Jerry Klein Showcases Leftist Greed
“I have never understood why it is ‘greed’ to want to keep the money you’ve earned, but not ‘greed’ to want to take somebody else’s money.” ~Thomas Sowell
Jerry Klein, in an unusual display of truthfulness, gives us a perfect example of leftist whining. In a recent edition of Creative Loafing, Klein goes on about his personal situation and how others should be held responsible for him.
He begins by doing what many who aren’t Christians accuse Christians and Jews of doing; he takes a single line from the Bible and twists it. He then decides what it should mean to all.
I quote: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It’s a central tenet Christians and Jews are instructed to abide by in their faiths. One of the ways that’s best displayed is making sure citizens have quality, affordable health care. Yet a lot of Republicans have spent the last few years bitching about Obamacare. If you’re one of those people, you make me sick. No pun intended”.
I suppose Klein would label others non-believers if they disagree with his interpretation. But actually, his is a classic case of rationalizing why others owe him something he wants.
Not wanting Obamacare to fall to a Supreme Court ruling, Klein decides he can parse law better than the justices – that is – if they disagree with him. But when others read the Constitution, especially the parts where it limits the power of government, Klein is the first to take issue with them. He likes big government. Far be it from him to remember that the Constitution is a document, written by the people, describing and limiting the type of government they will have.
Again, as with so many people who don’t like the Constitution interfering with their personal wishes, Klein whines about those who might suffer if the Constitution is followed. He would get rid of the Constitution if it might interfere with his subsidy. He tells us: “What’s at stake is the fate of nearly 10 million people across the country who wouldn’t be allowed to turn to the Federal “State” anymore.”
That may or may not be true and if so it is regrettable but even so, it is not a reason to ignore the Constitution and, just as importantly, the rights of those who will be paying for Klein and those others, if he has his way.
Klein goes on to mock Governor McCrory for making a political decision about Medicaid expansion. Klein acts as if the only consideration is the people gaining a subsidy, while those paying have no standing. This is another typical leftist point of view: if it seems a good idea, someone else should be required to pay for it. That cost is only up to a Morton’s steak dinner a day – to more accurately rephrase Parks Helms.
Mr. Klein finally gets to the point. He has a personal interest in the matter. He can’t afford insurance unless it is subsidized, so he wants others to pay for it. But being a good leftist, he’s not looking for donations, or help from his friends at church, he’s looking for government to force you to pay for his personal desire.
In another typical twist of truth; since Governor McCrory didn’t burden the taxpayers with more subsidies for others, Klein writes “…but he also left me at great risk of dying.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. McCrory has nothing to do with Klein’s health. Yet Klein twists his words to try to make his personal issues the responsibility of others. Typical leftist rationalization.
He goes on: “…I’d been struggling to stay alive after being diagnosed with both cancer and liver disease two years earlier while still living in Maryland. There, I’d managed to hold on to good medical care because Maryland, even before Obamacare, had a good state plan that I could just barely afford. That is, until I couldn’t work anymore.”
Poor, poor Jerry Klein. He goes broke then expects others to pay his way. Why? What does he offer me that I should work and my money go to him? Maybe I want my money to go to my grandchildren, or the Salvation Army, or someone at my Christian church. Anywhere but to him. Let his friends pay for him.
But Mr. Klein is hardly done and so continues the whining: “Because Pat and the General Assembly had refused to expand Medicaid in North Carolina, I fell into a massive hole — I couldn’t qualify for any health care assistance. Much like nearly a half-million low-income people in the state. After talking to dozens of “officials” about my options and getting no help, I found myself running out of all the medications that were keeping me alive, and unable to see doctors or have any necessary procedures.”
This is a sad state of affairs for anyone, but we can’t take care of everyone and something people tend to forget is that keeping Mr. Klein alive is only a temporary thing. He, as we all, will die at some point. All the medicine in the world won’t keep him alive much past 100. Most of us will die before then. This is the point we should be talking about: how much should we spend keeping some people alive a little bit longer, when the fact is everyone is going to die?
It is incredible how much money and effort is made keeping people alive another few months or few years, when we know the end result. Certainly we all want to live, but life is important to us only as individuals. Jack London uses the character of Wolf Larsen to tell us: “Do you know the only value life has is what life puts upon itself? And it is of course overestimated, for it is of necessity prejudiced in its own favour. Take that man I had aloft. He held on as if he were a precious thing, a treasure beyond diamonds of rubies. To you? No. To me? Not at all. To himself? Yes. But I do not accept his estimate. He sadly overrates himself. There is plenty more life demanding to be born. Had he fallen and dripped his brains upon the deck like honey from the comb, there would have been no loss to the world. The supply is too large.”
The man aloft is the point of view of Klein and most others. He holds himself a precious thing, but that point of view is his alone. Wanting what is important to him to be important to others, in order to get them to give him money, he tries to elicit sympathy for his plight. Sorry Jerry, I lean towards the position of Wolf Larsen. Your life, while precious, creates no obligation for others, except what those others choose to give. Whining about your personal situation is certainly a way to seek sympathy, so perhaps some will be swayed to give up their earnings to help you along. That is their choice. But that is not enough is it. You say you are “… speaking for hundreds of thousands in the same situation.” Maybe, maybe not. Certainly there are many who would like to have more of something, if only someone else would pay for it. Is that you Jerry? Looking for handouts and a free ride, just because?
Mr. Klein goes on to tell us that if Obamacare is held un-Constitutional that will be his death knell. “That if “the “holier-than-thou” Republicans here remain undeterred about expanding Medicaid appropriately, well, that might just finish me off.”
That is where he completely loses me: if we follow the Constitution, and Obamacare is found not in compliance; that might kill him? It’s now the fault of politicians and judges that Klein is sick?
Then his final plea: “you claim to be a “good” Christian or Jew and identify with the Republicans, do something now — like demand lawmakers set up our own exchange and expand Medicaid — before it’s too late.”
Too late? It’s always too late. We’re all going to die. The only question is: how much do you get to take from someone else to enhance your life at their expense?
This is the function of our elected representatives: to weigh choices and effects on various people and groups. It is not an easy task, and someone will always want more than they get.
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