Thank goodness "Baby Noor" was born in Iraq

[JohnnyRingo]

Had she the misfortune of living in Mexico, Africa, or any other country that had no propaganda value, she'd have her fate sealed.

I know I sound cynical, but I'm waiting for the wing-nuts to demand she be patriated to the US ala Elian Gonzalas so we can hold her up forever as a tribute to the great right wing sense of freedom and compassion.

I can only imagine the screams from the right if a child were brought in from Mexico to gain free medical attention, regardless of need or urgency.

That said, I hope she fares well.

Edited for spelling

[Benhurst]

1. She would not have been a recipient of so much largess if

she had been born in the United States.

I'm glad she is being helped; but it's all propaganda, all the time.

BushAmerica: what a dump!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. What if she had been a poor American kid,

especially a non-white one, with an unmarried mom living on welfare? The freeps would scream and bitch about any free medical care an "undeserving" kid like that was given.

Not saying Baby Noor shouldn't have been helped, but she certainly will be pimped out as a symbol of "good" America. This poor kid has a birth defect, but what about all the Iraqi kids who have been injured in the invasion? Who is helping them? Not so much propaganda value in patching up those kids.

And none at all in helping poor American kids.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Remember baby Son

[OKNancy]

3. I'm not going to piss on an act of kindness

It was a sweet thing those soldiers did and I hope it all turns out for her.
Actually kids from Mexico get free medical all the time. One of my neighbors goes down twice a year and does free eye surgery.

I get what you are saying, but try not to be so cynical.

[brmdp3123]

4. Amen to that.

I enjoy reading a rational post.

[Jara sang]

6. The road to hell is paved with "good intentions"

[OKNancy]

12. Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

[EuroObserver]

15. I find thee apt;

And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed
That roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf,
Wouldst thou not stir in this.

[bluestateguy]

5. Two points

We have millions of kids in this country who can't get health care because of our predatory for-profit health care system. That's my concern. It's kind of funny, however, watching the conservatives gush over the government run health care this girl is getting. I thought government sucked and was incompetent to do anything right? What about the virtuous free market health care system? Why not turn the kid over to them?

Oh and by the way:

I can only imagine the screams from the right if a child were brought in from Mexico to gain free medical attention, regardless of need or urgency.

Michelle Malkin already did that:

http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/michellemalkin/...

No one can deny that the plight of Jesica Santillan, the sick teenager who mistakenly received organs at Duke University from a donor with a different blood type, is a sad one. But we cannot ignore the tough public policy questions in Jesica's case that the sob-story writers at The New York Times prefer to paper over: -- When resources are scarce, as the supply of voluntarily donated organs notoriously are, why shouldn't U.S. citizens get top priority?

more

[brmdp3123]

8. I'm not sure that this can be called 'government run health care'

I know the soldiers took the lead on getting this all organized, but I thought that I remember reading that the surgeon, who is in private practice, is donating his services. Seems more like personal charity to me. Maybe I'm wrong.

[goju]

10. Correction

The care for her wont be gov't sponsored. The hospital and the doctor are providing it for free

[Fridays Child]

7. Charity medical organizations bring kids here from all over the world...

We just never hear about it. In Baby Noor's case, the media have clearly been given their marching orders, straight from the Pentagon.

[CTyankee]

11. The soldiers said something interesting about this

They said that this was important so that the Iraqi people see the US as a place of good people who want to help out. It was tremendously moving at the same time that itwas tremendously naive.

Andrew Sullivan in a recent New Republic (in an article about torture) reminded readers that during WW2 our soldiers were (to put it tritely)"Good will ambassadors" (my words not his)in Europe and Japan. We did not torture. We represented the face of democracy. We truly were the "good guys."

I view this story as a good faith attempt by some young soldiers to redeem their country. They don't want to be hated. As Americans, they (and we) want to be loved around the world for what we represent. I thought it was a good sign, even tho I see all of the problems posters have listed.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. It was a good thing.

I don't think anybody wants to criticize an act of kindness, or suggested that the soldiers who arranged to get help for this child had any ulterior motives. But the cynics among us (of which I am one) predict that the mouthbreathers of the Right will use this as further "evidence" that the invasion was a good thing because we wonderful, benevolent Americans helped a kid get medical care.

These are mostly the same people who can't stand the thought of universal health care for Americans. How many poor American kids with serious afflictions can't get help because their parents don't have health insurance?

And I wonder if this Iraqi baby could have had the surgery at home if the invasion had never occurred, since Iraq used to have competent doctors and well-equipped hospitals before we came in and busted the place up.

[Sydnie]

14. Yes, thank goodness that they raided that house

in the middle of the night and found her! Irony at it's best.

I certainly don't begrudge this baby the help it needs. I wish there were more babies getting the help they needed all over the world, is all.

Perhaps they would let us invade their homes in the middle of the night if it would save a young life too?

If they only practiced this everyday ...