Saturday, August 8, 2009

Rick Moran: if you were trying to sound a blowhard, you succeeded

by Smitty

Rick Moran, reacting to Sarah Palin's Facebook statement:
I wholeheartedly agree that this statement by Sarah Palin on her Facebook page is unconscionable, outrageous, and either a deliberate lie, or proof that she really is an airhead
Your attention is drawn to the excellent William Jacobson, (emphasis mind)
These critics, however, didn't take the time to find out to what Palin was referring when she used the term "level of productivity in society" as being the basis for determining access to medical care. If the critics, who hold themselves in the highest of intellectual esteem, had bothered to do something other than react, they would have realized that the approach to health care to which Palin was referring was none other than that espoused by key Obama health care adviser Dr. Ezekial Emanuel (brother of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel).

The article in which Dr. Emanuel puts forth his approach is "Principles for Allocation of Scarce Medical Interventions," published on January 31, 2009. A full copy is embedded below. Read it, particularly the section beginning at page 6 of the embed (page 428 in the original) at which Dr. Emanuel sets forth the principles of "The Complete Lives System."
One of the things that bothers me about Rick Moran's blog is the title "Right Wing Nuthouse". What a misnomer. He seems to have overdosed on the Progressive, centrist kool-aid so long ago, that perhaps "Right Wing Morgue" would be a more accurate title.

It remains to be seen, but it may just be possible that Sarah Palin has as good an platform as anyone. I can, and do, see the wisdom in playing a cautious hand. Some of the Palin blogs, for example, seem as blatantly worshipful as the crappiest Obama pap.

Nevertheless, a strongly Federalist platform is exactly what's needed. Should she deliver such, with the kind of thoughtful analysis shown here, which you seem intent on deeming dishonest, then we'll just mentally group you with the Brooks/Noonan Axis of Useless.

Update:
Ann Althouse comes out in defense of Palin. So that's two lawyers not agreeing with Moran's take. My guess is that Mrs. Palin probably has anything public screened to make sure that she's not giving the opposition substantial ammunition.

14 comments:

  1. Yes, Moran is an absolute sucker for 'centrism' and compromise, regardless of what the progessives are driving towards.

    The problem with that approach is that, while liberty can be killed via the death of a thousand cuts, it can also be killed just as dead by a death of two thousand half-cuts.

    Some things are just not appropriate for compromise.

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  2. I wholeheartedly agree that this statement by Rick Moran is pretentious garbage.

    How does Mr. Moran think the government will make decisions as to the care that different people will get?

    It will be based on their ability to pay taxes and their political clout. Period.

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  3. just happened to read Mr. Moran (via Hotair) before I clicked over here. And as soon as I saw the title of this entry I smiled knowing you'd express to Mr. Moran what I wanted too. Go get em Stace.

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  4. I have neither the time or the ability to wade through all those thousand pages of legalese. I have read excerpts posted on the web. Now these excerpts are enough to scare me into reporting something fishy to that White House Narc Line.

    So, either someone, many someones ia or are lying or that Bill is everything Governor Palin says. And there aren't that many people willing to lie while giving page and verse.

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  5. Isn't this a bit of a "180" for Ms. Althouse? As for Moran, it's amazing he has any scruples at all considering that family he comes from!

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  6. I would have put it differently, personally. But, then again, she hasn't been doing pro-life commentary for a long time like, say, Chris Smith has (yeah, cap and trade 8 sellout, I know, but he does a good job on being for life). It's actually not an easy subject to write about without sounding too alarmist. So, I'll give her a pass, especially since she did a very good aggregation of conservative (and paleolibertarian!) thought this afternoon on her Facebook page. She may want to keep Doug Johnson on speed-dial, though.

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  7. This story is like something from the Old Testament. The tyrant tries to force his will upon the people with an imperial dictate, and then comes this renegade biker chick from Alaska, who, with almost Soloman like wisdom cuts to the core of the debate in two killer sentences. In life or death decisions concerning you or your family, who is going to make the decision, you and your doctor, or some bureaucratic Government committee? "Death Panels" indeed. With one well turned phrase, Sarah Palin has just killed Obama's health care initiative stone cold dead. Who would vote for it after this?

