Do you wonder why the health care "debate" has veered off into what seems to be Crazytown? Why are we talking about completely beyond-the-pale, over-the-top, around-the-bend stuff? How is it that "Obama=Hitler," "death panels for granny" and "it'll kill the disabled" are making the rounds? Are these loony charges merely an attempt to misinform and/or confuse folks? Are they an attempt to scare the low-information voter away from health care reform? Well, while they certainly can have that effect, these seemingly absurd talking points are actually something far more sinister. It's true that they've been attached to the health care debate; however:
News flash--This. Has. Nothing. To. Do. With. Health Care.
While they're ostensibly about health care, the real purpose--the references to Hitler, to death panels, to doing away with the elderly and the disabled, the references to paying for abortions--all of these are all designed to work together as a crystal clear dog whistle to Christian fundamentalists, a whistle I can still barely hear from my experiences as a fundy in my youth.
Follow me over the jump as I explain...
Read More
