Faux and Friends on at my Military Government Run Health Clinic

[maxrandb]

I've seen some amazing stuff in my 49 years, but this has to sit at the top of the irony heap.

I'm active duty military, and was feeling like crap the other day. I called my government run health-care appointment line and got a same day appointment with a doctor. Turns out I have a nasty upper respiratory virus. Nasty stuff - wheezing, violent productive cough, chest and sinus congestion, etc...

I see the doc. They run some test. Take a chest x-ray, and order me some meds.

Here's the weird part. I go to the pharmacy, pull a number and have a seat waiting for my turn to get my FREE prescriptions filled. There are about 25 people in the pharmacy waiting area. Some active duty like me, some civilian dependents, and some retired. For some "god-forsaken" reason, they have Faux and Friends on the TV. Faux and Friends are railing about the "horrible" coming government takeover of health care. While this show is going on, I overhear an older civilian lady saying to her husband; "they better not let the government do this (i.e. healthcare reform), because it will get all screwed up".

I guess the complete idiocy was just too much for me, because I stood up, and loud enough for all to hear said; "How stupid is it, that we are all sitting here, in our government run health care clinic, waiting for our government provided prescriptions...and we've got Fox News on telling us how horrible government run health care is"????

I got a few evil glares from the "truly-wingnutty-beyond-help folks", but I got a hell of a lot more telling smiles.

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On a side note. Being in the military, my experience is that every damn TV at any command is glued to Fox News. Is this the standard for other DU military members? If so, then how do we go about changing that practice?

Fox News doesn't even try to pretend that they aren't just a mouthpiece for the Repuke Party anymore. I've seen the damage their propaganda has done in my military. It's time for the DOD to "yank the plug".

[hobbit709]

1. Don't know about every VA

but the TV's here at the Outpatient Clinic in Austin are usually on CNN-which at least is better than Faux.

[unpossibles]

2. I'm not in, but my friends and family who serve/have served

said that things like FOX and Rush Limbaugh broadcasts are all too common, and that more than a few people end up getting completely sucked into it.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Zywiec]

5. If soldiers could think, they wouldn't be soldiers?

I'm sure the OP appreciates your sentiments.

Thanks for your service.

:patriot:

[maxrandb]

10. Easy there fella

You make a much too general statement about military members. Trust me, if the civilian populace thought as critically as most military members do, we'd have a heck of a lot less problems.

The stereotype of the military being completely supportive of the Repuke party, is a stereotype that the Repuke party spent years, and years, and lies and lies constructing. Please don't enable them.

Truth is that there are quite a few Democrats serving today, including some of the bleeding heart liberal types like me. :evilgrin:

[cpamomfromtexas]

15. You are right, my husband is liberal and close to retirement,

he is also quite tired of Faux news being everywhere on base.

[izquierdista]

21. Not enough like you

And for every one like you, there are several that swallow the indoctrination of places like the Air Force Academy wholeheartedly.

But no, critical thinking is not valued in the military. All they want are soldiers who are technically competent to get the job at hand done, not ones who question why the job should be done in the first place. And they are sucking the Democratic party into this mind-set of "theirs not to reason why", which is why we can't simply disengage from Afghanistan.

Maybe one day enough critical-thinking, bleeding-hearts will be serving that they can say "this is not what I signed up for, it's stupid and counter-productive, here's a better way".

[Captain Hilts]

4. WHY did the prez say that health ins. companies perform an important function? They don't. nt

[hobbit709]

8. Their only function appears to separate people from their money.

and give little or nothing in return.
And to fill the pockets of most of our representatives in both halls of Congress so that they can keep ripping us off.

[1776Forever]

6. Columbus Ohio VA Clinic, which is outstanding by the way - does not have Fox on either thank God!

But I would have to say something if they did. My husband and I get outstanding care here in Ohio. I am eternally grateful for it too.

Great post! I think it is time to stand up and be counted on this anyway or where we can!

