Republican senator calls health care, food, and shelter a privilege

[turbinetree]

Source: Talking Points Memo

When asked by a high school student in Wisconsin whether he considered health care a right or a privilege, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) compared access to health care to access to food and shelter, arguing that all three should be considered “privileges” for those who can afford them.

“I think it’s probably more of a privilege,” Johnson said in response to the question. “Do you consider food a right? Do you consider clothing a right? Do you consider shelter a right? What we have as rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We have the right to freedom. Past that point, everything else is a limited resource that we have to use our opportunities given to us so that we can afford those things.”

Read more: https://thinkprogress.org/ron-johnson-health-care-a-privilege-1d9fe371b55a/

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This complete unadulterated asshole thinks eating and having health care should be a privilege, while this human being and her parents are paying for this asshole to have health care that he still wants to deny..............

Hey Ron Johnson....................GO F*CK YOURSELF and the horse you ride on

Hey WisCONsin, this asshole said this to a young person, think about that, he looked this human being in the eye and basically told her and everyone in that room, go f*ck yourself, everything should be a privilege

[Xipe Totec]

1. We the People

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States

Somehow, we tend to overlook that part about general welfare.

And by welfare I don't mean dole out money per-se, I mean make sure that people stay healthy and prosper.

The whole purpose of this union is to look out for each other and help each other out.

[turbinetree]

2. I agree, but when a dangerous unqualified pinhead stands in front of a bunch

people and children and says what he says, then that is a huge problem, and the people of that state should be in his office, to fully explain, why he said what he said and challenge him

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. I should think the right to life includes the right to food, shelter and health care

since you'll die without those things.

[not fooled]

9. The pukes

are trying to con 'Muricans into thinking the most important thing in life is some abstract concept of "freedom". They sell "freedom" as the substitute for everything they don't want to make available--that they don't consider rights.

The little problem with their attempted con is that you aren't "free" if you don't have food, shelter, and health. FDR addressed this matter in his famous "Four Freedoms" speech.

But, to the 'Murican with a lousy job and no prospects in life, feeling "free" I guess makes up for all that has been taken away from us by shitty puke policies. Of course, the only real "freedom"said 'Murican has these days is to go buy an arsenal, I guess.

[lunasun]

34. Dats right

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029664003

[not fooled]

36. Good catch

What about our right to not get shot going into public places???

[lunasun]

37. Now that's a privilege not a right if you ask them

Esp. If you choose to be out unarmed

[Cold War Spook]

17. Republicans believe that these rights

end at birth.

[SharonAnn]

39. Right to guns (and to be shot) but not a right for health care? Oh, I see. The NRA

[sharedvalues]

4. Ask him the same question DeVos got at Harvard - about billionaire donors driving the GOP

Student: So, You’re a billionaire with lots and lots of investments, and the so-called “school choice” movement is a way to open the floodgates for corporate interests to make money off the backs of students. How much do you expect your net worth to increase as a result of your policy choices and what are your friends on Wall Street and in the business world—like the Koch brothers—saying about the potential to get rich off the backs of students?

In this case, ask Johnson "Many billionaires donate to your campaign and to GOP dark money funds that are used for congressional campaigns. How often do you go to policy conferences in which billionaires or their employees or donor networks are speaking or writing? How often do you read sources like the Federalist or Reason or white papers from the Cato or Heritage or Bradley foundation that are funded by GOP billionaires?"


We shouldn't be talking about Johnson's words, we should be talking about his underlying REASONS for saying those words.

[Skittles]

16. what was DeVos' response?

[sharedvalues]

21. Stammer talking point talking point

Same old crap - instead of admitting her real goal is to destroy public schools to allow GOP brainwashing in religious schools, and to personally make money, she blamed unions and talked about "choice".

Anyway the questions are not about her, they're about the country recognizing the real goals of people like her and Johnson.

[andym]

5. He's honest and people need to hear his answer

Perhaps it will really convince people of the difference between the GOPers and Democrats.

[randr]

29. Only if Democrat lawmakers make a big deal of it and slam it home daily

[Coventina]

6. This is a real viewpoint held by conservative Christians. I was raised in this mindset.

There are no such things as "rights."

We only have privileges given to us by our authority figures.

I kid you not.

[burrowowl]

7. What would Jesus say?

What an Evil Person he is, Ron Johnson: Go to hell and do not pass go!

[Girard442]

8. I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of those freeloading infants.

I mean, really, they don't do a lick of work and yet squall bloody murder if they're not waited on hand and foot.

[Skittles]

14. and disabled folk

how dare they expect the essentials to survive

[KY_EnviroGuy]

10. Johnson parrots the standard right-wing mindfuck.

My experience with republicans is that they come from a subset of humanity that is psychopathic to varying degrees and low on emotions. They do, coincidentally, make good executors of capitalism under our current dog-eat-dog economic system.

What seems to be missing or in low supply in their personalities is the best of our emotional being: love, compassion, empathy, sympathy, belief in equality, gratitude, guilt, and remorse, just to name a few.

To make a statement that when a human is brought into life, that society holds no responsibility for that person is simply the face of that type personality., and we unfortunately have a mass gathering of those folks in the United States Congress.

They must be relegated to the minority where they belong.

[Still In Wisconsin]

11. And we, the citizens of the FORMERLY great state of Wisconsin chose this assclown over Russ Feingold

TWICE!

Fuck Wisconsin and fuck approximately 55% of its voting populace. And I might add, I say this as someone who has lived 50 of my 52 years in what has now become a throbbing, deep red sore on the body politic of this country. I hate the Scott Walker-loving Trump-electing imbeciles who live here.

[mdbl]

18. Was thinking same thing

This from the state that also voted in total assholes like Paul Ryan. Since I live in GA, i have no right to claim superiority, but always thought states like Wisconsin would maintain some sensibility in politics and keep the country a little stabilized. Obviously, I was wrong.

[FakeNoose]

19. It's gerrymandering, the gift that keeps on giving

...to the right-wing a-holes that engineered it all.

I'm in Pennsylvania and we have the same problem. Congressional districts have been gerrymandered to death for the last 30 + years while Democrats didn't do a thing to stop it. Now we're seeing the results of their sneaky underhanded activities. It's how we got the GOP running our state legislature and it's how we ended up with a nasty right-wing Republican Senator (Toomey) last year.

Gerrymandering has to end in every state, and the time to start is now. Get ready for the next US Census in 2020. That's when they re-draw the districts, after each census. In Pennsylvania (and hopefully Wisconsin) the Dems won't be looking the other way next time. We'll be right on top of it.

Link: https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/

I don't have a link to the same thing in Wisconsin, but I'll bet there is one.

[sharedvalues]

25. Love Fair Districts PA

Keep up the good work!

Also look at The Turnout Project
Legit Action
Let America Vote
and End Citizens United.

[sharedvalues]

22. Trump BARELY won. Better times coming.

And you can help by doing progressive grass roots work.

[ellie]

30. Yes they did.

It is hard to feel sympathy for Wisconsin.

[Still In Wisconsin]

32. NO sympathy for Wisconsin. FUCK Wisconsin!

[videohead5]

12. Ok

So we have a right to life then we starve to death.

[SergeStorms]

13. Apparently....

corporations see record profits every quarter a "right". Congressmen who serve as little as one term see their lifetime benefits as a "right". Wealthy Republican donors consider receiving record tax cuts as their "right".

SO STICK IT UP YOUR ASS, MR. RON JOHNSON! It would be my "privilege" to stick a cactus "right" up your ass!

What has happened to the people of Wisconsin? Why do they think this assclown is the best they can do? Is this what this country is coming down to? Is everyone in this damned country turning into racist, selfish, uncaring fuck-wits like Johnson and Trump?


I weep for our country.

[sharedvalues]

24. GOP Congressmen are purchased by their billionaire donors

They're owned by the Koches and their billionaire GOP donor friends - Adelson, Wynn, Mercer, DeVos, and with help from billionaires' foundations like Bradley, Olin.

We have to get money out of politics.
No revolving door out to lucrative GOP jobs after office. And no dark money. Power to the people not the billionaire.

[SergeStorms]

38. I totally agree.

Campaign finance reform is a MUST for the next legitimate administration. This administration is as illegitimate as they come.

[DetlefK]

15. "Freedom (TM)", the catch-all phrase that explains nothing.

So you have freedom.
You are dying from gangrene, but you are free.
You are starving, but you are free.
You are freezing to death, but you are free.

[DinahMoeHum]

20. A curse on him, his children and his grand-children.

[raccoon]

23. What an asshole. Nt

[Bengus81]

26. In other words let Corporations change as much as they want......

For food,utilities etc. You can't AFFORD them then you live under a bridge. The GOP way............

[CanSocDem]

27. The only opposition to this premise...

...that I ever saw, was Bernie Sanders talking about social democracy. In fact, most around here were quite willing to maintain the historic inequality of the Free Market. And in terms of 'health care', the consensus around here FAVOURS high priced medicine over low cost alternatives. I often wonder if Americans even want good health.



.

[sinkingfeeling]

28. Thought Republicans were firm believers in 'the right to life'. Oh, That's only

for the unborn, isn't it?

[dembotoz]

31. yep pertains to fetus fetish only

[More_Cowbell]

33. So shooter had right to gun

but his victims don't have the right to medical care to recover

[Loyd]

35. But a Gun is a Right, right?

Ron, it's too bad your dad didn't cut off his Johnson.

[moondust]

40. Poor little profiteer.

Senator Ron "Privilege" Johnson haz a sad that he can't profit handsomely by charging you for the air you breathe and the sunshine that powers your water heater. Damn Teslas should be illegal!

He'd feel a lot better if all you beggars would just get more guns and shoot each other. He'll be glad to do whatever he can to help out on that.