Saturday 15 August 2009

Sarah Palin, cynical and ignorant

Sarah Palin's campaign of disinformation appears to be based on a lot of ignorance. Keith Olbermann called her out on her latest Facebook note:

First Sarah Palin put out statements that misinterpreted parts of the bill, painting the end-of-life provisions as "death panels". She threw baby Trig into the mix for good measure, even though he hardly qualifies as a terminal or elderly patient.

Her notes provide loads of links, including articles that criticize the UK NHS, implying that there are "death panels" in operation on the NHS.

Professor David Kerr, of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, an endocrinologist specialising in diabetes, has seen both sides of transatlantic healthcare.

He accused US Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin of “scaremongering”. “I understand she’s suggested the NHS is evil and has spoken about ‘death panels’ which decide whether people live or die,” he said.

He believes it is “sad” that the Republicans and other American NHS detractors have “failed to do their research” and that they are using fear to exploit their position.

Another hospital worker from the UK had this to say:

“How dare the Americans criticise? Most Americans have never been outside the USA – and Sarah Palin calling our NHS evil only makes her seem more ignorant that ever. The truth is nothing like they’ve been saying but sadly, most of them will never hear it.”

Both statements, about "death panels" and the killing of Section 1233 of HR 3200, are cynical in the extreme. These statements count on the REAL ignorance of her followers. They go around repeating her falsehoods and trumpeting her "victories".

Sarah Palin's Facebook page is written by people who, although either ignorant of the facts or prepared to distort them, at least have the ability to write in full sentences, arranged in proper paragraphs, giving the impression that Sarah Palin is quite intelligent.

Thankfully there are plenty of people far more intelligent than Sarah Palin's ghostwriters who call them out every step of the way and have that annoying habit of sticking to the facts.

Go back to Twitter, Sarah Palin. On Twitter you were entertaining, you were yourself. On Facebook your helpers make you sound boring and incredibly irritating. And a much bigger liar...

Full NHS article on Sarah Palin Truth Squad.
Celtic Diva has the animated cartoon about how a bill becomes law.

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5 comments:

eat whine rally said...

Bravo Regina! You nailed it...as usual.

Anonymous said...

Thanks soooo much Regina!

Anonymous said...

I heard that Palin was in rehab in NYC. That's why she's been so quiet. Any truth to this?

Anonymous said...

I'm betting that Sarah Palin is getting plastic surgery and a makeover. Or else is in a Witness Protection Program. Any truth to this?

KaJo said...

If you haven't read Rick Horowitz' "The Circles of Sarah Palin" over at HuffPo, from Aug. 12th, please do.

He lists in ascending order a series of Possibilities about Sarah Palin's responsibility for the original "death panel" Facebook entry.

Using these 9 as a template, you can probably develop another set of Possibilities for just about any OTHER comments posted on her Facebook page -- or anything else she's ever written or ever will write -- ranging from "an imposter did it" to "demagogue Sarah Palin knew it wasn't true but did it anyway".