-"Averse to facts, no one interviewed was able to cite evidence for their false beliefs about the reform proposal, and instead suggested we seek the “truth” from Glenn Beck and Fox News."

Why is this? Maybe because having people be scared of "government takeover" is in Obama's interest. In retrospect, knowing that he cut deals for the public-option-free bill now in congress, a year ago, this makes sense. Why did Obama never rally behind public-option all last year? why did he not counter the scare tactics? The reason I think, is about to be "deemed" voted upon in congress.

Just another worthless video that disparages the people of the tea party movement, and examines "the mote that is in thy brother's eye."

I would like to see a Part 2 video where the 'liberal' journalist begins examining "the beam that is in thine own eye".

To clarify: I am on neither side of the mainstream left and right circus shows.

At the end of this video the producer writes: "The proposal will expand healthcare access to over 30 million uninsured Americans, make healthcare more affordable for everyone, hold insurance companies more accountable, end discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions..."

Take notice how the producer chooses to stay silent on HOW this proposal will 'expand' coverage. Why? Is it because of the beam in his own eye, or is it because he was paid by the insurance companies to produce this video... or both? Writing about 'expanding' healthcare access, while ignoring the mechanism for HOW this bill plans to accomplish this expansion, is either disingenuous or deceitful. Also, why should I believe that these 'liberal' politicians will be able to regulate insurance companies after they have continually and faithfully supported the privatization and de-regulation policies of the neoliberal economic order?

The tendency of the left to ridicule the right-wing populist movement is 'the wrong reaction'.

"So take right now, for example, there is a right-wing populist uprising. It’s very common, even on the left, to just ridicule them, but that’s not the right reaction. If you look at those people and listen to them on talk radio, these are people with real grievances. I listen to talk radio a lot and it’s kind of interesting. If you can sort of suspend your knowledge of the world and just enter into the world of the people who are calling in, you can understand them. I’ve never seen a study, but my sense is that these are people who feel really aggrieved. These people think, “I’ve done everything right all my life, I’m a god-fearing Christian, I’m white, I’m male, I’ve worked hard, and I carry a gun. I do everything I’m supposed to do. And I’m getting shafted.” And in fact they are getting shafted. For 30 years their wages have stagnated or declined, the social conditions have worsened, the children are going crazy, there are no schools, there’s nothing, so somebody must be doing something to them, and they want to know who it is. Well Rush Limbaugh has answered – it’s the rich liberals who own the banks and run the government, and of course run the media, and they don’t care about you—they just want to give everything away to illegal immigrants and gays and communists and so on.

Well, you know, the reaction we should be having to them is not ridicule, but rather self-criticism. Why aren’t we organizing them? I mean, we are the ones that ought to be organizing them, not Rush Limbaugh. There are historical analogs, which are not exact, of course, but are close enough to be worrisome. This is a whiff of early Nazi Germany. Hitler was appealing to groups with similar grievances, and giving them crazy answers, but at least they were answers; these groups weren’t getting them anywhere else. It was the Jews and the Bolsheviks [that were the problem].

I mean, the liberal democrats aren’t going to tell the average American, “Yeah, you’re being shafted because of the policies that we’ve established over the years that we’re maintaining now.” That’s not going to be an answer. And they’re not getting answers from the left. So, there’s an internal coherence and logic to what they get from Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and the rest of these guys. And they sound very convincing, they’re very self-confident, and they have an answer to everything—a crazy answer, but it’s an answer. And it’s our fault if that goes on. So one thing to be done is don’t ridicule these people, join them, and talk about their real grievances and give them a sensible answer, like, ”Take over your factories.” ---Chomsky http://www.zcommunications.org/worker-occupations-and-the-future-of-radical-labor-by-noam-chomsky

MP: Though I share many of your sentiments about this video, I must confess to laughing hysterically and forwarding it to my friends. I think the problem with your very good suggestion, however, is that, as this video points out, it is not logic of any discernible kind that motivates these people, but years of conservative indoctrination. This indoctrination is always going to make more sense to them than any other argument, even one coming from a third party (like an organizer).

That being said, I DO think that some of these people would be organizable into something like a labor party that focused on achieving real gains for working class people, but: not many. I think that our country has done so much damage to these people, ideologically, that they would fight (and are fighting) to defend the very system that is oppressing them. That being said, I think there is a HUGE portion of the American population who are swing voters and who are, as you say, just simply not being reached by the left in this country.

JL: Again, though I am equally suspicious of Obama's true intentions, he is, after all a 'New Democrat,' not a socialist as the right would have us think. This means that, like the majority of Americans, he thinks the market can save us. Much like the teapartiers, then, I think Mr. Obama is a willing victim of American norms and ideals. I think it's just as possible that he really believes what he's saying and just thought that a public option could be added in later. How he justifies this given that his own mother died of cancer while battling her insurance company is anyone's guess.

