This is the now famous clip of Oklahoma’s cruel doctor, Senator Coburn, responding to a constituent’s suffering with such utterly cold political pandering that even after years of Republican meanness on full display, most of the nation gasped in shock.
Which is it, Senator, is she on her own like the insurance companies decree in cases like hers (since hers is not that rare an example), or is there a role for government to help her out? Cuz it can’t be both.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t think any of my neighbors would respond favorably to a direct request for $100,000 dollars when I or a member of my family is struck by catastrophic illness and needs surgery and/or extended therapy to regain functionality.
The way “neighbors help neighbors” in a civilized modern society is through government. Because government is not some amorphous boogyman in DC, it’s all the “us-es” working together collectively, as Harvey Milk would say.
And when you, Senator — as representative of the government you detest — provide this woman with some level of assistance (not too much, now, you wouldn’t want her to get soft and lazy, that might give her the opportunity to think clearly and realize what assholes you and your cohorts are and vote accordingly), you are facilitating government involvement (since I think we can safely assume that this isn’t coming out of your pocket), that is “government as the answer” — as anyone who isn’t a complete Fox News brainwashed dupe would know.
And once again Oklahoma is shown to have the worst political instincts possible, by electing, and, probably re-electing, the likes of this heartless cretin.