Some animals are more equal than others.

[ebonlock]

I don't know how many of you caught the latest Bill Kristol evisceration on the Daily Show, but you can watch some of it via this Sadly, No! post. I have to say I had precisely the same reaction to Kristol's "The troops deserve better health care than anybody else," as the blogger and Jon, though I hadn't quite followed it to its logical conclusion:

But the key to this whole thing is that Kristol actually seems to be advocating worse health care policy for non-military members … for the express purpose of ensuring that the troops get ‘better health care’ than everybody else (Fox News contributors and senators excepted, natch). Think about that — Kristol wants to artificially maintain lower standards of health care for some people so that some other people can say their own health care provisions are ‘better’. That’s a tacit admission from one of conservatism’s ‘leading lights’ that better health care policy is not a zero-sum game … but we should make it so in deference to wingnut military fetishism.

After all, if your health care isn’t shittier than that of the troops … how can the troops say they have better health care? That’s the logic and it is fucking mind-boggling.


tigrismus adds in comments:

“Some should have it better” is the wingnut modus operandi in every field. Tax policy, welfare policy, healthcare, everything is predicated on some “deserving” class reaping benefits at the expense of some “undeserving” class. Even if you could prove absolutely that their “deserving” class would benefit more in a “rising tide lifting all boats” scenario (e.g. the wealthy under Clinton) it wouldn’t be enough to them: they’d rather make less in real terms as long as the “undeserving” are doing even worse, as long as the gap is widening.

Comments

[windrose.livejournal.com]

Well, of course! Social equality is against the laws of God and nature, didn't you know that?

Seriously, you can't argue with these people. Anyone who believes in Divine Right is beyond all hope of reason.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Honestly I was just surprised that he actually came out and said it. Jon was too, which is why he insisted on writing it down :)

[moonlightnrain.livejournal.com]

Widely off topic: when do you get the keys to your house??? I'm feeling the need to paint.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

I haven't even gotten the check yet, so no idea.

[phillipalden.livejournal.com]

Let me guess, this “deserving” class is made up entirely of White male "Republicans."

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Well, God thinks they're superior, and who are we to argue?

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Interestingly I was listening to NPR on the way in and one of the people in Bristol who commented on the President's town hall meeting there later today about health care summed up his opposition rather plainly. His entire argument boiled down to the fact that he didn't want the "wrong kinds of people" getting access to health care. Seriously, he'd rather do without himself than risk someone he doesn't like getting it. It's pure, unmitigated spite.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Let me guess, this “deserving” class is made up entirely of White male "Republicans."

There might be a few women mixed in, but yeah, predominantly.

[tavella.livejournal.com]

Well, have to keep the peasants scared and desperate so that they'll sign up for Kristol's endless wars just so they can eat and get medical care.