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The healthcare mob mentality: Angry mobs shouldn't be dismissed, Americans concerned about cost
The London Guardian ^ | August 9, 2009 | James Antle

Posted on 08/09/2009 1:33:24 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

"Town halls gone wild." That's the phrase being used to describe the local public events at which members of Congress try to sell a Democratic national healthcare plan to their constituents. Instead they are facing raucous chants, noisy protesters and a whole lot of yelling.

Poor Lloyd Dogget, a Democratic congressman from Texas, was confronted with posters depicting him with devil horns, signs blaring "Dump Dogget" and vocal opponents of the healthcare bill shouting the Reagan-era anti-drug slogan "Just say no!"

The liberal outfit Think Progress says that these demonstrations are the product of angry rightwing mobs trying to "swift boat" the healthcare town hall meetings. The Politico reports of "congressmen fearful for their safety".

Even White House spokesman Robert Gibbs has waded into the controversy, arguing that the protests have been ginned up by wealthy special interests determined to kill healthcare reform. Dismissing them as the "Brooks Brothers Brigade," Gibbs sneered: "I hope people will take a jaundiced eye to what is clearly the AstroTurf nature of so-called grassroots lobbying."

One man's special interest is another man's ideological cause. Neither the healthcare protests nor the larger "tea party" movement behind them are 100% spontaneous, but few organised protests are. Many of these demonstrators have been egged on by radio talkshow hosts, coordinated through blogs and social networking technology and guided by national conservative or libertarian groups with money in the bank.

But the supporters of Democratic healthcare legislation aren't exactly mere peasants walking around aimlessly either. They boast the organisational muscle of an alphabet soup of labour unions, community activist groups and special interests – SEIU, AFSCME, Acorn, AARP – that certainly rival anything Americans for Prosperity or FreedomWorks can put together. They tout a $40m budget for their efforts to get a reform plan passed.(continued)

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 111th; angrymob; bhohealthcare; birthers; healthcare; obama; obamacare; socializedmedicine; townhall; townhalls
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Comments?
1 posted on 08/09/2009 1:33:24 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
It is the same SEIU thugs beating on taxpaying protesters who want to make life and death decisions over their medical care.

We'd damn well better fight back!

2 posted on 08/09/2009 1:35:44 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (Islam offers three choices: surrender, fight, or die.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

America cannot afford freeloader “healthcare”. We’re broke!!!


3 posted on 08/09/2009 1:37:21 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Proud member of "The Angry Mob" Est. April 19, 1775)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

King George III of the United Kingdom tried dismissing angry colonists; look at what it got him.


4 posted on 08/09/2009 1:37:29 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country! What else needs said?)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Suppose we kick out all the freeloaders of the Mexican variety. Would that work better?


5 posted on 08/09/2009 1:41:03 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (The Democrat Party: a criminal organization masquerading as a political party)
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To: All; HiTech RedNeck; FlingWingFlyer; SandRat; Carry_Okie
Where in the Constitution does it say that the government provides “free” health care to the populace? I can't find it.
6 posted on 08/09/2009 1:44:54 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (If we're an Empire, why are Cuba, Iraq, Philippines, Japan & Germany independent?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

It don’t.


7 posted on 08/09/2009 1:47:32 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country! What else needs said?)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Why of course not... but my question would give the Rats a rich dilemma.


8 posted on 08/09/2009 1:50:46 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (The Democrat Party: a criminal organization masquerading as a political party)
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To: FlingWingFlyer
America cannot afford freeloader “healthcare”

Where's my health care?
9 posted on 08/09/2009 1:57:44 PM PDT by Krankor
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To: HiTech RedNeck

We’d be better off keeping the illegal aliens and deporting everyone in Congress (with their families and staffs). Even a million illegal aliens committing crimes can’t do as much damage as Congress can.


10 posted on 08/09/2009 2:04:00 PM PDT by LenS
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Where in the Constitution does it say that the government provides “free” health care to the populace?

It's in the same place that they have the power to regulate all commerce to "protect" the environment (to death I might add).

Or ensure workplace safety,
Or ensure safe food and drugs,
Or socialize the land entertainment industry (National Parks),
Or control "Federal lands" within the States,
Or provide "retirement insurance,"
Or...

11 posted on 08/09/2009 2:17:17 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (Islam offers three choices: surrender, fight, or die.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The “angry mobs” reside in the fevered minds of some Democratic politicians. Alongside the “evil insurance companies”.

The Democrats have to demonize people. It’s their “winning strategy”.

And we have to band together in opposition to the Democrats, in defense of our own rights. When the Secretary of Health and Human Services (why was it her job to do this?) praises the SEIU, after SEIU members beat up an innocent guy, that’s official approval for intimidation and violence.


12 posted on 08/09/2009 2:35:36 PM PDT by popdonnelly (Yes, we disagree - no, we won't shut up - no, we won't quit.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Even the left-wing Guardian sees the writing on the wall.


