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

[RedEarth]

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.

video here......

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

[SidneyCarton]

1. The Four Freedoms are brought to mind...

Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Belief (or is it Worship?)
Freedom from Fear
FREEDOM FROM WANT

These are the cornerstones of a stable and prosperous nation, those who oppose them seek either chaos or tyranny, they are no friends of freedom.

[MercutioATC]

5. Did you get those "Four Freedoms" out of a fortune cookie?

They don't represent anything that's been legislated in this country.

[SidneyCarton]

8. Ideals man, ideals.

Stable societies are built on those ideals, unstable societies are built otherwise, hence we are where we are.

[MercutioATC]

9. The first two are codified in this country.

(and they're subject to legislated limits)

The last two are too open to interpretation to be codified.

[intheflow]

11. They came from FDR.

You have a problem with that?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Freedoms

[MercutioATC]

12. Thanks for the info. Those are ridiculous "freedoms" to propose, except strictly in theory.

Hell, we can't even agree what constitutes "freedom of speech" or "Freedom of religion".

"Freedom from want" and "freedom from fear"??? You have to be kidding me.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. People like that need to be visited 3 times on Christmas Eve.

Charles Dickens understood that mentality very well I think.

[rocktivity]

3. Food and health care both contribute to the pursuit of life

which IS a basic human right.

:evilgrin:
rocktivity

[MercutioATC]

4. That's a judgement call.

Depending on the standard it might not be a "right", but I believe that it's beneficial to treat it as one...

...just as I'm not going to say that access to health care for all is a universal "right", but its benefits to society (IMO) outweigh its detriments.

Ultimately, "rights" are whatever a society decides they are.

[lindisfarne]

6. Free school lunches, breakfasts, even in summer;WIC, food-stamps.Seems at least kids have that right

under US policies.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. Let people starve and die if they don't have $$$$$

Speaks volumes about the utter lack of empathy and concern for people that right-wingers apparently have, doesn't it? I can't even imagine not caring about people dying from lack of food, medical care, etc. Unfortunately, there is still quite a considerable segment of society that can- and that is really disgusting not to mention scary- and terrifies me to think of them getting their hands back on the levers of power again anytime soon. Haven't they done enough damage for at least a millenia?
:puke:

[robinlynne]

10. duhhh.....

[Shallah Kali]

13. The Right to Life Ends at Birth

life is apparently only sacred to them when still in the womb. once out it is every former fetus for him/herself.

[spanone]

14. 'jillian bandes' this is the dimmest bulb ever

[Wednesdays]

15. K&R

:kick: