I know we all have very different political feelings. Most of us agree that healthcare does need some work. What that work entails tends to be where we differ. I am not trying to turn this into a debate on that. This is more just how scary that politics have gotten to this.
The entire page is interesting, but this part in particular is what gets me:
There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.
Really???? And what are they going to do? Come to your house and have a "discussion". While I understand they are trying to send their message out, this is a little odd for a bipartisan group that is looking for bipartisan cooperation. Who determines what is fishy? Give me a break. It sounds (and looks on the White House website) like they are using scare tactics to stop conversation on very important legislation. Scary indeed.
3 comments:
I don't think it's so much scare tactics that threaten to come be the email police, but I sort of like it from a public relations perspective. Remember the whole "starbucks doesn't give coffee to the troops because they oppose the war" rumor and the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe email? Neither of those companies were aware that the rumors (untrue in both cases) were circulating until it had gone through thousands and thousands of people. I think the best thing the White House can do is communicate the real facts of the bill, which ARE available in their entirety, and listen to what people are saying. If they know what people are circulating (through completely voluntary forwards, not surveillance or media control), they might be able to address concerns better. A LOT of misinformation is being spread about it, even on national news outlets, so...in my opinion, the more clarification, the better!
PS...now you can say you know someone who has read the bill. I finished reading it today! Not exactly a page-turner, but very interesting nonetheless. Yes, I am a geek.
I have to agree with Molly, I think that they are trying to dissolve rumors that aren't true. I don't blame them. Most of the country only knows what they see on TV or read in emails forwarded from friends. If those sources are not telling the truth, what is wrong with letting the public know that. To me it seems like they are just using the outlets that most people use to get news in order to better inform them. I think that it is always best to give everyone all the information and then let them make their decisions. And, like Molly said, it is voluntary so it isn't like they are scanning our email.
I think the issue I have is this is not the DNC or some PAC organizing (which I would expect) it is the government. Out government is asking citizens to please report other citizens for anything that sounds "fishy".
I agree, they should communicate the real facts of the bill. Of course they then have to decide which of the four or five that are floating around they most support.
They need to just report the facts as they see them. The problem is every fact has a flip side - is the glass half full or half empty? Do not think the government should be asking to have information forwarded them that seems "fishy".
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