debate

http://archives.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1109/12/se.06.html

Excerpt:

BLITZER: Thank you, Governor. Before I get to Michele Bachmann, I want to just -- you're a physician, Ron Paul, so you're a doctor. You know something about this subject. Let me ask you this hypothetical question.

A healthy 30-year-old young man has a good job, makes a good living, but decides, you know what? I'm not going to spend $200 or $300 a month for health insurance because I'm healthy, I don't need it. But something terrible happens, all of a sudden he needs it.

Who's going to pay if he goes into a coma, for example? Who pays for that?

PAUL: Well, in a society that you accept welfarism and socialism, he expects the government to take care of him.

BLITZER: Well, what do you want?

PAUL: But what he should do is whatever he wants to do, and assume responsibility for himself. My advice to him would have a major medical policy, but not be forced --

BLITZER: But he doesn't have that. He doesn't have it, and he needs intensive care for six months. Who pays?

PAUL: That's what freedom is all about, taking your own risks. This whole idea that you have to prepare and take care of everybody --

(APPLAUSE)

BLITZER: But Congressman, are you saying that society should just let him die?

PAUL: No. I practiced medicine before we had Medicaid, in the early 1960s, when I got out of medical school. I practiced at Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio, and the churches took care of them. We never turned anybody away from the hospitals.

APPLAUSE)

PAUL: And we've given up on this whole concept that we might take care of ourselves and assume responsibility for ourselves. Our neighbors, our friends, our churches would do it. This whole idea, that's the reason the cost is so high.

The cost is so high because they dump it on the government, it becomes a bureaucracy. It becomes special interests. It kowtows to the insurance companies and the drug companies, and then on top of that, you have the inflation. The inflation devalues the dollar, we have lack of competition.

PAUL: There's no competition in medicine. Everybody is protected by licensing. And we should actually legalize alternative health care, allow people to practice what they want.

(APPLAUSE)

[pokerfan]

4. The transcript isn't accurate

It should be remembered that the audience responded before Paul even said a word. It was something like this...

BLITZER: But Congressman, are you saying that society should just let him die?

AUDIENCE: Yeah! (CHEERS & APPLAUSE)

PAUL: No. I practiced medicine before we had Medicaid, in the early 1960s, when I got out of medical school. I practiced at Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio, and the churches took care of them. We never turned anybody away from the hospitals.

Pretty disgusting if you ask me.

[Recursion]

5. Distinguishing between Paul and his fans

Paul at least seems open to the notion that society has that responsibility, but that it should not be met through the government. Paul is merely wrong; it was the audience that was so chilling to me.

[pokerfan]

6. I don't think the Tea Baggers are his fans

They booed him for daring to say that the entire Muslim wasn't responsible for 9/11. :banghead:

[jberryhill]

3. Well, see, there you are

You say "society" and they just know it is a code word for "socialism"

These folks are into what I would call antisocialism.