|
Intershame On: Patients United Now |
Stretching the Truth Beyond Reason
07/21/2009
The Internet, coupled with distribution power of social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Digg, ect., is, for the first time in human history, allowing the population the ability to publicly, consistently and thoroughly disprove propaganda - and more importantly, get the correct information out to the public.
Today we see that power in action.
Patients United Now is an astroturf organization of powerful political interests masquerading as a grass-roots uprising of citizens frightened by a public health care option. They've released this ad...
Turns out this ad distorts reality so far, I have no problem calling it an outright lie. When you lead your audience to believe something that isn't true, yeah, you're lying.
The truth about Shona Holmes and her condition is this: She was diagnosed with a rare, fluid-filled sac growing near her pituitary gland that could eventually can cause hormone and vision problem. The sac was not life-threatening. She wanted to get it taken care of, so she traveled to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona to have the procedure done. It cost $100,000 and she took a second mortgage out on her home and borrowed money from relatives in order to pay for it.
Sound more like an argument for a public health care option than an argument against it.
The bigger story here is incredible power of The Internet. Here we find another example of the good that can come when those with the desire to find the truth are given the opportunity to do so. The Internet provides us all that opportunity.
Makes you wonder if this isn't the real reason the current powers-that-be oppose Net Neutrality. When the people have this ability the Internet provides, those used to framing the argument in their favor aren't able to do so.
As long as the Internet remains an open and fair playground for everybody, we'll continue to see the debunking of this sort of propaganda.
Today we see that power in action.
Patients United Now is an astroturf organization of powerful political interests masquerading as a grass-roots uprising of citizens frightened by a public health care option. They've released this ad...
Turns out this ad distorts reality so far, I have no problem calling it an outright lie. When you lead your audience to believe something that isn't true, yeah, you're lying.
The truth about Shona Holmes and her condition is this: She was diagnosed with a rare, fluid-filled sac growing near her pituitary gland that could eventually can cause hormone and vision problem. The sac was not life-threatening. She wanted to get it taken care of, so she traveled to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona to have the procedure done. It cost $100,000 and she took a second mortgage out on her home and borrowed money from relatives in order to pay for it.
Sound more like an argument for a public health care option than an argument against it.
The bigger story here is incredible power of The Internet. Here we find another example of the good that can come when those with the desire to find the truth are given the opportunity to do so. The Internet provides us all that opportunity.
Makes you wonder if this isn't the real reason the current powers-that-be oppose Net Neutrality. When the people have this ability the Internet provides, those used to framing the argument in their favor aren't able to do so.
As long as the Internet remains an open and fair playground for everybody, we'll continue to see the debunking of this sort of propaganda.
Comments
- 1031 days agoPeople who only watch crap like Fox News will never know that the garbage they are being fed isn't true. Sadly, some blogger calling them out on their lies will reach a few hundred people at most.
- 1031 days ago..unless this blog is retweeted several times through Twitter, or Dugg :P than it can reach thousands.
- 1030 days agoI have a co worker who is from Canada. Her mother was dignosed with cancer and was put on a months long waiting list to see an oncologist. Because she didn't have $100,000 lying around to travel tothe US and get treatment her mother died. On the other hand, my brother slipped and fell 2 years ago and dislocated his arm. A trip to the hospital later and he had a reset arm and a bill for $6,000. In our personal lives, whatis more likely? A rapidly progressing terminal illness or being bankrupted for needed medical care for acommon everyday occurence? Shona Holmes was able to get a diagnosis of brain cancer at little to no cost from her government. And Luckily for her, she had the finacial means to do something about that diagnosis at a rate of speed that satisfied her, not many in the US today under our current system can do that either.
- 1030 days agoDW, wrote..."Shona Holmes was able to get a diagnosis of brain cancer at little to no cost from her government."... you need to read the story and the all the links again...it was a 'cyst' not cancer... repeat after me..."it was not cancer"...
- 1030 days agoI keep hearing how we have the best healthcare in the world. I was in Spain when I needed a new liver. No problem come on in. Turns out Valencia boasts the best organ transplant service in the world and after care...free because it's socilaized, no they call it National health service. Efficient? you bet I had to have lots of blood tests my first after being discharged scared me. I walked into a waiting room and several hundred people were waiting. I looked at my number and read that I was 169 and the monitor screen read 40. Fifteen minutes later I was gone,enjoying a espresso and pastry. Now I live in Italy, same deal, 3 years later and my liver has caused certain complications, I'm covered , but if I go back to the states, my old health plan won't cover my transplant, because of...get this...pre-existing condition. Exiled from America because of health insurance! Let's applaud those greedy Rep.Congresspeople for helping us with their wisdom. 1 last thing, I heard that statesmen from all over the world come to the states for medical treatment. Who besides the Shah, Mz Imelda Marcos, and almost forgot Noriega was most probably treated in the states. Can anyone come up with names of people other than our prisoners are friends of the government in exile here that have used American health services, or is this just another Elephant's lie before Congress.
- 1028 days agoI'm a Canadian and have been following this story quite closely, as have many Canadians. In fact, this story has been getting national attention on the CBC national news. Canuck bloggers had found out this information about the brain tumour being a benign cyst from visiting the Mayo Clinic's web site. And now this info seems to have percolated south of the border. This woman did not have a life threatening condition. If she had, she would have been treated immediately. And, another point that is overlooked is that benign cyst or brain tumour, both would have been judged a pre-existing condition and she would have been denied coverage in any event. Americans, get out into the streets and demand health care reform NOW. Don't wait for the politicians to screw it up. If you can gather in the tens of thousands to protest against war you can do the same in favour of health care reform. Both are a matter of life and death.
- 1028 days agoTrue north.. you just said the most important thing in this entire post" Americans get out into the streets and demand healthcare reform now"
Add a Comment