• The poor 'just don't want health care': Republican congressman faces backlash over comments
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[quote] A first-term congressman who spent three decades as a physician — and is now part of a group of Republican doctors who have a major role in replacing Obamacare — is facing backlash after saying that poor people "just don't want health care and aren't going to take care of themselves." Rep. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., a member of the GOP Doctors Caucus, said comments he made to Stat News were not meant to suggest that poor people take health care for granted. The comments were published in a story last week about his burgeoning role in the fight to replace the Affordable Care Act. "Just like Jesus said, 'The poor will always be with us,'" Marshall said in response to a question about Medicaid, which expanded under Obamacare to more than 30 states. "There is a group of people that just don't want health care and aren't going to take care of themselves." He added that "morally, spiritually, socially," the poor, including the homeless, "just don't want health care." "The Medicaid population, which is a free credit card as a group, do probably the least preventive medicine and taking care of themselves and eating healthy and exercising. And I'm not judging; I'm just saying socially that's where they are," he told Stat News, a website focused on health care coverage. "So there's a group of people that even with unlimited access to health care are only going to use the emergency room when their arm is chopped off or when their pneumonia is so bad they get brought the ER." The comments immediately drew criticism from Medicaid advocates in Kansas, with some saying that Marshall mischaracterized and misunderstood people who are on the program. "These are people who are out there, working hard, paying their bills, and to have their elected member of Congress pointing their finger at them I'm sure is disappointing," David Jordan, executive director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, told the Kansas City Star. In response to the backlash, Marshall, who was elected in November, said he was trying to explain that a national health care policy around "one segment of the population" does not work because groups of people have varying medical needs and use different health care resources. "I was also saying that Obamacare has increased premiums on working, middle-class families by almost 200 percent in some places, and with deductibles of over $10,000, many don't actually have access to health care," Marshall said in a statement. "Coverage means nothing if you can't afford access." He added: "When I said, 'the poor will always be with us,' it was actually in the context of supporting the obligation we have to always take care of people, but we cannot completely craft a larger, affordable health care policy around a comparatively small segment of the population who will get care no matter what." [/quote] [url="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-kansas-congressman-health-care-poor-comments-20170309-story.html"]Chicago Tribune[/url] Sigh...maybe those poor people will eventually learn to stop buying iPhones and start taking better care of themselves! /s
I fail to understand how any politician could be so ignorant. I am a relatively well to do person but I am still very much aware of what those less fortunate than me go through. How can I be more informed than this man?
"Just like Jesus said, 'The meek shall inherit the Earth,'" Marshall said in response to getting physically carried out of his office and thrown into the street, which occurred as the result of his comments. "There is a group of people that just don't want house seats and aren't going to do their jobs."
[QUOTE=BlackMageMari;51944307]I fail to understand how any politician could be so ignorant. I am a relatively well to do person but I am still very much aware of what those less fortunate than me go through. How can I be more informed than this man?[/QUOTE] Because being informed about issues is a detriment to conservative and republican policies.
[QUOTE=BlackMageMari;51944307]I fail to understand how any politician could be so ignorant. I am a relatively well to do person but I am still very much aware of what those less fortunate than me go through. How can I be more informed than this man?[/QUOTE] They aren't ignorant. They're in bed with lobbyists.
[QUOTE=agentalexandre;51944315]They aren't ignorant. They're in bed with lobbyists.[/QUOTE] I'm amazed people think that the people in power are just clueless idiots who don't know what they're doing They ALWAYS know what and why they're saying. Its always for a reason.
I loathe how these rich leeches paint the true builders of the country as leeches.
[quote]"Just like Jesus said, 'The poor will always be with us,'" Marshall said in response to a question about Medicaid, which expanded under Obamacare to more than 30 states. "There is a group of people that just don't want health care and aren't going to take care of themselves."[/quote] That has to be the most back-asswards interpretation of Christ's stance regarding the poor that I have ever seen in my life.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;51944340]That has to be the most back-asswards interpretation of Christ's stance regarding the poor that I have ever seen in my life.[/QUOTE] [img]http://i.imgur.com/sYu7iE8.png[/img]
I'm surprised everyday by american politicians by their retarded statements and viewpoints. I feel bad for all of the americans who are experiencing this firsthand.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;51944340]That has to be the most back-asswards interpretation of Christ's stance regarding the poor that I have ever seen in my life.[/QUOTE] Probably because he knows that he can push his shit views and get support for it by throwing in a little Jesus talk Critical thinking is really not encouraged or expected in target republican voters [editline]11th March 2017[/editline] Shit I've literally had people tell me that the phrase "it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven" isn't proof that fucking over poor people to increase profit margins is bad according to Christ, because "the needle in context of the bible was actually a cave or tunnel, not a sewing needle"
It's not that we don't want health care, it's that we can't fucking afford it you worthless cumstain. Get the hell out of office.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;51944340]That has to be the most back-asswards interpretation of Christ's stance regarding the poor that I have ever seen in my life.[/QUOTE] sadly protistantism in america seems to revolve around being holier than thou and the poor must be poor because theyve done something wrong not that society failed them
[QUOTE=Itachi_Crow;51944357]Probably because he knows that he can push his shit views and get support for it by throwing in a little Jesus talk Critical thinking is really not encouraged or expected in target republican voters [editline]11th March 2017[/editline] Shit I've literally had people tell me that the phrase "it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven" isn't proof that fucking over poor people to increase profit margins is bad according to Christ, because "the needle in context of the bible was actually a cave or tunnel, not a sewing needle"[/QUOTE] I doubt he's ever actually read the bible in his life, he just uses it to appeal to his braindead christian conservative voter base.
