From the UK Daily Mail:
Professor Stephen Hawking has defended the NHS after its severe criticism during the American political debate over health care reforms.
The physicist spoke up for the NHS after the Republican Right claimed it was 'evil' and 'Orwellian' in a direct attack on Barack Obama's plans to overhaul health care in the U.S.
Critics of the president have said his plans would introduce a 'socialist' system like Britain's.
Prof Hawkin, who suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease, said: 'I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS.
'I have received a large amount of high quality treatment without which I would not have survived.'
President Obama wants a publicly backed scheme to provide for the 47million Americans who are without private health insurance and the 25million who are under-insured.
But opponents have begun a campaign equating the two - and in the process peddling some vicious myths, such as tales of NHS 'death panels' that deny care to the elderly and disabled and put an 'Orwellian' cap on the value of human life.The Daily Mail is a very right wing newspaper which often criticizes the NHS, but they took offence at some American politicians who are "makin' things up".
I don't understand why people are opposing the healthcare reform. As I understand it, people with insurance can continue to pay their premiums as usual. The proposals would end the rationing of care the insurance companies presently impose on the insured and the pre-existent conditions clause which prevents millions of people from receiving the care they need.
It appears the protesters are cutting off their noses to spite their faces...
Let's cut to the chase: dishonest politicians and their followers simply can't stand the idea of a black man in the White House and will resort to inflammatory rhetoric and disruption of civilized debate in order to restore the old politics as usual: a white, evangelical, warmongering president in the pocket of the big corporations.
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