13 posted on 08/09/2009 2:59:03 PM PDT by expatpat
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The Congress/WH that are pushing this Healthcare as their takover, and that’s why the SEIU/ACORN/AARP/?? are getting pushy/violent. They want a peaceful takeover, because anything else would be TREASON:
http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/18C115.txt

The above law was passed in 01/08, and the Constitution addresses TREASON in Article III, but not as specifically. WATCH for violations.


14 posted on 08/09/2009 3:09:30 PM PDT by Kackikat (There is no such thing as a free lunch, because someone paid, somewhere.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
re: Dismissing them as the "Brooks Brothers Brigade," Gibbs sneered: )))

You know what they're REALLY saying here, they just don't have the guts...yet. This is code for "white people." The crowds are mostly white, which makes it easy for the goons to target the few black conservatives in the crowd.

I'm waiting for the "whitey" epithet...because when it finally bubbles out, it will be useful.

15 posted on 08/09/2009 3:13:04 PM PDT by Mamzelle (bring your cameras to all political gatherings--video if you can)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Point taken. This issue, when you boil it down to its bones, isn’t about money, it’s about freedom. The reason to reject this horrendous bill is b/c of the loss of freedom and the march to socialism it puts US on.


16 posted on 08/09/2009 6:30:24 PM PDT by socialismisinsidious ( The socialist income tax system turns US citizens into beggars or quitters!)
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To: long hard slogger; FormerACLUmember; Harrius Magnus; hocndoc; parousia; Hydroshock; skippermd; ...


Socialized Medicine aka Universal Health Care PING LIST

FReepmail me if you want to be added to or removed from this ping list.

**This is a high volume ping list! (sign of the times)**


17 posted on 08/09/2009 6:31:14 PM PDT by socialismisinsidious ( The socialist income tax system turns US citizens into beggars or quitters!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

yeah, Obama has made us pawns that will not be heard by making us look like non entities, puppets of an insurance scam.


18 posted on 08/09/2009 6:53:13 PM PDT by Munz (All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.)
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To: Mamzelle; 2ndDivisionVet; stephenjohnbanker; maggief; Tennessee Nana; AuntB; TADSLOS; raybbr; ...
Gibbs sneering, dismissing healthcare protesters as the "Brooks Brothers Brigade." What they're REALLY saying here, they just don't have the guts.......yet. This is code for "white people." I'm waiting for the "whitey" epithet...because when it finally bubbles out, it will be useful.

Nice take, Mamzelle.

What is precipitating the citizenry's outrage? I believe rage at "the healthcare reform scam" is just the straw that broke the camel's back. Obama’s double-crossing government that promised bi-partisan hope has turned democracy on its head. Obama's litany of atrocities has built opposition to a fever pitch:

(1) his Czar politburo,

(2) the loathsome Rahm Emanuel and Robert Gibbs,

(3) Third World takeover (amnesty/illegals/La Raza/ Sotomayor),

(4) smarmy Barney Frank posturing on finance issues,

(5) Sen Dodd's scot-free VIP mortgages,

(6) ACORN's tax-paid Civilian Security Force,

(7) trillion dollar bailouts of bonus-rich businesses vacationing at luxury resorts,

(8) a self-absorbed jetlining Congress more concerned with perks and privileges than constituents concerns,

(9) Americans' disgust with being called Astroturf and being told to "get out of the way."

WORKING THESIS Obama/Rahm are purposefully antagonizing large conservative groups in middle America in an effort to cause civil unrest. This would give them an excuse to declare Martial Law........and ACORN is ready (and federally financed) to silence the populace and march us to reeducation camps.

Americans need to be very vigilant: Obama and his loathsome COS staff Rahm ("Uriah Heep") Emanuel are very calculated in their use of power. As dissent among the populace grows, they are capable of plotting staged events to boost their advantage.

If these two arch-manipulators perceive there isn’t measurable fear in the hearts of the people, they will create that fear to solidify their power. They know people will succumb to fear and will relinquish their God-given liberties when they are fearful.

We are witnessing the emergence of a new government dictatorship...on American soil. History tells us that the rampant corruption, fed by cronyism, are the nuts and bolts of dictatorships.

Dictatorships are almost always governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect each other from accountability.

19 posted on 08/10/2009 5:03:20 AM PDT by Liz (When people fear govt, we have tyranny; when govt fears the people, we have freedom.)
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To: Liz

(1) his Czar politburo,

(2) the loathsome Rahm Emanuel and Robert Gibbs,

(3) Third World takeover (amnesty/illegals/La Raza/ Sotomayor),

(4) smarmy Barney Frank posturing on finance issues,

(5) Sen Dodd’s scot-free VIP mortgages,

(6) ACORN’s tax-paid Civilian Security Force,

(7) trillion dollar bailouts of bonus-rich businesses vacationing at luxury resorts,

(8) a self-absorbed jetlining Congress more concerned with perks and privileges than constituents concerns,

(9) Americans’ disgust with being called Astroturf and being told to “get out of the way.”

Not enough for impeachment on the CZAR’s alone?


20 posted on 08/10/2009 6:37:20 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (Pray for, and support our troops(heroes) !! And vote out the RINO's!!)
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