Bizarre Debates over U.S. Health Care Reform

Death threats, euthanasia allegations and a Hitler mustache - the debate over the health care reform in the United States is getting increasingly bizarre, and the Republicans are taking every opportunity to stir things up further.

In the controversy over health care reform in the United States President Barack Obama has sharply attacked his political opponents. At a discussion meeting in Portsmouth , New Hampshire, he rebuked those who as he said “frighten the American people and lead them astray."

In recent days, the discussions on reforming the U.S. health system have spun completely out of control: At Democratic recruitment stations recently, members of Congress (for the reform plans of President Obama) ended up coming to blows. The Injured had to be hospitalized, and police officers had to intervene. Politicians are now being called off their regular public meetings for security reasons. Obama supporters were shouted down, fists swinging, terrified people were crying, and a member of Congress received a death threat.

Nazi comparisons

Angry demonstrators in the streets were waving placards on which Obama is depicted with a Hitler mustache. Demonstrators were angered over the President allegedly planning a euthanasia program for elderly and sick Americans..

The recently resigned ex governor of Alaska Sarah Palin has turned on the President. On the Internet platform Facebook, she wrote last week that the president wants to create a state "death committee", which decides who is worthy to benefit from health care and who is not: "Such a system is downright evil," said Palin.

Although Obama expected some controversy over the health care reform he probably didn’t expect it to be so venomous.

Necessary Reform

The reorganization of the health system in the United States has for decades been a hot potato.
The health system in the U.S. is considered the world's most expensive, medical care and drugs are typically priced much higher than in Europe. But above all, more than 46 million Americans are still without insurance. Unlike other industrialized countries, there is no universal health care in the U.S., most Americans are insured through their employers.

Fear campaign of the Republicans
Among many older Americans there is concern that in the future the government could determine who gets what drugs and who can go to which doctor. A bogey, which is supported by television commercials. Darin warned about a sepulchral voice from a nationalized insurance, which would almost to a judge over life and death.

At a meeting in Florida, of older women in tears, they expressed their fear over what they called Obama's "insurance people" stating they could all be sentenced to death.
In Missouri, an event erupted in to panic, anger and then in to violence: Six people were arrested after a brawl. Leading Republicans call the spontaneous outbursts of opinion concerning.
Recently launched in response to the "fear campaign" U.S. President Barack Obama now has a new website with information about his ambitious project. The aim is to combat the primarily the many "outrageous rumors" about the reform, and give over the "facts" said Obama adviser David Axelrod.