Debate as a Shouting Match

In an article in the Washington Post, Dean Baker points out the key reason why the health care "debate" has sunk to a shouting match rather than a discussion of issues. The following is a snippet and I've bolded the key bit:

The lunacy was most clearly in evidence in former Gov. Sarah Palin's claim that President Obama's plan would force her to stand in front of a "death panel" to argue for the life of her baby with Down Syndrome. This "death panel" is a complete invention by Governor Palin. There is no twist or turn or contorted permutation of President Obama's plan that would prevent Ms. Palin from providing as much health care as she wants to her baby.

It would have made as much sense to claim that the transportation bill will deny medical care to her baby. After all, if the roads in front of her home are not properly maintained, and her baby has a medical emergency, then the transportation bill would have effectively sentenced her baby to death because she won't be able to get medical attention in a timely manner.

The reason that Governor Palin thought she could make up stories about President Obama's death panels is that the media have treated all sorts of other absurd inventions about his health care plan with respect.

The Republican right is not interested in debating or discussing. They want to use fear as a stick to club the Democrats and as a tool to herd the foolish into the fold in preparation for the next election.

A responsible press would stop treating this as a "debate" and focus on the fear tactics and the propaganda ploy used the Republicans. They would help people understand how they are being manipulated. Instead, the media pretends that this is a genuine grassroots protest movement worried about an issue and ready to come out as the "loyal opposition". Nothing could be further from the truth.

Those in the know call it "astroturf" and not grass roots. There is no "debate" since this is purely a destructive act, not an attempt to engage in a dialog to shape legislation. For the press to fail to point this out is a disservice to their readers/viewers. But, as we know, media is owned by extremely wealthy people and they still love the Bush era which the rich got super rich while the bottom 90% treaded water.

Go read the whole article, there is much detail that you won't get elsewhere:

Using Governor Palin's story, there may be mothers who are less wealthy than her who will be able to care for a baby with Down Syndrome or other serious affliction as a result of President Obama's plan. These mothers might not otherwise have this option because they could not afford the health care. It is easy to see how President Obama's plan can lead to life compared with the current situation. It's virtually impossible to see how it leads to death.

The media have allowed the politicians to turn life into death and night into day when it comes to the health care debate because they decided that anything said against President Obama's plan should be treated with respect, no matter how absurd it might be.