I rant, and applaud Barney Frank

I have no problem with intelligent discourse and debate on public policy issues. Sometimes different points of view can bring about a new perspective, or solidify one's position on the role of government in the lives of its citizens. This is a good thing. Innovation comes from healthy debate, good research and the periodic examination of value systems.

But the resurgence of "Red Scare" by using the word Socialism like it were a dirty word synonymous with treason makes me apoplectic. Now the proverbial ante has been upped and people have been comparing Obama to Hitler.

As someone who would surely have wound up in a gas chamber (mother is Jewish, father is Catholic, sexual orientation is bisexual--you do the math), I find it unfathomable and patently bile-inducing that anyone could compare the expansion of health care to the mass murder of millions at the hands of a hateful, self-loathing megalomaniac.

And so I applaud Barney Frank for having the balls to yell back. Someone needed to display a backbone, already.

I can't help but wonder if this person is a holocaust denier, knows anything about 20th century history and what the Nazis stood for, or what psychotic mind found a connection between these two men, or if she and those of her ilk have simply chosen to pick Hitler's image as a random act of "who is the most evil face I can find."

I also applaud John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman for their barbed critique of the health care debate and demonizing of the word socialism in this week's Bugle podcast. The NHS may not be a perfect system, but I believe some of the attacks it's been getting are seriously unwarranted. I know people (myself and my ex bistyrant to start) who would literally not be alive without medical coverage, as well as others on my flist who struggle on a daily basis with this.

Why are we so incapable of civilized debate at this point in our history? Why is there such an attack on what should be seen as a benevolent attempt to improve national health? Can't even the most selfish of capitalists see that a healthier nation means a healthier workforce? Why do we need to resort to not just personal attacks, but the invocation of a mass murderer? And what amazes me even more is that this level of bile is usually reserved for the treatment of the poor who are routinely demonized for their existence. But we are looking at expanding coverage to working and middle class people who don't have access to health care. That tells me it's not about those in need of medical care, it's about attacking President Obama in any way possible and using uninformed hateful people as pawns to protect the pockets of insurance companies.

The fringe element is on the rise, and the Southern Poverty Law Center has documented dramatic increases in organizing among militia types and hate groups.

As I prep for the Fall semester, I am at least comforted by the fact that the work I do serves a social justice purpose, to educate my students about public policy, examine their own internalized racism/sexism/homophobia/transphobia/ageism/ableism, etc. and promote the values of the social work profession.

But for everybody's sake, I hope more people (Democrats and Republicans alike) stand up to this hateful fringe element.