03/20/2010 04:55:46 PM EST

Libertarians React To TYT Video On Parkinson's Victim Being Mocked

posted by Tom Hanc

I stumbled onto this thread at a libertarian site ripping our coverage of the infamous Parkinson's incident. I posted two of the best comments below the video. Note: "...60-year-old Robert Lechter was first diagnosed with Parkinson's 15 years ago. He has two Master's Degrees and a PhD from Cornell. He taught at the University of Michigan and worked as a nuclear engineer. Lechter was able to have a $150,000 surgery thanks to Medicare and the Cleveland Clinic. It has greatly increased his quality of life. He attended the event in Columbus because he believes in giving back and thinks everyone should have access to affordable health insurance and quality health care..."

Email Print
Google Technorati del.icio.us digg reddit Facebook

Here are two of my favorite comments:

The Patriot: Just because the guy has Parkinson's disease doesn't mean he is immune to criticism. Like any other person, he has to be willing to be criticized for his views and defend him. People mocked him because he is asking for a handout, not because he is a cripple. Just because someone has Parkinson's doesn't mean they can't be a jerk, he was a jerk.

tmosely: How the hell were they mocking him? They were calling him out for demanding a handout from them. One man gave him some money.

Pity doesn't entitle you to shit. Some people think that being weak, stupid, or otherwise handicapped means that they deserve something for free, and they'll use government guns to get it.

If I had been there, I would have given the guy my gun and told him to rob me to pay for his treatment. At least then it would have only been a crime against a single person, rather than a crime against the entire population.

< Does tyt.com not work in google chrome for anyone else? | I'm not saying anything...just saying....(called it 2 months ago) >
 Display:
Libertarians React To TYT Video On Parkinson's Victim Being Mocked | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 hidden)
I would (none / 0)
Like to give these right wing idiots the country for 1 year but we take away the nukes. The entire left move to Canada or elsewhere for the year and enjoy a society that functions, by the end of the year they would die as proud idiots or be begging for leftist policy.

by Alloy on 03/20/2010 05:31:10 PM EST

Actually (none / 0)

Thom Hartmann always asks his libertarian guests  (he has them on all the time and I enjoy the debate) to give him ONE example of a successful country using libertarian principles. Of course there aren't any examples because (like communism at the other extreme) they doesn't work.

But I'd love to pick a state (or several states) where all of the right wing nuts can move and have things their way, 100% so the rest of us can move on.

by Tom Hanc on 03/20/2010 05:43:54 PM EST

[ Parent ]
What I take from this (none / 0)

We always frame things in terms of debate, or conflicting principles or differences of opinion, but it's actually a lot deeper than that. It's really more like we're living in different worlds, like the old science fiction "parallel universe" theme but with the two universes crudely mashed together and superimposed.

There's just no way to even have a real argument or debate because to argue about a particular position or issue challenges not just a discrete and objective opinion, but the whole subjective foundation on which that opinion is built; a foundation based on a lifelong accretion of indoctrination, experience, emotion, education (or lack thereof), and like-minded reinforcement. Basically, the world as they know it and who they are at the most basic level.

It's shocking that we can live in the same world and look at the same thing and yet see it so differently. It's a bit discouraging.

by Stonefury on 03/20/2010 05:58:29 PM EST

Couldn't have put it better (none / 0)
There's no point in even being angry, if you can help it. You can't expect rational behavior from deformed personalities.

The Parkinson's guy seemed to understand that: but then by comparison with the people yelling at him he's not really "sick". 

by Landbeyond on 03/21/2010 01:20:55 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Apparently, (none / 0)
they were calling Barney Frank a faggot and John Lewis a nigger today, so they haven't found the bottom in how low they'll go yet.

It's only a matter of time before peeps start getting murdered.

My website: History By Day
Follow my on twitter @historyday.

by HistoryByDay on 03/20/2010 07:31:19 PM EST

And A Spitter (none / 0)
http://www.talkingpointsmem o.com

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) just released a statement detailing an incident today in he says an anti-reform protestor spat on him as Cleaver entered the Capitol.

