Excerpts:
“The word of the week seems to be “Schadenfreude.†We have Obamacare, or, rather, what appears to be the unravelling of Obamacare to thank for that.”
“Schadenfreudeâ€: “hurt,†“damage,†“detriment†plus “joy.†Is there any more perfect German word? Taking malicious glee in the misfortunes of others. It is not an attractive emotion, though it is (to allude to a German philosopher who knows all about these things) a human, all-too-human one. I’m not sure what aspect of the mess is producing the most glee. The display of technical incompetence on the part of those who spent some $650 million of taxpayer (i.e., your and my) money creating a web site that doesn’t work. That was pretty nice. The fact that construction of the site was given to a former classmate of Michelle Obama in a no-bid contract is a nice touch.”
“And who hasn’t enjoyed the spectacle of the site crashing whenever Kathleen Sebelius holds a media event to demonstrate how easy healthcare.gov is to navigate. Nice! Then there is the sideshow of Democratic lawmakers having apoplexy as they begin to realize the extent of this debacle — the millions (yes, millions) of folks who have found a letter notifying them that their insurance has been cancelled because of Obamacare, the thousands of doctors who have been dropped from various insurance plans. Ouch and double ouch. Then there is the central drama revolving around President Obama. “If you like your insurance plan, you can keep your insurance plan. Period.†He said that, or variations of that, over and over again.”
“The revelation of Obama’s lies, his obvious confusion and the hunted-look he has exhibited at press conferences while his approval rating is in a death spiral (it dropped to 37%, the lowest of his presidency, in a CBS poll released this morning). All of this is, for the opponents of ObamaCare, ample ground for malicious glee, and I at least can deeply empathize with the blogger who wrote that “if schadenfreude had calories, I’d weigh 300 pounds.†There is, of course, a dark side to this story, which Jonah Goldberg neatly captures at NRO with a column called “Obamacare Schadenfreudarama.†He begins by paraphrasing Oscar Wilde: “You’d have to have a heart of stone not to laugh at the unraveling of Obamacare.†Except, as Jonah goes on to note, “tt is no laughing matter that millions of Americans’ lives have been thrown into anxious chaos as they lose their health insurance, their doctors, their money, or all three. Nor is it particularly amusing to think of the incredible waste of time and tax dollars that has gone into Obamacare’s construction.â€
” The hubris of our ocean-commanding commander-in-chief surely isn’t news to readers of this website. He’s said that he’s smarter and better than everyone who works for him. His wife informed us that he has “brought us out of the dark and into the light†and that he would fix our broken souls. The man defined sin itself as “being out of alignment with my values.†We may be the ones we’ve been waiting for, but at the same time, everyone has been waiting for him. Or as he put it in 2007, “Every place is Barack Obama country once Barack Obama’s been there.â€
“The news today that Obama was briefed last spring about possible widespread failures when the web site went live may seem to deepen the glee even as it deepens the malice. After all, the president has all along acted surprised by the technical failures bedeviling the roll-out of healthcare.gov. But now it turns out that the surprise, like so much else about the president, was feigned.It was part of his campaign of mendacity, i.e., lies. Those are harsh words. But they accurately describe a harsh reality.”
“In the end, what’s happening in Washington is no laughing matter. Sure, I feel a frisson of glee when contemplating the train wreck that is Obamacare. Jonah Goldberg, like many others, is right to invoke the operation of nemesis following ineluctably upon the career of hubris. But behind the folly, laughter, and ridicule is something that gives me pause. One of the most disturbing aspects of this entire affair is the stench of lawlessness that surrounds it like a miasma. President Obama carps impatiently that he will simply direct insurance companies to reinstate the policies that they, in an effort to follow the law, have been required to cancel. He says that he will direct that application of the law be delayed a year — but he says nothing about where he is supposed to get the authority for such actions. The president’s response to the embarrassment of the eponymous legislation he shoved down the throats of the American people is one of the most disturbing occurrences of his administration.”
“Since Magna Carta in 1215, a test of legitimacy has been the extent to which the sovereign is subject to the laws of the land. Obama is not a sovereign, exactly, but he acts as though he were above the law, that the law (like taxes) were something to be imposed on the rest of us but which he and his magic circle of apparatchiks could ignore or “delay†or partially implement at their pleasure. The law is binding upon us little people, and upon insurance companies, which would be severely penalized should they fail to abide the provisions of that intricate legislation.”
” The American people don’t like tyrants, even smooth-talking, Harvard-educated ones. The great trek away from Obama and what he stands for — above all, government unlimited — has begun. The journey will not be pretty, but I think it is all but certain to continue.”
http://pjmedia.com/rogerkimball/2013/11/20/obama-and-the-limits-of-schadenfreude/?singlepage=true
Obama is an idiot savant !
The disinformation and lies being thrown around by the right will eventually dissipate.
The only blatant in your face lies that have been exposed recently are the lies of President Obama. “if you like your policy you can keep your policy” etc. will brand this guy as a deliberate liar for the rest of his life. Only Clinton and Nixon have been branded as such liars before this whopper that Obama has been parroting for 3 damn years. It will not go away.
