LOL: Stephen Hawking, NHS defend UK health care system against dumbasses

[The Fake Shemp]

The physicist Stephen Hawking is defending Britain’s National Health Service after an editorial in Investor’s Business Daily said Mr. Hawking “wouldn’t have a chance in the U.K.,” where the health service would have deemed his life “essentially worthless.”

The problem with the editorial, of course, is that Mr. Hawking, the author of “A Brief History of Time,” is very much a Briton — born in Oxford and currently a professor at the University of Cambridge.

The publication’s mistake, which came in an editorial titled “How House Bill Runs Over Grandma,” has since been corrected. But on a larger level, the snafu also shows how quickly rationing, particularly at the end of life, has become a focus of the health care reform debate.

Mr. Hawking — who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House on Wednesday — responded to the editorial this week, telling The Guardian newspaper, “I wouldn’t be here today if it were not for the N.H.S. I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived.”

Pwned.

LONDON — Britain's National Health Service is fighting back against conservative critics of President Barack Obama's health care plan and the British health care system. A Twitter campaign backed by a government minister is urging Britons to express their appreciation for its free health service from cradle to grave, which was launched in 1948.

The Department of Health says it isn't seeking to insert itself into the U.S. health care debate but merely wants to quash "ridiculous claims" circulating in the U.S. media — such as Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Broun's assertion that Britain and Canada "don't have the appreciation of life as we do, evidently."

The department issued a fact sheet comparing statistics such as health spending per capita, infant mortality and life expectancy. Each showed Britain outperforming the U.S.

Double pwned.

[Tauntaun]

He's still in that wheelchair though am i rite? 

[The Fake Shemp]

True. If he had been able to utilize American health care, he'd no doubt be dead by now. And since there are no wheelchairs in heaven, who is the real loser, Mr. Hawking?

[Flannel Boy]

The NHS obviously forced Hawking to make that statement by threatening to cut-off his medical care.

[Mandark]

This is so a day or two old.

Pretty crazy how lots of (mostly southern) conservatives view Europe, though.

On one hand it's an Orwellian nightmare of political repression, eugenics, and near-totalitarian central governments.  On the other, it's a decadent, permissive culture that's too weak to save itself from being outbred by swarthy Mohammadans.

[The Fake Shemp]

I just got home from flying, so it's the first I saw of it. And the first Hawking rebuttal of that stupid quote from last week.

Canada has been getting a bad rap as, as well. I went out for drinks with Boogie, and even he couldn't believe some of the things Americans say about Canadian health care.

... The thing that made me the most upset is listening to Glenn Beck yesterday morning (not my idea). Not only did he make some outrageous claim that Obama is spreading the myth of doctors cutting the feet off diabetic patients as a fear tactic, he also was giving unemployed people crap for not using Cobra.

Cobra!?  Seriously?!

Does he realize that everyone who doesn't make what Glenn Beck makes can't afford Cobra?!?

[Tieno]

More like American'ts and Americunts! LOL

[Human Snorenado]

Unemployment I think might top out at close to $500 a week.  Some COBRA payments are as high as $2000 a month.  Glenn Beck obviously fails at TEH MATHS.

Then again, with these people facts are unimportant.  After two days of arguing back and forth and presenting tons of facts showing the craptacularness of our current system, a guy on fb said "we'll just have to agree to disagree, as I believe that our American system is the best in the world."  It's like... well, just SHIT on all of those facts and figures you have on your side, buddy.  I'm going to utilize the highly scientific method of WHAT I BELIEVE to inform me.

[Scurvy Stan]

When I was in the UK I was forced to have abortions by the state run hospitals several times a week. I told them I was a guy and couldn't actually become pregnant but that's just how they do things I guess over there. Plus one time I saw a guy in the waiting room who was on fire and being attacked by a bear, which was also on fire, and they made him get an abortion too. I'm gonna call glen beck and let him now so he can put this on his show.

[The Fake Shemp]

Glenn Beck compared Obama to Hitler yesterday, but prefaced it with, "I'm not comparing [Obama and Hitler]."

That's like me saying, "I'm not racist.  Really.  I'm not.  But [enter insulting racial stereotype here]."

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

So if the smartest man on earth just told you how much of a dumbshit you were, and if in fact you were at the level of dumbshittiness that he claims you are, you would be likely to rebut his assertion with another baseless claim about his inherent bias or personal politics or some other Eric Cartman-esque display of stupidity and ignorance.

I can't wait to see Investor Business Daily's reply.

[Sideshow Raheem]

WELL WE ALL KNOW HITLER WAS FROM EUROPE

AND IN EUROPE THEY HAVE FREE HEALTH CARE IN SOME PLACES

SO THEREFORE OBAMA IS HITLER

NO..... HE'S MOHAMMAHITLER.

It's sad that neither side is willing to moderate its stance.