Again: I feel we clearly need a third party in this country, something like a labor or democratic socialist party that actually has access to the electoral process.

This is the sad result of Texas board approved Textbooks

"I believe one should fend for oneself." Thats such an oft-repeated sentiment by these rightwingers who live in states that get $1.50-$2.00 from the Federal gov't in spending for every dollar they give back in taxes (the difference is made up in the blue, urban states. Ya know, where the 'welfare queens' hang out.) And they've been benefitting from this socialism for over 100 years.

I can't figure out why these people, so steeped in American homilies, have never heard the expression, "put up or shut up". Maybe because it applies to them...

Ya know. I just finished watching a VERY OLD sci-fi movie, "Starman" - and people often say, as "evidence" that "aliens" & "UFOs" do not exist "Why don't they just land on the White House lawn?"

I propose this: that if, IF there is such a species "out there somewhere," if you were in their shoes, would YOU want to come to this barbaric insane society?

God help us - if they are watching us, we must look like idiots to them. The vitriolic irrational rage we spew from our mouths.

Mind you, I've been just as guilty, in my day, but nowadays I'm smart enough to know that I don't know @(* @#!!!!

I find it interesting that the reporter is asking the question of where in the bill does it say they are rationing healthcare......what is interesting is that most of them are saying they have never read the bill. One gives the answer that they got the information from Fox News.

For the most part, alot when asked have to think about what is in the bill....which says, they have no idea!!!

Yet, I just read an article on this site about the Pentagon: Weapons Makers as 'Welfare Queens'

Typical Reichwing, don't get all of their facts before shooting off there mouth.

I bet, that if the reporter ask one of the elephants that walked by him, they would probably give a better answer.

Totally hillarious!!!!!

It is completely obvious that the American people NEED healthcars, welfare, education, housing, food stamps & $$$$ as the vast majority of Americans are far too incapable of fending for themselves and they NEED "Big Brother" to think for and provide for them. Half of the nation thinks McDonalds is a feast of unparalleled quality while the other half thinks that by recycling used wine bottles and twist ties they will save the planet and restore a pristine Utopia for future (completely broke & uneducated) generations. This while driving their BMW`s to the summer home or the winter ski chalet while eating organic Cheetos. What fertile ground for power hungry ego-centric political saviors to create images of themselves for the enjoyment of the gullible masses. Ahhhh....yes, an organic garden at the White House.... How prudent and "green" of the president. I`ll bet it is hard for him to get away from the smell of fresh dirt in the early morning hours to make policy decisions. Meanwhile the right ultra conservative christian, constitutionalist, silent majority says "Jesus will take care of healing the uninsured...not me..." Even though Jesus also said "If someone asks for your shirt, give them your cloak as well." This nation NEEDS...NEEDS...NEEDS...! MORE GOVERNMENT ! None of the people can govern themselves... Perhaps aliens can do the job ! The government can not do it. The largest collection of P.T.Barnum freaks and snake oil salesmen in the world is in Washington. D.C. They cannot govern themselves much less a nation. The Banks cannot manage their own money, home buyers cannot afford their homes and everybody wants to live so far beyond their means they have to rob from the future to pay the present.... And everyone from the wealthiest to the poorest has their hand out to get whatever they can from Uncle Sugar... Is there no shame amongst the community of man ? Perhaps DC should arm everyone with the latest weaponry and allow the nation to shoot it out amongst themselves. (we already are the largest arms dealer in the world) Survival of the fittest & natural selection at its best...au natural... The whole thing makes me want to throw up...

The ironic thing is:

The teabaggers are right and we should join them. It doesn't matter how clueless they are, they want this dysfunctional government brought to the woodshed for a whipping, and we should realize that we actually want the same thing, and that without them, reform is not going to happen.

Progressives and Liberals are a minority in the USA. We need to find some common ground with these very simple people. Neither of us wants to keep bailing out crooked banks. Neither of us wants to be forced to purchase a private insurance company policy or get fined or go to jail.

Neither of us wants our taxes spent for overseas adventures. Teabaggers decry foreign aid, progressives decry war and defense spending but in reality, it's probably the same thing (think Israel).

I'm exasperated after watching that very sad video highlighting the intellectual ground zero of our betrayed population.

Goodnight,

TJ

I oppose this so-called health "reform" bill as I know what it it--corporate welfare for the insurance cartel.
It's an INSURANCE CARTEL takeover and futher privatization of our failing for profit health care system.

Obama et al is the example of government gone bad.
If we had honest and decent leaders, they would clean up and expand MEDICARE to ALL Americans--including these ignorant teabaggers--expanding MEDICARE would be an example of GOOD government.

I will agree with the teabaggers on one point: KILL THIS BILL!