When Investor's Business Daily attempted to scare readers away from "socialized medicine" by claiming Stephen Hawking wouldn't be alive today if he relied on the British health care system, they neglected a couple of things. 1) Hawking does rely on the British National Health Service. 2) Hawking can speak for himself.
"I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS," he told us. "I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived."
Let's examine the quotes in their larger context. Hugh Muir of the Guardian quotes the IBD editorial at length:
"The controlling of medical costs in countries such as Britain through rationing, and the health consequences thereof, are legendary. The stories of people dying on a waiting list or being denied altogether read like a horror script ... People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the UK, where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless."
Muir spoke to Hawking for his reaction to that statement, and framed it thus:
We say his life is far from worthless, as they do at Addenbrooke's hospital, Cambridge, where Professor Hawking, who has motor neurone disease, was treated for chest problems in April. As indeed does he. "I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS," he told us. "I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived." Something here is worthless. And it's not him.
Muir aptly notes that the people who are making such arguments are the people who are also arguing that Barack Obama is not an American citizen. What do the two arguments have in common? They are utter, fact-free bullshit, lies knowingly spouted by bigots. Literally incredible.
It's important to stand up and let our voices be heard on why health care reform is necessary. It's important to provide clear, fact-based information on what is and is not true in the propaganda being thrown around on the issue. It is also important to call out the credibility of the racist, lying corporate tools who advance these untruths. Stephen Hawking is alive today because of national health care, unlike too many thousands in America who are sentenced to death by the death panels at Blue Cross-Blue Shield, Kaiser and other insurance companies who care more about their profit margin than whether the people they allegedly protect draw another breath.
Is that harsh? Yes. But it has more of a basis in fact than anything IBD or Sarah Palin or Newt Gingrich has said on the issue. Fortunately, Stephen Hawking is alive to call out this garbage.