Reverse Nazism And The Healthcare War

Patricia J. Williams: Understanding What's Behind This Angst-Fueled Moment In U.S. History

(The Nation)  The spinmeisters of the right have done quite a job with what used to be straightforward English etymology. Thanks to Rush Limbaugh and Fox News, "integration" was inverted to mean "takeover" and "colorblindness" is code for abandoning the advances of the civil rights movement, which itself is synonymous with an "industry" of exclusion. It's no surprise, then, that whenever a piece of progressive legislation comes to the table, the same manipulations come into play from right-wing pundits who shamelessly profess their desire to see the Obama presidency fail. Thus it is that America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 is being turned upside down as the neat equivalent of Germany's Bankrupting Forced Death Act of 1939.

If you are watching the healthcare town-hall ruckuses with only common dictionary meanings in your head, you will be struck by the protesters' general incoherence and outright nonsense, bearing no rational connection to the actual draft of the healthcare bill. As Representative Barney Frank demanded of one constituent who likened the bill to Nazism, "On what planet do you spend most of your time?"

But if you listen as though deciphering pig Latin and realize that this demographic is speaking from a well-managed, near-hypnotic looking-glass world where every word from the mouth of a Democrat (or a liberal, or a Latina, or a Canadian) is a lie, a betrayal... then it all makes sense. Their world truly has been turned inside out, by the election, by the economy, by the precarious conditions that threaten us all. But for those whose sense of identity has been premised on a raced, masculinist, conservative Christian hierarchy of American power, the world must seem even more emotionally terrifying than any actual facts would indicate.

So reversal is key to understanding what's going on. It's not just "lies"; it's the expressive angst of people whose felt power relations have been turned upside down. It's not factually accurate, but this is how they feel. Obama is Hitler! Health insurance for all means euthanasia for me! "My" country is suddenly "their" country.

Of course, there are special interests who profit from the magnification of these fears. Betsy McCaughey, a former shill for a medical instruments company, is the original source of the "death panel" rumors. From the beginning, big pharmaceutical and insurance companies, with an almost inconceivable amount of money to spend, have been muddying the waters. Think about the recent revelation that Merck secretly financed the publication of a fake medical journal that was designed to look objective but merely touted the supposed benefits of its products--and included "paid advertisements" for the company's drugs. What is truth in such a corrupt hall of mirrors?

But what does the bill actually say? A quick summary of the most contentious point: the act would provide reimbursement if you seek medical counseling about end-of-life decisions. This option allows you to plan what you would like to have done in the case of catastrophic or terminal illness--nothing forced about it. All extraordinary measures will continue to be used to resuscitate someone whose wishes are unknown: feeding tube, intubation, cracking ribs to defibrillate, whatever it takes. By contrast, it is private, profit-motivated insurance companies--which deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions and restrict one's choice of doctor, medical treatments and length of hospital stays (based on actuarial tables)--that bear the greatest resemblance to a mulching euthanasia machine. When nearly 50 million US citizens live without any health coverage, how on earth could a purely voluntary public option be considered throwing people under the bus?

Let me acknowledge the genuine ideological and moral misgivings behind some of the protests. Many libertarians hate anything the government does, no matter how monopolistic or quasi-governmental the power of pharmaceutical and insurance companies. But they are a minority and not generally the bloc using the language of reversal and code. Similarly, there are those with genuine moral or religious qualms: "prolifers" who, if they believe that life begins at the molecular moment of conception, could also think that any end-of-life consultation is against God's will. This would be the same line of reasoning followed by those who wanted Congress to keep Terri Schiavo on life support no matter what. While I can certainly respect that as a belief, it is clearly even more of a minority position than libertarianism. In addition, it requires strong-armed government intrusion over the wishes of patients or family; and it is totally unsustainable as national public policy.

All of this is complicated but surely, with a bit of listening, comprehensible to the average citizen. So how do we connect the reality of our dismal life-expectancy and health-cost statistics to the hysterical sobbing of people who come to town-hall meetings furious that "the insurance companies won't be able to make a profit"? Much of the epic woe is not about healthcare or public options. It's about roiling resentments that need to be dressed up as something else, the coded mummery of Halloween monsters hybridized into new chimeras of hate. It's about fear that precious resources are being transferred to "alien" others. Fear that the gains of others are ill-gotten, leaving the lonely patriot survivalist as victim, "thrown away," trash. In these fiery monologues, even our president is figured as conspiratorially alien-birthed, from a galaxy far, far away, who's just pretending to be one of "us."

This morning I saw a picture of President Obama dressed as Hitler, complete with little mustache, tacked high on a tree trunk. At first it seemed jaw-droppingly ridiculous, sociopathically paranoid. But if the rule of reversal is what's encoded in that image, all people of good will must worry that what's really at stake for some of our gun-toting, demagogic fellow citizens is nothing less than America's very own Weimar moment.


Patricia J. Williams, a professor of law at Columbia University, writes The Nation column "Diary of a Mad Law Professor."

[thebob-bob]

Seeking the overthrow of the government by force and violence?? Why bother with elections? Why do Republicans hate democracy? Are the Governors of states prepared to intervene?

[TurnAmericaAround]

OK...anyone who doesn't want government-sponsored universal healthcare...please don't file your Medi-Care Claims. Be a patriot and pay out of your pocket.

[proudscot]

and if you cant afford it? nobody gives a ****! But then, this is America

[TurnAmericaAround]

I guess the country only seems divided when you're on the side that's out of power. That apparently drives you to tell the most inane stories. Get mental health assistance....NOW.....if you have insurance.

[jwmj50]

Why would anybody want the goverment to takeover another part of our lives.When was the last time anything cost what they said it would?
At this rate why not send in your pay check and big brother can send some small part of it back.Yes we need some health care reform, but if you took all the profit from all the insurance company its not enough to fix the problem.So lets not stop with the insurance company let take all the profit from all doctors,nurses,hospitals,drug company.Also lets not forget the Lawyers. It's not the insurance company that cause the high cost for medical care. It's the medical delivery system and that we all want to live as long as possible.Most of us now have great medical care with private companies.I wonder how many of you have even read any of the bills.How can anybody know what is in any of the bills,All I have heard is if you like your insurance then you can keep it. That not what is in the bills.$500,000,000.00 in cuts to our senior and you do not think they will be losing something. If you believe this I have some property you mite want to look at.

[Artimus101]

Its amazing how quick the left is to jump on the right over the use of nazi imagery they seep to for get it was the left that brought the use back to vogue proof is here.

http://thereluctantconspiracytheorist.blogspot.com/2009/08/bush-as-hitler-remember-when.html

Im sure the left felt justified at the time as does the right now. Its funny that the left has such a hard time recognizing its own tactics. I imagine that the rage comes from the embarrassment that the right has used their own tactics against them and in a much more effective manner.

[JohnBryansFontaine01]

To all those who associate Adolf Hitler with the left, the right-wing Pat Buchanan's recent apologia for Hitler once again proves which side of the political spectrum he and the nazis were on.

[jasarack1]

Yes, let's deal with this socialist menace. Here are some immediate steps:

1. Get rid of Medicare. Private ensurers have demonstrated their keen interest in insuring people who need medical care.

2. Get rid of Social Security. The stock market is always a better bet.

3. Get rid of the public schools and colleges and universities. Home schooling would do the job better.

4. Get rid of the police departments. Vigilante justice worked in the 1800s!

5. Get rid of the fire departments. You can buy really long hoses at Home Depot.

6. Get rid of the military. Mercenaries worked in the French foreign legion. Or perhaps a no-bid contract to Blackwater or Halliburton would work.

7. Get rid of the post office. Surely UPS and FedEx won't raise their rates.

8. Get rid of the public libraries. Certainly you can find everything you want to know on internet sites or Facebook.

This is just a start!