My website: History By Day
Follow my on twitter @historyday.

by HistoryByDay on 03/20/2010 08:04:32 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Anyone suprised? (none / 0)
This is all a by-product of the southern strategy and propaganda of the right wing. Try having a discussion with them about actual issues or facts. It is sad watching people protesting taxes (not knowing they got a tax break). Ask them about the deficit, of course they just became aware of this deficit. We can't leave this to our children!!! Ask them to give up the tax break (the one they didn't even know they had) and watch their heads explode. Ask them about health care and they can spout off fox news talking points but can't actually say what's in the bill they don't like. The best part is when they say, they can get treatment at any ER, of course fox and friends happily neglect to tell them that those costs are the main reason insurance rates are going up 30+%

Hurray for me and to hell with everyone else. Keep your goverment hands off my medicare and social security??????????? These people are like lambs to the slaughter.

To all my tea bag friends out there, I have seen the enemy and it is not the liberals, they are to cowardly to take control like that. What you need to do is look behind you. Fox news works for the Pubs (NOT FOR YOU). Go on-line and look up the redistribution of wealth for the last 30 years. It is not the liberals or the poor that have taken your money. Our rich corporate friends have taken your money and, thanks to you, have a sympathetic supreme court. Now they practically own both parties and they only now haggle over how fast they can steal more. If you want your movement to really mean something stop watching fox and start supporting any candidate demanding "real reform" of corporations and finances. Real campaign reform.

by LORD FOUL on 03/20/2010 08:39:11 PM EST

These people are simple sociopaths (none / 0)
One of the worst legacies of Ayn Rand and Unca Ronnie is they made this kind of pathology fashionable.  Rand idolized a serial killer and Reagan effectively was one.

by jgraz on 03/20/2010 08:59:16 PM EST

Once again (none / 0)
Republicans proving my old point, they are the party of "me" while Democrats are the party of "we"

"If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription, who has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer - even if it's not my grandparent. If there's an Arab-American or Mexican-American family being rounded up by John Ashcroft without benefit of an attorney or due process, I know that that threatens my civil liberties. And I don't have to be a woman to be concerned that the Supreme Court is trying to take away a woman's right, because I know that my rights are next. It is that fundamental belief - I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper - that makes this country work."

-- Barack Obama

by AaronWysocki on 03/20/2010 09:51:58 PM EST

That's sad - that name (none / 0)
It was a jolt to see the name at the end of that quote. I suppose there isn't another Barack Obama around is there, a Barack Obama who genuinely believes in, you know, reform?

Due process, civil liberties - sad.

by Landbeyond on 03/21/2010 01:08:56 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Same damn thing (none / 0)
ALL the tea party idiots are asking for a handout. They all beg shamelessly for something they desperately crave:

Attention.

by OneHitKill on 03/21/2010 03:13:23 AM EST

subject: i hope this dosent cause a double-post (none / 0)
the whole ideal that youre trying to take something away from them to help out somone who is "just lazy" is apalling... what would they tell a person with no legs or arms? to get a job? then next, you can watch them kick some kittens... these people make me sick.

by politechdebateman on 03/21/2010 06:05:32 AM EST

It is terrifying (none / 0)

These people probably went home without feeling any kind of remorse.

 It makes me frightened for our race (humanity).

by LastAngryMan2 on 03/21/2010 08:55:17 AM EST

[ Parent ]
agreed (none / 0)
I feel the same way but I feel we'll be fighting each other long after this...If only a terrible thing happened in the world like a zombie apocalypse or nuclear Holocaust to MAKE us unite together. I would honestly hate to see it but maybe that's what we need...

by PoliticalBS89 on 03/21/2010 01:47:51 PM EST

[ Parent ]
reply (none / 0)
It doesn't make sense. how do people expect a man/woman that can't work due to a serious illness or injury to pay for medical bills?. its like a child being told to be a grown up and pay the bills. They can't fucking do it.

by PoliticalBS89 on 03/21/2010 01:43:50 PM EST

Libertarians React To TYT Video On Parkinson's Victim Being Mocked | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 hidden)
 Display: