Jane Hamsher argues health care is a human right, but a right-winger disagrees

[babylonsister]

Run time: 03:28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1FNU9DC_-w   Posted on YouTube: July 09, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: July 09, 2009 By DU Member: babylonsister Views on DU: 2126

 
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/09/food-human-right/

Right winger’s argument against a right to health care: ‘Should food be a basic human right?’

On MSNBC this afternoon, Firedoglake’s Jane Hamsher engaged in a spirited exchange with Townhall’s Jillian Bandes about health care reform. After Hamsher mentioned that she was speaking out in favor of the public option as “a sixteen-year cancer survivor,” Bandes replied, “I’m sorry I’m not a cancer survivor, but that doesn’t mean I can’t criticize a public plan.” When Hamsher argued that access to health care should be a human right, Bandes interrupted her and threw up her arm, asking “should food be a basic human right?”

Bandes might not like it, but for most of the world, food is considered a human right. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the U.N. in 1948, states that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food.” The U.S. voted for the declaration.

[lisa58]

1. Saw this when it happened - OMG! - Jane was great

[newmac]

2. We are already falling into big pharmas trap

Single payer is NOT a debate; it is a demand.

[Warpy]

3. Those right wing yappers are universally RUDE

and will never let the opposition have their say in peace. The microphone needs to be cut so we could see her screeching and foaming at the mouth in dead silence while the opposition speaks.

I love it when they say things about removing bureaucrats (except when those bureaucrats deny care to increase profit) and how deeply they care about American patients (hoping they'll die quietly before care gets approved).

I wish they'd ban these gargling harpies. Failing that, they really do need to cut their mikes. Shouting down the opposition is a child's tactic and should never be allowed on any show that even pretends to be informative.

[ihavenobias]

4. On food

Not to mention the fact that food is a relatively fixed cost. You don't get into a car accident (or whatever) and end up with a bill for thousands of dollars from Burger King.

[Yavin4]

6. Unless You Rammed Your Car Into A Burger King

Just saying. :)

[ihavenobias]

8. True.

You might be really hungry after the accident and eat 500 Whoppers.

;)

[CLANG]

17. I think they even have triple whoppers now. THE HORROR!!

[provis99]

5. if food isn't a basic human right, then there are no human rights

I always knew right-wingers were anti-human rights. At least now they are starting to admit it.

[vaberella]

7. The amount of money we shovel into agri-business through subsidies it should be free. n/t

[indimuse]

9. One of the WORST

I've seen yet! Jane was awesome! Now I'm pissed...

[bluedigger]

10. I'm disappointed.

I'm disappointed. I saw references to this exchange earlier today and thought it would be better. I found both arguments to be weak and ineffective. Heck, it took me a bit to figure out which side was which. The conservative was rude, I agree, but I didn't care for the opponent's bringing up her cancer survivor status either, like it somehow validates her opinion. I'm not surprised her foe got unhinged, as it is pretty difficult to fight a personal anecdote like that, I would think. Had our side made a more effective presentation, they may have let the segment continue a little longer, but it seemed to be an obvious train wreck. (I support single payer, btw.)

[Styxiv]

18. You miss the point

but I didn't care for the opponent's bringing up her cancer survivor status either, like it somehow validates her opinion.

I think you missed the POINT!! She NEVER said being a cancer survivor validated her point. THE POINT was she's had to deal with the crap and knows EXACTLY what she's talking about not that it makes her word better but that she has ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE of the situation and has had to deal with it.

Typical Repuke bitch, she apparently took lessons from Hannity who is FAMOUS for shouting over guests and talking over them and not letting them get their point out.

[ray of light]

28. Her survival of cancer does in fact present a human face to a health catastrophe and does VALIDATE

furthermore it is the voice of experience.

If a person has jumped the hurdles of treatments, hospitals, insurance companies (or having no insurance) then they have it. She has a 100% right to describe her PERSONAL HEALTH CARE EXPERIENCE in any discussion about health care in America!

That lady interrupted her. We have no idea if Jane was insured or uninsured at the time she dealt with it. She probably would have told us! Did she have to fight to get her bills paid?

And I know many women who have discovered lumps in their breasts, gone in for treatment, and then had the insurance company refuse coverage. While dealing with the fright of cancer treatments, they had to FIGHT the insurance company and the bloodsucking creditors who attacked them for nonpayment. Those women who have experienced this should not be barred from describing THEIR CANCER EXPERIENCE!