Comparing this to Nixon’s thuggery is laughable. Pour yourself another glass of fox news cool aid.
JD, Those millions who have been canceled so far, are having trouble fluffing it off like you do. so where do you “rank’ Obama’s Big Lie?
I’d call it more of an oversimplification really. Definitely nowhere near the type of crookedness of nixon or dubya Bush or reagan. It’s being reported that 1.3 % of these being cancelled are the only ones with a legitimate reason to bitch. The rest qualify for better coverage that’s the same price or even cheaper. I definitely have a problem with the web site being built in a no bid situation by an Obama friend if that’s actually true. Could be more fox news lies.
Someone is delusional.
Delusional or on the dole and afraid of loosing it, he should change his handle to JOHN DOLE.
Actually Obama’s lies have already created more emotional and financial damage to the American public than Nixon ever did. You are one dumb puppy John Dole. You can’t even spell Kool-Aid. As far as thuggery goes, Lyndon Johnson has them all beat.
Dude, your last brain cell will eventually dissipate.
Lose not loose, idiot. And I am not on any kind of dole, but may be after rtw puts us all in the poor house.
That was a response to country boy.
I made a discovery about Indiana ACA yesterday that I haven’t heard addressed yet. The only plans offered from MD-Wise and Anthem are either POS (point of service) or HMO (health maintenance organization), there are no PPO (preferred provider organizations) plans.
Further more, Anthem does not even offer any PPO plans anymore, even outside the exchange. Humana still offers PPO plans but they are limited to 3 to 6 thousand dollar deductables.
Bottom line is that if you sign up through ACA and they want to send you to Dr Josef Mengele for your ailment you have no say, or you pay.
I had absolutely no trouble signing up for Anthem PPO for 2014 through my employer, $750 deductible
I would suggest to you jbyrd that the mandate for employers was pushed back one year and you where still able to get that plan but your time will come. My individual plan that was canceled from Anthem was a PPO, but no more. I have been trying to get a handle on all this BS for a month and a half and even some of the reps at the prospective insurance companys don’t know whats what,,,,they keep manipulating the laws.
I’ll have it for at least 3 more years, my contract specifies it and I’m sure the company has contracted for the coverage at least that far into the future
What needs to be looked in to is the shortage of vaccines. The timing could not be more convenient. If you have been to a private practice lately for an infant you will understand how frustrating this is. Now for the uninsured and medicaid patients the health departments have plenty. Manufacturers are limiting orders and stopping production yet the health department limits seem to be high enough to remain plentiful. Look at the Center for Disease Control website. Insured infants will receive four of the painful shots due to a shortage while the health department has the combo shot readily available. Flu shots are the same as well as other vaccines. Why are the manufaturers not producing what is needed? Who is regulating this?
I’m relatively young and healthy and I know I won’t get sick or injured so why do I need to buy insurance I don’t need? I won’t get pregnant, or suffer any other illness. You libs just don’t get it!
Obamacare is tyranny!!
Freedom!! Liberty!! Small Government!
Besides if I do I know conservatives will hold a spaghetti dinner for me and set out some fish bowls at the local pizza joint and beauty salon, they might even have half pot for me at the local HS basketball game!
I just know that will pay all my major medical bills!
Until recently people like you could get a catastrophic plan to cover those major medical bills for about $50 a month. ACA has deemed that option to be unworthy. Enjoy paying $300 a month for things you don’t need and things other people won’t work for. Welcome to the USSA.
I had one of those a few years ago and was pissing money down the drain. It covered jack shit.
You mean you didn’t like your really expensive discount card/Zero percent savings account??
It’s true I will never get sick or injured! Why pay for maternity care?
We should I have to pay higher premiums for skydivers and scubadivers either!
Those nerdy writers, editors, bloggers,saccountsnts and programmers get nearsightedness and suffer from astigmatism, so the heck with them too.
And those teachers, factory workers, barbers, beauticians and sales clerks that are on their feet all day long!! Geez their ankles, hips, and backs give out before you know it. I don’t want to pay for them either!!
And the truckers and traveling salesmen! OMG! They’re on the road all freakin’ day long. I ain’t payin’ for that either!
Oh Hesus!! I forgot all about the fireman, policemen and other dangerous occupations. I’m certainly not paying for that!
You know what!?? The heck with everybody!!!!!!
Ya’ ALL got something wrong with you.
Heck some dude is BOUND to make a claim on their policy. That means I’m subsidizing their existance!
Insurance is socialism!! And socialism will soon become communism!!
I don’t want any insurance at all it’s freakin’ communism!!
I’m just gonna go live in the woods, libertarian style, in a shack like the unabomber!! Every man for himself!!!!!
Well I see at least one poster is totally in the tank for Obummer. Also anyone who thinks they are going to keep their plan is living in the land of unicorns. All us people on the individual market are just a year ahead of the rest of you. Give it time and the rest of you will get run over by the Obummercare train.
Comments are closed.