Thank you for your service!

:patriot: :yourock: :patriot:

[barbtries]

7. my son was in the navy,

stationed at the norfolk sub base. fux news all day and into the night. as far as he could tell, he was working with true believers.

[Captain Hilts]

13. Subs are the ultimate socialism under the sea...

Everybody goes without showers and everybody eats the same food.

[maxrandb]

18. Only 2 types of ships in the Navy

Submarines and Targets.

I know that, and I'm in the SWO community!

[Captain Hilts]

20. I have some kin who are skimmers. They're people too.

Dad didn't like the more hierarchical life on the surface.

[barbtries]

24. hehe

he was a desk jockey - went on a sub for a tour only. thankfully as far as his mother's concerned. :)

[madokie]

9. Thanks for your service

You done good. I'm the type of person to do the same thing and have on more than one occasion and it always makes me feel good.
My last visit to the VA center the teevees were on cnn but I've remember when they use to have them on the noise station. I guess they got tired of my outburst of what the hell is the teevee on that trash for and here at a VA center to top it off, for crying out loud.

[maxrandb]

11. And if just one person does it

They'll say he's crazy.

But could you imagine thousands of people walking in, sining a bar of "Alice's Restaurant" and walking out...why they say it was a movement!

I think more and more of us definitely need to start taking a stand against Faux, everywhere we see it. Bars, restaurants, stores....

We could call it the "Anti-Faux News Lies Massacreeee"

[madokie]

12. I'm in

And there's nothing like being in on the ground floor on any new movement, huh

[Captain Hilts]

14. Which service are you in?

[maxrandb]

23. The Greatest Navy in the World!

Started as an "E-nothing", promoted to Chief and then earned a commission through the CWO/LDO Program.

[ampad]

25. Excellent

You have an excellent resume there. I served the Air force, got out and married a sub guy. There are some real right wingers in the military. I know, I know, not all of them lean to the right but quite a few of them do. I had a good laugh with one of my hubby's first classes who brought Fahrenheit 9/11 to the boat. Brought it on a sub lol. They gave the poor kid so much hell for it. Poor kid, he was brave to do so, but silly to think that those guys would want to watch it.

While hubby was on shore duty they kept the television on CNN. When he was at his last sub they loved the fox news. I have not seen Fox news on at the clinics or the hospitals. Although I have not been to the clinics in Washington state yet.

[maxrandb]

26. Sometimes

When discussing politics in the wardroom, I felt like the "fat kid playing Dodgeball".

When you get away from that environment, and talk to the enlisted and junior folks, you find quite a few of them are either liberal, moderate, or just want quality, sensible policies from politicians.

It's like the "tea-bagger" experience. They are loud and got a lot of attention, BUT LET'S NOT CONFUSE THEM FOR A MAJORITY.

[Ezlivin]

16. Sounds like the Dallas VAMC

I've waited outside the phlebotomy clinic (blood suckers) and it has a large waiting area with Fox News typically on the television.

But the doctors and nurses at the SCI clinic are hardcore Democrats; we talked of seeing Obama elected and the hope it gave it us all.

My experience has been that the people that deal with people are Democrats while the people who shuffle paper are Republicans and they are the ones who mindlessly set the channels on the television.

If worse came to worse I'd have to whip out my TV B Gone.

[safeinOhio]

19. best $20 you'll ever spend.

[Submariner]

17. I wouldn't know Sir

I went into the VA clinic in Boston 3 years ago with severe kidney stone pain while pissing almost pure blood. They kicked my ass out onto the street because I did not have a service connected disability, and I did not know until then that draft dodging cowards Cheney and Bush had changed the rules and taken away VA health care access for those of us that have had that option since the Vietnam war.

Be glad that you have your's, and thanks for hammering the Faux noise tools sitting in the waiting room with you.

[StopTheNeoCons]

22. Can't rec this enough, every time we see focks news on, we say CHANGE THE CHANNEL.eom