I Think Digby Called Them "Scum"

by publius

One of the hazards of blogging is that outrage comes pretty easy. Bloggers are, by nature, an irritated group. Speaking personally, it's the pent-up irritation at pretty much everything I see and read that keeps me going. It's a strange symbiosis -- bloggers and the outrageous objects of our affection.

Easy outrage, however, makes it harder to criticize the truly outrageous. It's difficult to find words sometimes -- to recalibrate the outrage properly. And so, fair reader, past rage notwithstanding, I want to say very clearly just how vile and disgusting this bashing of the 12-year old and his working class family is. It goes above and beyond the traditional silly Glenn Reynolds posts. They are attacking and lying about a family of six that makes $45,000 for the audacity of speaking out for public health care. I'm sure these silly people simply didn't realize that Bush's tax-saving plans would probably cover the expenses associated with being in a coma for a week and regular physical therapy. Digby says it best.

And on an aside, maybe I'm just a silly utilitarian, but when your ideology leaves millions of working class families without health care, it's time for a new ideology.

[Update: Or even better, what Hilzoy said.]

Comments

[Pooh]

And on an aside, maybe I'm just a silly utilitarian, but when your ideology leaves millions of working class families without health care, it's time for a new ideology.

What are the stupid proles doing getting sick? Serves em right, says I...

[rea]

Health care? Really, they should have thought of that before they decided to become peasants . . .

[Jesurgislac]

Publius: And on an aside, maybe I'm just a silly utilitarian, but when your ideology leaves millions of working class families without health care, it's time for a new ideology.

Their claim is, though, that no one goes without health care in the US. (I presume that everyone who does go without health care is an unperson.)

[Steve Dillard]

I agree, Publius. These are disgusting tactics.

[KCinDC]

Since this thread is redundant, maybe we can use it for an open thread until there's somewhere to talk about something other than wingnut mobs and the 2nd Amendment.

Mark Kleiman has an idea for what to do about Khaled al-Masri -- not that it'll ever happen. Kevin Drum thinks the Supreme Court's rejection of the case might be the best we could've hoped for given the current composition of the court (which if true is a bad sign for the next decade or more).

[Martin]

Is it me or is this stuff genius jiujitsu on the part of the Democrats? We've got the other party (well, their diehard supporters anyway) tying itself up in knots trying to discredit the cute kid whose story everybody with any sense can immediately see might well be true.

Genius!