“People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn’t have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless.” -Investor's Business DailyStephen Hawking is a British citizen and has resided within the United Kingdom his entire life. He is 67 years old and has lived with Lou Gehrig's disease for almost fifty years under the care of the National Health Service. The meme of Palin's "death panels" is apparently alive and well across the pond.
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This is, uhhh... special. I can't tell which is worse -- that some people don't even bother to check the "facts" they're spouting, or that we care so little about even our closest allies that a large number of Americans truly believe the UK is on the verge of "euthanizing" old people.
ReplyDeleteHawking has publicly defended Britain's National Health Service, saying that he would not be alive without it. These comments are specifically to counter the bullshit the American Right is peddling.
ReplyDeleteTo quote "I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS... I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment, without which I would not have survived."
Think the Investor's Business Daily - that great humanitarian institution for those with money - will comment on that?