Admonish Joe WIlson? A Stupid Diversion


Joe Wilson isn't even a sideshow, and the looming debate about whether he should be admonished by fellow members of the United States House of Representatives is a national disgrace. So what if the South Carolina congressman called President Barack Obama a liar? Wilson was listening to a politician give a speech. President Barack Obama may have charisma, but he is no oracle. We don't elect men to become gods.
But leaders in the House of Representatives feel otherwise, so storm clouds gather about whether Wilson should be admonished by formal action of the House unless Wilson apologizes from the House floor. An aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi call's Wilson's outburst a clear violation of the rules of the House. 
Wilson garnered his 15 minutes of fame the other night by exclaiming loudly "You lie" during the president's address to the House. The president was making his case for national health care. Wilson just couldn't help himself, I suppose. But neither can many Americans when it comes to health care reform. People get crazy: I am still shaking my heads over the report that at one debate one senior citizen bit off the finger of another senior during a fiery exchange of views. 
The true scandal is that millions of Americans lack health care. Period. End of discussion. The stethoscope lobby and its pimping payroll masters in the health insurance industry do not want all Americans to enjoy basic health care coverage. It is far better to segment the market in human suffering into profitable mouthfuls. And if those profit centers are threatened, then scream, scream, scream to the heavens about euthanized grandmothers. White-coated scum spread this swill, as do pin-striped pimps on the make.
We have decided on constitutional grounds that in a republic devoted to the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness, each and every American should be afforded the right to a lawyer when their liberty interest is at stake.  The indigent in this county never go without a lawyer when the stakes are high enough. This is a start down a road as yet only partially travelled: each American, regardless of income, should have the right to a public defender when charged by the state with a crime. Those with means can always opt out and hire a high-end warrior. Lawyers who need to make a big buck will always find takers for their services.
So it should be with health care. The right to life is certainly no less valuable than liberty; indeed, it is more fundamental.
Illness and diseases, no less than a criminal charge, are often the result of poor life choices. But most often, illness, disease and death are a part of life's cycle. What sense does it make for a nation of unprecedented affluence to close the doors of health-care providers merely because a person cannot afford to pay a doctor?
The social compact is shredded by a government that refuses to provide equal access to a minimum level of care for all Americans. When we have seniors resorting to cannibalistic attacks on one another for fear that money might be diverted to the care of children, something is sick, twisted and in need of repair.
I understand the difference between criminal defense and an inchoate right to health care. It is the state which threatens to take liberty in the former: a well-ordered society ensures that the state can take advantage of no person.  
But the state was formed to improve upon the cruel lottery of nature. We have bound together to preserve our basic right to life, among other things. A society that cannot provide for that amid our great wealth is a sick and limpid thing, scarcely deserving of unquestioning support.
Joe Wilson's outrage was unseemly. It was rude. It was, alas, impolitic! But at least it was real, passionate and a reflection of a nation in crisis over something fundamental. That the leaders of the House cannot hear the true significance of his howl, but focus instead on trifles is what truly disturbs. But, of course, we get the government we deserve. If we don't insist on something better, we'll just muddle along entranced by the same old swill.

Comments: (3)

  • "But the state was formed to improve upon the crue...
    "But the state was formed to improve upon the cruel lottery of nature." Maybe, but it was also formed as an attempt to rise above the cruel lottery of nature; thereby creating an illusion that the laws of nature do not apply to us. Living in community that is subject to Nature's lottery may seem cruel, but our modern state struggles to substitute for a compassionate neighbor or two. Alas, we have build a house with no toilet; leaving us mostly alone in our individual problems to sludge through our own waste.
    Is there any health care system, legal system, or political structure that can help us clean up this mess? Our national and international problem solving systems are not equipped to deal with the magnitude of the problems we face; for all the problems of the world are converging on us and seem destined to hit us all in an inferno with one spark in this increasingly dry forest. Read Lester Brown's "Plan B 4.0" if you doubt it.
    Gerry Spence's brilliance, and his legacy for me, was the first part to his book "Give Me Liberty." This book mostly flopped in sales, but his metaphor to the fact we are all enslaved to our own desires is spot on. Corporate greed, which is really just our own greed masked, rules the day and is our slavemaster. Our source of suffering comes from ourselves. Gerry, my modern day Buddah.
    Do your part to bring some love, compassion and some healing; but don't be fooled that we can somehow defy laws of nature.
    Maybe Joe Wilson is on to something when he says "You Lie." Reform without a fundamental change in how we care for one another is a Lie.
    Posted on September 13, 2009 at 5:13 am by Bread Man
  • ~ SINCERE RELIGIOUS AMERICANS ALL KNOW BETTER ~
    O...
    ~ SINCERE RELIGIOUS AMERICANS ALL KNOW BETTER ~
    OUR U.S. RELIGIOUS LEADERS SILENCE IS MORE FRIGHTENING THEN DENIAL OF HEALTH~CARE FOR ALL OUR POOR AMERICANS ....
    ** THE LOUD RANT OF SATAN WAS HEARD IN THE PEOPLES HALLS OF U.S. CONGRESS AND AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LEADERS HAVE TURNED THEIR HEADS,CLOSED THEIR EYES AND SHUT THEIR EARS IN FEAR ~
    THIS OLD WORLD ORDER OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT OF OUR POORER AMERICANS NEEDS ENLIGHTENED POLITICAL MINDS AND HEARTS TO VIEW GOD DIFFERENTLY THEN $$$... NO MATTER WHAT THEIR POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION ???
    WHEN WILL OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS ABATE THEIR ASSAULT ON POORER AMERICANS WITH THEIR MONETARY CONTROL OF OUR IVORY TOWER U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER ???
    THERE ARE NOT MANY MORE DISTRACTIONS LEFT WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS TO HIDE BEHIND IN NOT TAKING PROPER CARE OF ALL OUR AMERICANS IN A HUMANE FASHION !!!
    RALPH NADER ATTEMPTED TO EDUCATE AMERICAN VOTERS ABOUT U.S. CORPORATE POWER IN AMERICA AND HOW THEY CONTROL OUR CONGRESSIONAL PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR POCKET BOOK (POLITICAL DONATIONS).* WITHOUT THE DOUGH $$$ THESE U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD DO NOT GET RE~ELECTED TO CONGRESS.TO STAY IN POLITICAL OFFICE IN AMERICA,ONE HAS TO BARTER YOUR VOTES IN CONGRESS AND REPRESENT POWER INTERESTS IN RETURN FOR THE BUCK$.
    POORER AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HAD THE $$$ LOBBY TO INFLUENCE THIS CORRUPT POLITICAL CONCEPT (of horse trading political votes for political contributions) TO ACHIEVE PROPER HEALTH ~CARE OR LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR ALL OUR MIDDLE ~ CLASS AND WORKING POOR AMERICANS.
    Lawyers For Poor Americans is now actively in the hunt for International Countries and Leaders Worldwide to help raise 5 Billion Dollar$ for our slighted poorer Americans who have had their own American Congress turn their backs on their desperate needs in not affording them proper legal representation.
    Troy Davis and Mumia Abu ~ Jamal are 2 perfect examples of American citizens who never had proper legal representation or defense investigations afforded them by our U.S. Congressional Leaders Of The Free World in their initial criminal trials in (Georgia and Pennsylvania) who might very well have to pay the ultimate price of possibly being completely innocent and falsely executed in the near future.
    These two poorer Americans are among tens of thousands of legal cases nationwide that never were afforded proper legal representation or proper defense investigations at their initial trials??We the public really have no idea if these men are innocent or guilty until they both are given fair legal representation at their new future trials.
    Improper murder trials and needless deaths due to the lack of healthcare take place in Third World Countries all the time. ** Why should average Middle~Class and Working Poor Americans in the Wealthiest Country Of The World be treated as if they are living a Third World Life Style ??
    This is the first of many www International pleas by Lawyers For Poor Americans for other leaders and countries to help raise the needed monie$ to correct these blatant injustices that have been inflicted on poorer Americans for the last few decades.
    Lawyers For Poor Americans has many other written articles that can be viewed with any www search engine by our name or our telephone number.
    Lawyers For Poor Americans is a www lobby group of volunteers that sing out about the decades old neglect,abuse and injustices being inflicted on our poorer Americans that have become Crimes Against Humanity issues for the International World Court to investigate.
    lawyersforpooreramericans@yahoo.com
    (424-247-2013)
    Posted on September 14, 2009 at 3:40 pm by Anonymous
  • I agree with your point on Joe Wilson. If he want...
    I agree with your point on Joe Wilson. If he wants to play the idiot, we should let it be a monologue.
    Posted on September 15, 2009 at 6:39 am by verlasky

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