[rational_1]

I'm all for #2 - I'd love it if they scrapped social security (today please). At my age I'm pretty sure I won't ever again see much of the money that I'm forced to pay into this Ponzi scheme (those last in always lose big). Should be insolvent by the time I retire. I'd much rather risk it in the stock market.

Regarding your points in general, I doubt anyone would argue that over the years the U.S. has increasingly adopted a more socialist stance. However that doesn't provide any evidence that yet more socialism will improve things further. In fact I could make the counter-argument that the crippling debt our children and grandchildren will certainly inherit is a bad thing arising from our indulging ourselves in a few too many entitlement programs. We call the WWII generation the "Greatest Generation". Our kids and grandkids will probably be calling us the greatest freeloader generation while they struggle to pay off all the debts we're accumulating for them.

[BigDaddy908]

Ms Williams should get out of New York more often and experience what is going on in this country. Only someone from the far left would see a Nazi conspiracy behind the public's outrage over the current administration's policies.

[Ms_enza]

Understanding What's Behind This Angst-Fueled Moment In U.S. History

Unadulterated Right Wing Stupidity.

[Stop_the_crying]

Do the public option. As a small business I support the plan. Lets bring the cost of healthcare down. Git er done, or get out.

[janicesellem]

to rafterman1: During the Bush administration, my phone was tapped because I was a military mom that was very concerned about what was happening in Iraq. So, I don't know where you're living but the Bush administration was not friendly to free speech. And furthermore, at a July 4 parade, a group was passing out copies of the Bill of Rights and a right-wing Christian group started screaming "God, not the Bill of Rights!" I asked them if they thought they were opposites and they just kept screaming at me ... "God, not the Bill of Rights!" You call that freedom? This is getting so ugly and hateful.

[hologram5]

The freedom of speech thing has NOT gotten any better under the currnet administration either. Obama's thugs are suppressing free speech just as much as the Bushevichs, don't fool yourself. The FED GOV do not want people stating what they want, it doesn't matte what administration is in power, it is Gov in general.

[montanadude]

This shows perfectly where law professors should stay in the liberal academic environment, and not attempt to understand reality. Obamacare would indeed cost this nation 250,000+ lost jobs. In my industry, medical sales, we have already lost 20,000 medical device sales jobs in anticipation of health care reform. Learn more about the impact of Obamacare on jobs in medical sales at http://www.gorillamedicalsales.com/blog

[Vet_Turner]

Everyone did have health care in the 1800's. Doctors - if you could find one - would not turn people down. Now that health care is far more complex and assessble, a huge segment of this country wants to keep it from others.

And the montra which we have heard over and over again: This is the U.S. and some people have things and some people do not, tough for them, their kids, and their parents, brothers and sisters. How can anyone be so calous? These are the same people who also want to claim for social justice for their funds yet deny their neighbors health care.

I went 13 years of my adult life without health care myself. Never had a week off for vacation nad when I broke a bone, waited days to insure it was actually something that was not just going to heal on its own. And then you go doc and the standard of care of all the fancy equipment and instead of doing something like take a quick xray and set the bone. Nope, sorry, we have to bring in a specialist. So someting that would have been moderately affordable (say, $300) turns into $700 or $800. The standard of care is what is requiring us to have health insurance.

[Vet_Turner]

I believe that Obama really thought he coud reason with people. But the rabid right - who have a very profitable industry for themselves of turning their listeners/supporters against themselves has taken the country to a very scary place.

Obama needs to push this through any way he can and show the people that the only thing that has changed is that they now have reasonable health insurance.

[rightbehind]

It's time for public health care. The current system is unsustainable and service is geared towards stockholders. It has to be stomped because it will not die without a fight. We have greed, ideology, stupidity, ignorance, and intentional misguided information working against doing what's right.

