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Fighting health-care myths isn't healthy
Farhad Manjoo
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TEXT OF COMMENTARY
Kai Ryssdal: The president's going media-crazy as he campaigns for his health-reform proposal. He's going to be on five Sunday talk shows this weekend. Letterman Monday night. And he's not just talking up his plans. He's trying to beat back some of the lies that are out there, too. Commentator Farhad Manjoo says he ought to just leave well enough alone.
FARHAD MANJOO: I've got some simple advice for President Obama as his push for health-care reform enters a new phase: Shut up about the death panels already. Don't keep fighting this rumor. You've lost that battle. The more time you spend trying to undo this tall tale, the worse off you'll be.
The same goes for the now-rising myth that reform will result in free health care for illegal immigrants, or that a public plan will "ration" care for everyone. Not to mention any of the more outlandish claims sure to come up in the debate, like the one GOP Chairman Steele floated recently, that the government wants veterans to "commit suicide" so that it won't have to pay for their care.
Responding to lies seems only natural. But there are two problems with trying to correct misinformation. First, once people buy into a set of facts, they're unlikely to change their minds, even if presented with evidence to the contrary. Studies in psychology have shown that when people are presented with an unassailable correction of misinformation, they tend to believe the myths even more fervently.
The other problem is that you risk spreading the myths beyond the groups of people who already believe them. The White House has put out a series of fact-checking videos online. But guess who's going to send them around? People who already support health-care legislation. And who are they going to send the clips to? Their friends. Other people who already support health-care legislation. The upshot: A whole lot of people who didn't know about the rumors are now getting schooled in them. As several studies have shown, if we hear something often enough, even if it's in the context of a refutation, we're likely to think it's true.
So what should Obama do? He should talk directly to his opponents, like Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck, and answer all their questions. He can address the rumors if asked about them, but he shouldn't make that the main thrust of his argument. Rather, he should aim merely to get his opponents to listen to him. If he can at least come off as a human being, he might be able to convince them that he's not out to kill granny.
RYSSDAL: Farhad Manjoo writes on technology for Slate. His most recent book is called "True Enough: Learning to Live in a Post Fact Society."
Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! Some people apparently are willing to kill consumer choice in health insurance and making illegal discrimination by insurers on the basis of pre-existing condition (anyone tried to jump to a new insurer while having Type 1 Diabetes?) because some illegal aliens might get free health care. So what! They're already getting free health care through ERs and the hospitals pass the costs on to the rest of us. Besides, most illegals are doing jobs we would hate to do, so I'm willing to cut them some slack. Why play some zero-sum game with your own family's insurance?
Perhaps Marketplace could point to any opinion piece that they have broadcast in the past year where encouragement for the opponents of Obamacare (in whatever of the 5 or so forms it currently presents itself) were urged to continue in their cause?
We know there have been hundreds of pieces which call opponents liars or who denigrate the intelligence or convictions of those who oppose allowing the government to continue its overwhelming march to control every aspect of life. Just like this little example of Obama worship shows.
There's a reason the media continues to lose its audience and your self-righteous cheerleading for Obama and the Democrats is a big one.
Taxpayer financed political campaigning.
Farhad Mangoo should stick to writing about technology. His suggestion that President Obama should talk to those crazies Beck and O'Reilly is the epitome of stupidity. Why would the President be responsive to people that most of us know are crazy as loons? What planet does this guy live on?
I enjoyed Mr. Manjoo's commentary. I think it was a light-hearted look at an important issue and some of the myths circulating around the country. I think President Obama's health plan needs some serious consideration, healthy & intelligent debate and reworking, but I think it's okay to lighten up sometimes.
Reniam Smith , if you want enforcement, then you need to ask for and live by the that enforcement.
The only way to enforce what you want is to have everyone that goes in to the ER present their proof of citizenship. We do not have this nor do we want this.
We chose to put human beings above politics. Enforcing citizenship means everyone will be checked. If you don't have something better than your birth certificate (which recently doesn't count as proof)then you will be denied care.
What Republicans mean by enforcing proof of citizenship though is checking the color of their skin or their language. Many American citizens can't even prove their citizenship if asked on the street right now. This is why you can never enforce it. It's a Republican dream/nightmare scenario, that's all.
This is just about the sloppiest piece of reporting I have heard on Market Place. Mt. Manjoo off handedly dismiss legitimate concerns about the most sweeping governmental reform in decades and then declares that the best idea would be to ignore these concerns, stick our heads in the ground and pretend that no one is raising any issues about the proposed legislation. Oh, and since when are Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck really the “opponents of Mr. Obama? Who is spewing the hate and lies now – Mr Manjoo, people in glass houses should not through stones, especially if there is no universal health care!
"The same goes for the now-rising myth that reform will result in free health care for illegal immigrants"
How is this a myth? You can make a thing illegal but, as it stands now there is no enforcement. How exactly will it deal with an illegal immigrant that comes in for health care?
A few facts that you seem to be ignoring.
1. Rush, Glen, Bill'o and others have no personal of finantial interest in seeing Obama as a human being. So your advice fails there.
2. your argument that there are those who are preset to support or not support the healthcare reform forgets there is a vast group of the inocently ignorant who can benefit from having the myths dispelled.
3. if folks like you would call a lie what it is, instead of just printing a lie in a missguided ideal of being fair, then these lies would not be spread. Perhaps the best advice would be for people in the news enterta... news industry to call people on it, even if they accuse you of being biased.
Mr. Manjoo, I heard you loud and clear, but I couldn't disagree more. There are those who have very little regard for "Words"- words are meanings, Mr Manjoo- they build up or they break down. When misinformation is allowed to take center stage in any discussion the end result is the creation of false memories.
In my 59 years of life, I have seen several US presidents come and go. Without exception, each has intentonally or unintentionally made decisions unfavorable to the American public and in some cases invoked wrath from foreign countries. Yet, never have I seen this level of impunity meted out to any. If this much attention and scrutiny was given to the last president- maybe this country would not be in the mess it is in now.
As I follow the debates of the last 9 months, beit the Bailout, the econony, the recent Supreme Court nonimation or health-care reform , it has confirmed my worse fear penned in the words of Voltaire-"“Those who can get you to believe absurdities, can get you to commit atrocities.â€
I am embarassed for some of my elected officials and I pity the fools who have drunken the "Wine of their fornication"-their poisonous venum. I can't wait to organize and vote some of you out of office. And where is the Religious Right anyway? O, it's justifiable to kill a fully grown human being with lies than to abort a fetus.
Now, those of you whose daily bread is derived from FOX NEWS, understand this-no one escapes the laws of the universe " Whatsoever seed a man/woman sows that shall he/she also reap"; "the sins of the fathers will visit their children and their children's children".
Finally, if the level hatred and bigotry being levied against this president constitues the advancement of race issues in this country- then take me back to the 60's. What is going to destroy us as a people is not bombs or terrorists threats, but our failure to recognize and value the content of each man's character rather than the color of one's skin.
I am so tired of Obama. I would be happy if I NEVER heard another socialistic word from his mouth. I can't stand the man. I have started watching Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity. I listen to Rush now when I can... I never used to do so, but your Obamasiah wants to change things in ways I don't... I want him out.