[QUOTE=TestECull;51944447]It's not that we don't want health care, it's that we can't fucking afford it you worthless cumstain. Get the hell out of office.[/QUOTE] If you had read the quote, then you would know that he's talking about people on free Medicare. Which part of this quote: [QUOTE]"The Medicaid population, which is a free credit card as a group, do probably the least preventive medicine and taking care of themselves and eating healthy and exercising. And I'm not judging; I'm just saying socially that's where they are," he told Stat News, a website focused on health care coverage. "So there's a group of people that even with unlimited access to health care are only going to use the emergency room when their arm is chopped off or when their pneumonia is so bad they get brought the ER."[/QUOTE] is wrong? The facts seem to line up with exactly what he said. He even specifically noted that this wasn't some moral judgement on these people. It's just a good thing to keep in mind when coming up with healthcare plans. We have to recognize that there exists a certain group of people who will almost certainly not get better healthcare outcomes even with the best insurance on the planet because they don't eat good food, don't exercise, and don't generally do any sort of prevention. It helps to dispel with the notion that if we only had better insurance for these people, then they would stop going to the emergency room so much and would start using preventative medicine. That doesn't seem to be the case based on the fact that they don't utilize the already available care.
[QUOTE=Itachi_Crow;51944357] Shit I've literally had people tell me that the phrase "it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven" isn't proof that fucking over poor people to increase profit margins is bad according to Christ, because "the needle in context of the bible was actually a cave or tunnel, not a sewing needle"[/QUOTE] How does any self respecting person manage to completely invert one of the most basic teachings of Christ? I've used this exact quote before to argue against people glorifying rich people. He touched on this theme so often I could list close to half a dozen instances. -Above Quote -Lazarus and the Rich Man -"The poor he filled with food and the rich he has sent away empty" -"The least among you is among the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" -"The first will be last and the last will be first" -The poor woman who gave more of her wealth to help others than the rich man donated -"Whatever you did for the least of your brethren, you did for me." That Theology reject's interpretation is just as ass-backwards as a Fundamentalist's interpretation of the Koran.
[QUOTE=sgman91;51944503]If you had read the quote, then you would know that he's talking about people on free Medicare. Which part of this quote: is wrong? The facts seem to line up with exactly what he said. He even specifically noted that this wasn't some moral judgement on these people. It's just a good thing to keep in mind when coming up with healthcare plans. We have to recognize that there exists a certain group of people who will almost certainly not get better healthcare outcomes even with the best insurance on the planet because they don't eat good food, don't exercise, and don't generally do any sort of prevention. It helps to dispel with the notion that if we only had better insurance for these people, then they would stop going to the emergency room so much and would start using preventative medicine. That doesn't seem to be the case based on the fact that they don't utilize the already available care.[/QUOTE] Better to have it and not need it than to not have it and need it. Just because people don't always utilize their healthcare options doesn't mean they don't still want access to it.
I know understanding is key, but I really don't understand why the republicans get elected in your country for "fuck the poor!" but guys like Bernie are considered unelectable for their "hey, the poor are getting a bit fucked" schtick. Is it the whole there's no poor American, just a temporarily embarrassed rich person, or just political ignorance. I'm not sure I'm willing to accept that most people agree with the kind of shit spouted by America's right.
In addition, it's a bit silly that he attributes that lack of utilization of healthcare to just the poor. Middle-class people and even wealthy people will keep themselves from going to the doctor just out of principle for any number of reasons. Denial that they're sick and need a doctor, the lack of the time necessary to actually make an appointment and get to a doctor, the cultural stigma that comes with going to the doctor, in some cases, or just an outright fear of the doctor. Those are all contributing factors to not making an appointment. It's not that they "don't want healthcare", it's that there's probably something keeping them from using it, whatever that may be. But again, that doesn't mean they shouldn't have access to it.
[QUOTE=Rossy167;51944552]I know understanding is key, but I really don't understand why the republicans get elected in your country for "fuck the poor!" but guys like Bernie are considered unelectable for their "hey, the poor are getting a bit fucked" schtick. Is it the whole there's no poor American, just a temporarily embarrassed rich person, or just political ignorance. I'm not sure I'm willing to accept that most people agree with the kind of shit spouted by America's right.[/QUOTE] Our Culture hates taxes, so anything that can be considered a tax increase (even for the Rich) gets shat on.
