About a week or two ago, I got into a debate about healthcare with a guy here at work – actually I end up in these kinds of debates all the time, although it’s becoming less and less often as I learn to keep my mouth shut for the sake of peace. He said he was all for any changes to the health care system that would help those less fortunate than himself as long as: a) it didn’t cost him anything, and b) it didn’t affect the health insurance he already had because he was quite happy with it. Ignoring this, I tried to emphasize the need for change by citing World Health Organization statistics. “The WHO lies. They make up statistics to support their liberal agenda.” What can I even say to that? If he believes that, there is no sense in even talking to him about the issue. To me, he is claiming, “any statistical data that does not support my ideas is full of lies, and cannot be trusted.” Rubbing salt in that sore spot, he followed up by suggesting that I should listen to Glenn Beck. He apparently tells the truth that the WHO won’t say, he apparently knows more than the thousands of people employed by the WHO world wide to collect this kind of data.
If anyone has any suggestions on how to approach that kind of attitude other than just ignoring them, please, be my guest.
On a side note, I got an ‘attaboy’ (a popular expression around here) for having attended one of these ‘tea parties’ a few months back.
Related Entry: Politics is Driving me Crazy
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