Fox&Friends&Anti Health Care Reform Propaganda From A “Christian” Perspective
Reported by Priscilla - August 24, 2009 -
As News Hounds Julie pointed out, in her excellent “Examiner” article about the hypocrisy of Fox News (and those who love and defend it), “Fox is an over-the-top, right-wing, Christian coalition propaganda machine masquerading as a news organization – and back these beliefs up with facts, figures and attributions.” And as there is a close nexus between the religious right and the conservative right, it’s no surprise that Fox News supports the position of both. What Fox News doesn’t seem to be supporting is health care reform. As noted by Media Matters, opponents of health care reform outnumber reformers by 6 to 1. Last week, Fox&Friends "backed up their belief" by adding another opponent to the health care debate. Not surprisingly, this voice of opposition is a fundamentalist, extreme right wing clergyperson. Thus, Fox was able to seamlessly blend the opposition to health care with the religious right. Can somebody give me an amen!
Last week (August 18th) Fox&Friends interviewed Bishop Harry Jackson of the Hope Christian Church in Washington DC. In introducing Jackson, Doocy said that Jackson was a cancer survivor and asked the first “loaded question:” “Why is it that you would not have survived under this president’s “government run health care.” (Nice propaganda – there is no proposal for total “government run health care.” Jackson continued to distort in his response: “With universal care right now there would have an extended time to wait so that delay or denial of treatment could mean death to somebody like myself.” He added, “Is it right that someone else gets treated. Am I worth less because I’m worth more financially?” (Guess he’s not concerned about “the least of me.”) He talked about how an Obama plan would have life and death consequences for those in the system. The fear of non existent “government run health care” (and a nice “reach around”) was reinforced by the question, “You actually believe that government run health care could be immoral, what do you mean by that?” Jackson talked about how hospitals began with churches and maybe “this should not be the purvue of the government…churches need to assist in the overall care.” (Actually there are many religious hospitals who are doing their best with a limited budget.) Doocy, ever the objective “journalist,” said “that makes perfect sense.” Doocy claimed that despite town halls the politicians are trying to get this through “really fast without a lot of people talking about it.” As if on cue, Jackson said "we need to slow down and make sure that people like myself are not harmed, other systems have all kinds of delays..” He stated that people in his church are waiting for transplants…we’re looking at philosophy vs practicality and it’s scary for those who have health problems.” Good Christian Carlson (at least that’s the impression that you get from her) said “I like this point of view we haven’t talked about it yet.” When he said “God bless you” good Christian Doocy (at least that’s the impression that you get from him) said “God bless you.” (Now as the “Church Lady” would say, “isn’t that special?”)
Chyrons:
Policy On Ideology “Jackson: Bill Ignores People’s Needs
Bishop Jackson Speaks Out: I Would Not Have Survived Under Reform
What Would Jesus Do: Jackson Universal Health Care Immoral
Comment: It’s not surprising that Bishop Harry Jackson would appear on Fox&Friends, the mouthpiece for the religious right. Jackson has a problem with teh gay and the following comment would suggest that he is Bill O’Reilly’s soulmate: "The gay community, with the help of the liberal media, has worked strategically on a P.R. campaign to make Americans comfortable with homosexuality.” He is connected to Christian conservatives like Rev. Rod Parsley (Planned Parenthood is genociding black people) and Focus on the Family. He supported Ken Blackwell’s run for governor of Ohio. People for the American Way describe him as “the point man for the wedge strategy " Conservative Christians don’t support health care reform and Jackson has stated, “we hope that everything that has to do with this health care program grinds to a slow halt.” But here’s the thing. Jackson wasn’t always enamoured with private health care. Check out this past comment about his illness: "After that initial prognosis, we had a constant tug of war between my family and the insurance company…. The cost of this new lease on life was approximately $100,000 of unexpected personal costs beyond traditional medical costs. The out-of-pocket costs for special food, clothing and preventive health treatments were huge. These numbers also don't begin to reflect the loss of both opportunity and income that the disease inflicted upon my family”
And while Fox&Friends mentioned that there is a division within religious communities about health care, there was no voice of opposition in the interview. Inquiring minds want to know if, this week, the kids will interview a clergy person from the other camp. The Catholic church supports health care reform as do mainstream Protestant churches. But that wouldn’t fit in with the propaganda that the American conservative right, Fox News, and Bishop Harry Jackson are promoting.