I also worked with a man who had a huge (and I mean HUGE) lump on his cerebellum (base of his brain) and he was not insured. Who knows if it was benign or cancerous but it was so large that it was clear he should have received treatment for it. He didn't. He's part of the large group of part time employees living without health care insurance. Now your ridiculous statement would bar this man from discussing his brain tumor in conjunction to health care and insurance in this country.

I had a different co-worker, a young man, who had chronic kidney stones. Employed part time--and due to the extreme seriousness and his own fragile state, he was unable to work full time and unable to get health insurance. I saw his health deteriorate over the course of time. He made too much money to qualify for medicare. I saw his suffering for years! And imagine the damage being done to his insides because he was not allowed to get treatment! His stones originally would pass maybe once per month. After two years (approx) he was getting his kidney stone attacks nearly 3-4 times per week and his family was on constant 'oncall' to rescue him from work and bring him home. FINALLY, after the family lost their home, lost everything, and he was TOO ILL TO EVEN MAINTAIN A PART TIME JOB medicaid finally kicked in! FINALLY! AND YOU, in your utmost ridiculous 'not fair to discuss your sympathetic illness' mentality don't think that this young man's story is relevant to any discussion on health care and insurance in this country.

Jane's experience was of the UTMOST RELEVANCE to a discussion about health care in America. The women who I mentioned with breast cancer, their stories would be of the UTMOST RELEVANCE to any discussion about health care in America. And the man with the brain tumor's experience would be of the UTMOST RELEVANCE to any discussion on health care in America! And the man with the chronic-debilitating kidney stones experience would be of the UTMOST RELEVANCE to any discussion on health care in America.

Their experience DOES VALIDATE any discussion on health care and insurance in our country!

[DesertFlower]

11. i love when she said

"do you have any shame"? apparently she doesn't.

[Suji to Seoul]

12. IS food a basic human right? WTF????

[depakid]

13. Another lying Republican airhead

Nice for once to have someone actually come out and hand their ass to them on a platter.

[Left Coast2020]

14. I'd like to see that snotty little Bandes b**** arguement when

something tagic happens to her--like having to go through cancer treatment. I really would like to say something else about her lack of intelligence, but I'll keep it professional. But she is a snot--that is certain. Sorry. I hate stupid people.

[depakid]

15. You know what happens then? They whine and moan the loudest for their "rights."

Seen it literally thousands of times in many different contexts.

[Confusious]

21. Don't know about airhead

More like callous and uncaring. Would be a very pretty girl, but made more then ugly by her attitude.

[RBInMaine]

16. Right Wing BITCH ! YES, you BITCH, FOOD IS A HUMAN RIGHT !! FUCK YOU !!

[teknomanzer]

27. These are the people who pride themselves on moral values...

In truth they are supreme assholes who don't give a damn about anyone but themselves. Is food a basic human right? Hmmmm... I've seen people live without freedom, equality, and all the other high minded ideals, but I've never seen one living being live without sustenance. I imagine starvation is probably one of the worst ways to die. Maybe we should take away this woman's food and see if she how she feels about it.

On a side note this reminds me of that story in the Bible when a large crowd of people gathered to listen to Jesus preach. The people were hungry and the disciples came to Jesus and said, "What should we do? How can we feed all these people? We only have a few loaves and fish." And Jesus said, "Fuck 'em! They don't have any right to eat."

[suzanner]

19. why do these RW w@ck0s get more air time?

I note: ms reptilian talks 50 seconds; Jane talks 20 seconds before RW rept interrupts then talks over her for 10 seconds;RW rept talks 34 seconds; Jane talks 18 seconds (for "the last word") before RW rept interrupts then talks over her. Really poor show management. -thanks for posting, babylonsister

[armyowalgreens]

20. ugh...some needs to teach that smug idiot a few lessons about human rights.

[quidam56]

22. We are the change We voted for, let 'em know !

As a former health care giver, I am shocked to see what is called quality health care now in Tennessee and Virginia. http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62 Clearly profit care is more important than patient care.

[snake in the grass]

23. Right-wingers are sociopaths.

Straight up and the GOP is where they find their political home. Nothing more needs to be said.

[proud patriot]

24. this RWer made me very angry

I wanted to kick my TV

[underpants]

25. The Townhall woman is throwing bogus information out to cloud the issue

they have their talking points together but they are not based on any facts and it isn't working

[BeliQueen]

26. Kick

Yes, food is a human right. That's why we have food stamps.