THEFT BY EUPHEMISM II.

Lambs to the Slaughter:
The Ripoff Cost of American Medicine

EUPHEMISM #3: “Socialized Medicine.”

This Euphemism is always used as a crossover into the negative. Whereas the others are just downright lies (“Campaign Finance” isn’t just for campaigns, and money is NOT just “Free Speech.”) this one takes an ordinary two word phrase and transforms it into a smear idea bordering on crime. Or evil, as we will see.

When you hear “Socialized Medicine” it is always spoken with the same feeling the speaker would use if saying “baby killer,” or Grandmother rapist.”

See, this is the same device this crowd has used since Nixon used it, [remember the ‘Cambodian incursion?] then Reagan (his was Tax Reform – [’86] remember?) then GHW Bush and now the present valedictorian of incompetence, W.

These big-business stooges are all smearing the idea of a universal health care for Americans because they have to do their part to maintain the obscene cost of pharmaceuticals in this country. Have to? Of course, they have to. If you take thousands of dollars to use any way you choose from a pharmaceutical company, you aren’t fool enough to vote against the pharmaceutical companies, are you? So they send out the ubiquitous message: “Socialized medicine is bad.” Why? It just is, fool!

From there, it’s a simple matter to reinforce that thought just by the inflection in your voice when you utter the phrase. A writer I know made an absolute nincompoop out of a young, brain-washed College student, when the youngster uttered the phrase “Socialized Medicine” with the same treatment he would give the subject of infant rape. The student railed against a new idea for universal healthcare, and, no doubt acting on the mindset of his parents, declared it “government evil.” The writer, who was nearby, quietly asked him if he thought the Government should take care of soldiers and marines when they were wounded, or just needed medicine. The lad said of course. The writer asked him if he thought the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives should be taken care of when they got sick. Of course, said the lad, otherwise the Congress might not function. How about the Supreme Court? Of course, said the lad.

The writer calmly informed the guy that, “…Well, you would have all those persons immediately denied healthcare, because you wouldn’t want them to be involved in Government Evil, right? When the lad was totally unready for this exercise in plain facts and couldn’t speak, the writer added “…So we already have Socialized medicine, don’t we? But just for the very, very few, not for you and me, right?”

Euphemism #3 – “Socialized Medicine.” We have it going strong, and have had since 1789. But those in big businesses who can reap enormous financial windfalls by charging the great unsophisticated masses of us for what they get FREE themselves, naturally had to come up with one of their best weapons, the EUPHEMISM to counter any exercise in facts, or any challenge of their dictum.

Thus, we lambs have agreed to struggle, silently and obediently, against another of their weapons, the smear tactic. Those in office nowadays create a phrase that smears an otherwise normal noun, or adjective, and then repeat it millions of times. Sooner or later, the lambs will capitulate, and accept the smear as the gospel. Right?

God, I hope not.