Those Who See "U.S." and Read "Us"

Care of Nicole Belle, whose got great commentary, check out Chris Matthews and his merry gang of Beltway Bubble Bobbleheads discussing healthcare and taxes as if what really matters are the poor schlubs making more than a quarter of a million dollars a year who might see a "tax increase" (i.e. see their taxes go back to normal) in order to help fund healthcare:

[Transcript will be here when available.]
Seriously, we have a healthcare crisis in this country. The only thing that needs debated at this point is whether the proposed reform bill is actually comprehensive and citizen-centered enough to actually fix it—not whether it's needed in the first place and certainly not whether it's fair or politically wise or anything else to unwind the Bush tax cuts to pay for it.

The healthcare crisis is not merely a pressing financial crisis: It's also a grave ethical crisis. We treat healthcare not as a right, but a privilege—and a for-profit enterprise. Not only is that wildly short-sighted (if millions of uninsured people continue to lose everything from crushing medical bills, it will continue to fuck the economy for everyone), it's appallingly selfish and profoundly unpatriotic.

We are a nation of people who are meant to be each other's closest allies, but instead we're so voraciously self-interested, we're just a nation of individuals looking out for ourselves and wondering why it ain't working.

An the chattering classes are the worst of the fucking bunch, because they can't get past their own egos and greed and selfishness to have an objective conversation that makes sense for an entire nation—not just for them and their friends. They're the least willing to make any sacrifice at all for this country—send other people and other people's kids to fight wars in far-off lands, send other people and other people's kids to their graves for want of healthcare, let other people and other people's kids die in wars or on collapsed bridges or in national disasters or from hunger, instead of risking their stupid jobs to challenge a case for war or a dodgy election or a presidential administration gone horribly wrong—and the first to shout about how the government is betraying them anytime they're asked to contribute in any material way to the national collective.

Selfish swine.