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  8. I think Moran is either some sort of plant or a dupe.

    How this person can call himself conservative is beyond me.

    He seems like another Democrat that cannot bring himself to admit where collectivism must finally lead. He secretly believes in the "Third Way", an "ideology" which is just a cover incremental socialism.

    It was perfectly clear what Palin meant, and she is quite right.

    Such casuistry about her summations is just pure sophistry and the intent to obscure the truth of what she has to say as well as an attempt to mischaracterize her intent and her capabilities.

    Moran should just stop calling himself a conservative.

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  9. Palin packed more historical, moral and poetic comprehension of the Left in her one paragraph than Moran could ever hope to grasp. She managed to evoke Reagan and Orwell, and showed to me she deeply "gets it." Moran is just one more angry dandy who doesn't. I don't care if she was technically right or not about the exact purpose of the panels, anybody who has studied the Left knows there is no other end to the trajectory of their ideas than what Orwell so killingly set forth in Animal Farm.
    rrpjr

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  10. As another attorney, I find it very odd that the House bill uses the language "order" when referring to the instrument that comes out of one of these supposed counseling sessions.

    That implies an authoritative edict, not a patient directive to care givers, which I write all the time. Why that strange and authoritarian language in the bill? Why not the conventional "patient's directive" language?

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  11. I'm not a member of any political party, just an interested observer who tries to stay informed [which is why this is one of the blogs I read regularly]. So, my observations on that basis:

    1. The "death panels" quip, although a tad hyperbolic, did indeed underscore the common-sense conclusion that most folks following this issue have reached: if you try to stretch a finite amount of medical resources to cover millions of extra people, OF COURSE there are going to be shortages and the resources will thus have to be "rationed" in some fashion.

    And who among us, having decent coverage now, is going to tolerate that? Would we pay a little more, for the good feeling of knowing that several million of our poor compatriots will acquire at least some health care coverage that they don't have now? Possibly -- maybe even probably. But would we accept paying a whole lot more, or [and this is Mrs. Palin's point] risking a real reduction in access at any cost? No, we would not. And we are the majority.

    2. I still think it is very unfortunate that Mrs. Palin used her infant child to make her point, and I wish she would realize on how poorly it reflects on her on a peersonal level, whenever she does that. But her turn of phrase was pure politcal brilliance, and as others have said may well be the death knell for the current health care overhaul initiative [I can't bring myself to call it "Obamacare" because I see no evidence that this President has any leadership skills to push this through.]

    2. So, as David Frum pointed out: with the victory of the opposition now seemingly assured, its time to start thinking about what do about health care after that. Because although most of us on an individual basis are doing OK now, there is really no doubt that the system as a whole [especially the abysmal financial state of Medicare and Medicaid] has become so much of a drag on the economy that it cannot be allowed to continue much longer.

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  12. Gotta agree. Moran's just another Frum wanabee.
    Anyone joining the Liberal Palin lynch-mob ain't a conservative.

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  13. An insufferable ass is an insufferable ass, of course, of course,
    And no one can talk sense to an insufferable ass of course
    And especially, of course, if the insufferable ass is the sanctimonious Rick Moran.

    Go right to the source and ask the insufferable ass.
    He’ll give you the answer that demagogues will endorse.
    He’s always on a moral equivalence condemning course.
    Talk to Rick Moran.

    People yakkity yak a streak and waste your time of day
    But Rick Moran will never speak unless he has something terrible about everybody to say.

    An insufferable ass is an insufferable ass, of course, of course,
    And this one’ll talk condescendingly ’til his voice is hoarse.
    You never heard of a talking insufferable ass?

    Well listen to this.

    He is Rick Moran!

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  14. Why wouldn't she use her son to make a political point? If Obama doesn't want his pre-teen daughter punished with a baby, surely Sarah Palin can express that she wouldn't want her son's Down Syndrome used against him when a government agency decides whether he is worthy of receiving life-saving treatment despite her ability to pay for it.

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