Republicans Eat their Own: More Red States Uninsured & Recipients of Welfare

While venturing about the Internet, making my daily visit to my favorite sites, this comment screamed a talking point that’s all too prevalent with Republicans recently. It’s hurtful, it’s unaware and without conscience. Most of all it’s false.

We’ve become a heartless nation when an uninsured man dies and it provokes applause from the audience. Ironically, most uninsured Americans are Republicans — it’s as if they’re unknowingly cheering for their own death.

 Vbdon commented on Digg.com:

Liberals can’t seem to understand why it is unjust to take health care away from a child whose parents have paid for it, and give it to a freeloader who preferred to spend his life’s income on sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

Better yet, Liberals think they can sell their ignorance as a campaign issue to gain votes from voters who pay for their health insurance and are watching their costs go up 40% because of the freeloaders that Obama is adding to the system.

No wonder Obama loses support every time he makes a speech. Now all liberals are following his lead.

Skycrabing replied:

Um, what about the people who were born into poverty (like me) and DON’T waste their money on sex and drugs etc etc? My father died when I was 10, and that left my mom with his debt, her college debt, his funeral costs, raising me and my brother, AND paying rent for the shitty apartment we lived in. We had to go on Medicaid, and my mom didn’t have health insurance for a while, and not because my mom is a “freeloader,” but because the circumstances that were thrown our way. We can’t afford not to have health care, because my mom has diabetes, and my brother has brain damage and could need care in the future. I’m guessing you were brought up in a family where none of what I mentioned was an issue.
Try paying bills, taxes, mortgage and a fuck load of other expenses and have someone try to take away the only safety net you have in case something happens. You would feel differently.

Firstly, no one takes insurance from a child and gives it to a ‘freeloader.’ - Vbdon’s comment is so full of obtuse disinformation and unconscionable thought, it’s almost a pity to blog it. But, sometimes it’s too compelling not to. The new health care law was enacted in order to make insurance affordable to everyone, not to take from one child, to give to another. When we stop taking care of our own, we are no longer America, the greatest country on Earth.

The aggressive machine of disinformation over the health care law perpetuated the ‘evil Socialist’ label — as if this country would instantly become an entirely Socialist country if we enjoyed the health care other thriving nations have.

If Republicans think for a moment that we believe none of them have preexisting conditions, or skyrocketing insurance premiums, they’re sadly mistaken. In fact, more red states are populated with welfare recipients and have to endure the hardship of being uninsured far more than blue states.

Every state in the top ten with the lowest level of uninsured residents is a blue state, and almost every state in the top ten with the highest level of uninsured residents is a red state. Exceptions are purple states and California.

What we’re witnessing with Republican talking points is akin to them beating the shit out of themselves. They are the ‘freeloaders’ (their word, not mine).

For a comparison of welfare states read Balloon Juice here.

Graph: the New Civil Rights Movement with thanks.

Many thanks for the Image: Must be the Chocolate