[gopparrotslie]

Very True Observations by the Author of this article
We do need to fear the Emerging Brownshirts
From the Far Right and Faux News
They are agitating extremists
Not unlike The Weimar Republic

[chris_holte]

When someone who is a righty levels the charge "reverse Naziism", almost by logic and definition the person is complaining that the other is opposing their Naziism. This should and your other examples should be seen for what they are; intentionally frightening examples of newspeak. This is not pure ideology at work, this is racism, xenophobia, hyper-nationalism, and movement psychology at work. These people no longer even care about facts, figures, reality, or truth. They are opposing Obama because he is black -- but can't say so, so invent other charges. What else could explain people using the words Communist, Nazi, Socialist all in the same phrase? Many of them don't know what those words mean, and really don't care. Others do, and are using these words as part of their psy-ops to get where they want to go.

Ideology is secondary here. Logic has nothing to do with it. They oppose Obama because of who he is and what he represents. The more he tries to compromise with him, the more they will up the Ante. We are facing the early stages of a Fascist movement. Their leaders know what a Fascist is. That is why they can make up stories about Nazis and use them out of context to paint Obama as if he were one. This is intentional psy-ops.

Look at this Bmallen's post here as a typical example. How is he so intimitely familiar with Hitler? Why is he dissembling here? Hitler didn't take over most factories because he didn't need to. He boasted that he needn't nationalize industry because he could nationalize the industrialists. If he knows this larger truth then it could be that he's using the story to obfuscate the fact that it is his bunch who are following the Fascist pattern. I don't believe he's stupid.

Our Fascism is more Mussolini than Hitler. Fascism is about hypernationalism, corporatism and syndicalism; and xenophobia, scapegoating minorities, and using any means to get and keep power for the members of the Fascist movement and their corporate backers.

That definition does not apply to most liberals. Mussolini declared war against Liberals and Socialists explicitly from the beginning of his movement, and everyone who followed in his footsteps carried the same banner. They borrowed the word "Socialist" because they advertized that their system was the best of the Socialist and "liberal" systems, but that was a lie. What counted was the word "Nationalist." There are recent writers, who I believe themselves are fascists, who have written books turning all these definitions and the facts behind them into mush in order to promote fascist ideology. That is typical fascism. Mussolini was a thug, but he was a smart thug. People forget that.

[skyk-2009]

As someone who confronted these people in a different time as a different Generation, I can tell you they are very dangerous. Fear was used to cause normally intelligent people to support some of the worst crimes against humanity in our nations history. Fear and the uneducated mind is a lethal mix!

[samadamssister]

"When did health care become an essential right? Was it a right in the 1800?s? 1900?s? When exactly did the people want government to be involved with a service based economy such as medical care? Of course it would be idealistic & utopian to give everything away and people will magically be nice to other people and hold hands. "


When did basic health become a service based industry? Other countries understand that the federla government asumes a certian responsibilty for basic public health issues....some would aruge that its part of the social contract involved with being a citizen of a country....health and sickness is not a tool for others to profit, without a public option.


But as the author suggests, this is a Weimar moment....and judging from the clips of some of these town halls...the every ugliest in some of these Americans has emerged. What a hateful country full of ignorant people salivating for a wrestling match between "those commies" (how ridiculous) and (real and right Americans" (huh?)

[rightbehind]

The anger that a lot of American's feel is the government taking over more and more of our lives. They work for us but fail to listen to us. by liberal_guy1


Wrong. The majority of American voters have put democrats back in control. They trust their government more than corporate control. They also put Obama in office with health care reform being one of his promises. You represent the less than 1% that want to control the other 99%. You lost. Get over it.

[ocreader]

'itsjustathought' posted a valid question, whether or not they were really seeking an answer?? You question the American people and their voting "rights"...obama was not a "slam-dunk", I believe he became the president with 53% of the vote? Even-still, do I believe the votes are actually counted???? "NO"!!!!!!!! If none of us had voted, obama would've still been the president!!!

[casionova]

He won by a larger majority than Bush did in either election, but I'm guessing you think they were rigged too

[rightbehind]

Republicans have been losing most all elections since their IT GURU died in a plane crash. He was being questioned about events like how bush ended up with more than 6000 votes in an Ohio district with less than 1000 people registered. Do a search on this site for republican IT Guru dies in plane crash to read the article.