It's embarrassing that most everyone is like the Iron Sheik in this matter. You know, "Canada number one! U.K. number one! America! Ptui!"

Reform is needed, for sure. But demonizing the American healthcare system while heralding universal healthcare as seen in Canada, etc., as a panacea is the apex of silliness.

[The Fake Shemp]

The American health care system deserves to be bashed - it sucks.

There's really nothing positive you can tout, other than the fact that if you have enough money, you can get the best health care in the world.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

we spend the most on healthcare but we get the least out of it.  The reforms put forth are actually pretty moderate, in fact there's hardly anything revoluionary or extreme about the Obama plan.  What's gol-dern amazing is how intractable so many people are at reforming what is a very obvious and universal problem that's decades overdo but is getting mired in the usual partisanship bullshit that usually overtake (relatively) unimportant wedge issues.

[The Fake Shemp]

Some representative that demanded citizens attending his town hall meetings provide identification found eight out of ten vocal dissidents weren't from his district.

What is irritating, is that this "astroturf" campaign is beginning to sway regular folks who seriously think this group is representative of America.

[Oblivion]

Glenn Beck compared Obama to Hitler yesterday, but prefaced it with, "I'm not comparing [Obama and Hitler]."

That's like me saying, "I'm not racist.  Really.  I'm not.  But [enter insulting racial stereotype here]."

Late on that too, Willco. Glenn and his butt buddy Rush have been on the Obama:: Hitler/Nazi/Eugenics things for like a week now.

I can't wait to see Investor Business Daily's reply.

They removed the bit about Stephen Hawking, but they left everything else alone.

[Cormacaroni]

How could they not know Stephen Hawking is British? The accent is a dead giveaway.

[Brehvolution]

How could they not know Stephen Hawking is British? The accent is a dead giveaway.

[Tauntaun]

How could they not know Stephen Hawking is British? The accent is a dead giveaway.

 

[Dickie Dee]

WELL WE ALL KNOW HITLER WAS FROM EUROPE

AND IN EUROPE THEY HAVE FREE HEALTH CARE IN SOME PLACES

SO THEREFORE OBAMA IS HITLER

NO..... HE'S MOHAMMAHITLER.

It's sad that neither side is willing to moderate its stance.

It's embarrassing that most everyone is like the Iron Sheik in this matter. You know, "Canada number one! U.K. number one! America! Ptui!"

Reform is needed, for sure. But demonizing the American healthcare system while heralding universal healthcare as seen in Canada, etc., as a panacea is the apex of silliness.

Uhh, how about you STFU with this bullshit, Obama's plan is already moderate, probably to a fault. Stop with the bullshit South Park "hey one side is bad, but look! the other side must be bad too! (in some way)"  That actually is the apex of silliness.

[Phoenix Dark]

How could they not know Stephen Hawking is British? The accent is a dead giveaway.

[Bloodwake]

I'm glad that the NHS is actually stepping up and defending themselves, since they have been bashed for like the past twenty years of health care debates in the US and have been silent.

[Mandark]

It's sad that neither side is willing to moderate its stance.

Why don't we have that derisive jerking-off emoticon yet?

Rolleyes just isn't enough sometimes.

[Mandark]

The Democrats want to regulate and subsidize private insurance, implement community rating and mandates to keep people from gaming the system, fund comparative effectiveness research, implement electronic records, and invest in preventative care, all while making the compromises necessary to get support for a bill.

Meanwhile, the Republicans think Obama is a Nazi Muslim who wants to kill grandmas and distinguished mentally-challenged babies.

Both sides make good points and need to be less stubborn.

[The Fake Shemp]

To be fair, all those long words and coherent thoughts you posted are really lies from a silver tongued liberal trying to propagate socialism.

[Phoenix Dark]

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA): "Called Senator Grassley to tell him to stop speading myths about health care reform and imaginary 'death panels.'"

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA): "Specter got it all wrong that I ever used words 'death boards.' Even liberal press never accused me of that. So change ur last Tweet Arlen."

 

Twitter beef

[BlueTsunami]

ahhahahahah

Change yo tweet

[The Fake Shemp]

I really didn't think politics could get much worse. :'(

[Robo]

Witnessing politicans type like teenaged girls is very depressing.

[Phoenix Dark]

Early awaiting Arlen's response 

"U MAD CHUCK?"

[Human Snorenado]

America is probably 15 years away from Idiocracy at this point, fml.

"It's got electrolytes!"

[Mandark]

That's so great.

From now on, I'm going to punctuate my posts with "Change ur Tweet, Arlen!"  It's gonna be the new You Got Served.

[The Fake Shemp]

 

Change ur Tweet, Federman!

... it works.

[chronovore]

I think he just means we'll all be "Arlen."

[BlueTsunami]

Would be hilarious if you could report tweets and Specter posts the email alert

"ChuckGrassley has reported your tweet for being factually inaccurate"