What would you do, sir, if terrorists were killing 45,000 people every year in this country? Well, the current health care system, the insurance companies, and those who support them are doing just that. [...] Because they die individually because of disease and not disaster, [radio host] Neal Boortz and all those who ape him approve this. Forty five thousand a year in America. Remind me again, who are the terrorists?
Interpretation
The quote highlights the hidden crisis of healthcare deaths compared to terrorist attacks, challenging the perception of what constitutes a threat.
In this quote, Keith Olbermann draws a stark comparison between the deaths caused by the current healthcare system and those typically associated with terrorism. By stating that 45,000 people die annually due to inadequate healthcare, he underscores the urgency of addressing healthcare issues, suggesting that the systemic failures are more damaging than external threats. The quote provocatively invokes the idea that neglecting these health crises could be seen as a form of terrorism itself, urging society to rethink its values and priorities regarding health.
In practice
In a speech about healthcare reform, one might quote Olbermann to emphasize the need for systemic change.
The world bursts at the seams with people ready to tell you you're not good enough. On occasion, some may be correct. But do not do their work for them. Seek any job; ask anyone out; pursue any goal. Don't take it personally when they say 'no' - they may not be smart enough to say 'yes.'
Exercise mitigates the effects of stress - and stress, we know, shortens telomeres. In fact, early studies indicate that stress reduction techniques like meditation help people maintain the length of their telomeres.
We must never neglect the patient's own use of his symptoms.
Within every patient there resides a doctor, and we as physicians are at our best when we we put our patients in touch with the doctor inside themselves.
Truly affordable but high-quality health care tools and services are the only means by which quality health care can be provided to all.
You've got to exercise. Your health account, your bank account, they're the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take out.
If you want to know the value of vaccines, just spend some time in a clinic in Africa. The faces of the mothers and fathers say it all: vaccines prevent illness and save lives.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.