[QUOTE=Pascall;51944551]Better to have it and not need it than to not have it and need it. Just because people don't always utilize their healthcare options doesn't mean they don't still want access to it.[/QUOTE] It's still important to keep note of for cost analysis going forward. Remember when part of the rhetoric around Obamacare rhetoric centered around the fact that we are already paying for people without healthcare through emergency room visits and that if they only had healthcare, then they wouldn't need to use the emergency room as much? Contrary to that claim, emergency room visits rose after the passing and application of Obamacare. I'm sure the type of person being mentioned by Mr. Marshall is part of the reason (along with other factors like not having enough primary doctors).
[QUOTE=sgman91;51944568]It's still important to keep note of for cost analysis going forward. Remember when part of the rhetoric around Obamacare rhetoric centered around the fact that we are already paying for people without healthcare through emergency room visits and that if they only had healthcare, then they wouldn't need to use the emergency room as much? Contrary to that claim, emergency room visits rose after the passing and application of Obamacare. I'm sure the type of person being mentioned by Mr. Marshall is part of the reason (along with other factors like not having enough primary doctors).[/QUOTE] 'Course it's important. But I don't believe we need to shaft people on some assumption that "they don't want healthcare" when there could be any number of reasons for people to not take advantage of it.
[QUOTE=Pascall;51944580]'Course it's important. But I don't believe we need to shaft people on some assumption that "they don't want healthcare" when there could be any number of reasons for people to not take advantage of it.[/QUOTE] I'm glad you recognize the importance in knowing this type of information, but that doesn't generally seem to be the case. Both his political opponents and the responses in this thread, seem to show that people don't even want to have the discussion, and that anyone who brings it up must just hate the poor.
It irritates me that people were willing to use/threaten violent, even armed force against politicians sho were pro-choice/pro-lgbt rights but nobody ever has ever done the same for the right to have access to basic healthcare without being assfucked by insurance or debt. And yeah without trying to be a cunt religion only tends to be used in a hypocritical/contradictory context when it comes to politics so fuck people who do so.
Jesus christ, as if it wasn't obvious enough that the Republicans look down on poor people
[QUOTE=OmniConsUme;51944563]Our Culture hates taxes, so anything that can be considered a tax increase (even for the Rich) gets shat on.[/QUOTE] Nobody likes paying taxes, it's just every other country in the world understands taxes are needed for things like a police force, schools, roads and national healthc... oh yeah. Seriously though, do you Libertarians think all the public services that the economy they live in requires to function just exist by magic?
[QUOTE=Sableye;51944485]sadly protistantism in america seems to revolve around being holier than thou and the poor must be poor because theyve done something wrong not that society failed them[/QUOTE] "But how can society have failed them when [I]I'm[/I] making six figures?" :downs:
[QUOTE=Rossy167;51944707]Nobody likes paying taxes, it's just every other country in the world understands taxes are needed for things like a police force, schools, roads and national healthc... oh yeah. Seriously though, do you Libertarians think all the public services them and their economy they live in requires to function just exist by magic?[/QUOTE] It's usually more of an idea that the gov't already has enough tax revenue, and that adding more to that isn't as useful as rethinking where tax dollars go.
Talk about twisting the words you apparently worship to make them mean whatever the fuck you want them to mean. Also what's that Jesus quote; "It's easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God"? I've always found it pretty funny that religious fundamentalists in the U.S like damning people to hell and telling them to stop perverting the word of GAWD and that the bible should be taken literally, while at the same time being massive hypocrites.
[QUOTE=sgman91;51944503]If you had read the quote, then you would know that he's talking about people on free Medicare. Which part of this quote: is wrong? The facts seem to line up with exactly what he said. He even specifically noted that this wasn't some moral judgement on these people. It's just a good thing to keep in mind when coming up with healthcare plans. We have to recognize that there exists a certain group of people who will almost certainly not get better healthcare outcomes even with the best insurance on the planet because they don't eat good food, don't exercise, and don't generally do any sort of prevention. It helps to dispel with the notion that if we only had better insurance for these people, then they would stop going to the emergency room so much and would start using preventative medicine. That doesn't seem to be the case based on the fact that they don't utilize the already available care.[/QUOTE] I read the quote. Medicaid is widely mocked as being nearly worthless. And even if it is a good plan, any deductible over 250-300 bucks is gonna put healthcare beyond the realm of affordable for the poor in America, who I'd like to remind you cannot afford to miss even a single day's work without bills going unpaid because there just isn't enough to go around. There may be some poor people who genuinely don't care, but there's just as many well-off folk that don't care either. The reason so many more of us have preventable/curable/treatable diseases is because we can't afford to get anything done about them, not that we don't care. [i]We do.[/i]
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