Olga’s Story
[Guest post by DRJ]
In his speeches and town hall meetings, President Obama has shared stories from Americans who hope ObamaCare is the answer to their health care problems. Jon Ward at The Daily Caller shares another perspective from Saturday’s anti-ObamaCare protest on the steps of Congress — Olga’s story:
“I happened to be standing by [Rep. Steve] King before he spoke to the crowd. He was approached by a 55-year old Russian immigrant named Olga Brenner, who had tears in her eyes as she told King she fears the U.S. is headed the wrong direction. I have video of her exchange with King from my phone and will get that up soon.
I asked Olga why she thought the bill was bad, she said “it’s not a cliche, it really is a government takeover of health care.”
“I thought I ran away from government dictatorship,” she said.
“When people have freedom it’s like air, you don’t remember, you don’t think about it. But when it’s not like air you begin to—you feel it … When there is lack of it, of freedom, it’s suffocating,” she said.
“I know what it is, and you won’t believe how recognizable it is. This is what I hear all my life, the same speeches, good intentions, it’s demagoguery but top-level propaganda. I’ve heard it all my life. And people live in misery.”
When I asked for Olga’s last name, she hesitated, explaining that she was conditioned by living in the former Soviet Union.
“I understand,” I said.
She responded: “You don’t understand. You don’t understand what it is and where it is going.”
Powerful words.
— DRJ
Ayn Rand faced the same problem when faced with FDR’s socialist planning. I’m afraid that this camel already has it’s nose under the tent. In reality, both parties have made the claim that “Health Care” must be “fixed,” what matters now to the political class is who will get their hands on or rather in our deep health pockets. It’ll pass in one way or another, to be continually fixed. Then we go begging, begging and groveling at the feet of a bureaucracy better paid, more secure and healthier than us for, quite literally, OUR LIVES. Good F@#*king luck brothers, we deserve this for every time we said “someone should do something.”
Starbanker (e41bd6) — 3/21/2010 @ 12:19 amLuckily, Obama care is going down. Loretta Sanchez is voting NO, that should tell us something. The bill could actually get crushed. No one will walk the plank for a loser.
Kevin Murphy (3c3db0) — 3/21/2010 @ 12:33 amAs sympathetic as I am to Olga’s words (dating myself: I spent time in the old Soviet Union), she mischaracterizes the problem. It’s not that people want freedom and will only miss it when it’s gone — they want government to control their lives in loco parentis.
They want, in short, a government of benevolent dictators, who will love them like children and give them everything they want.
Federal Dog (286df0) — 3/21/2010 @ 3:40 amMost people who have come from Socialist/Marxist countries know exactly what Olga is talking about.
This POTUS is a Socialist/Marxist tool in a trapping and dress of a “modern man.” I wish him ill and all those who have supported him. May you be forced to eat your dog food.
Alluh Akbar.
HeavenSent (a9126d) — 3/21/2010 @ 5:16 am“Loretta Sanchez is voting NO, that should tell us something. The bill could actually get crushed. ”
Once they’ve whipped to 216 they’ll release people to vote no.
imdw (997b7f) — 3/21/2010 @ 5:20 amShe is missing in action so she seems to be avoiding the vote. That is no help to the No side.
The delusions of the old Soviet Union were well expressed in a blog post I read a few months ago. It was from a man who had been a child in the USSR and could remember hearing his parents say about some awful incident, “If only Comrade Stalin knew about this, he would fix things.” Child like. That is where Obama would like to go but Americans are not Russians. It takes several generations to make children of adults. The Poles and the Romanians had not lost their ability to govern themselves.
The Romanians even left us a video of how to handle dictators.
Mike K (2cf494) — 3/21/2010 @ 5:41 am#3 Federal Dog:
I think you are conflating two separate problems: Olga (and other refugees) grew up trapped in a totalitarian system run by the same people attempting to institute on here (whether they realize it or not), and is therefore sensitive to the erosion of liberty; while idiots like #5 do not understand that the “benevolent” in loco parentis style of government will eventually result in economic collapse leading to privation and less benevolence…and it also ain’t smart enough to become a privileged apparatchik and so will end up in a gulag as soon as its usefulness has gone.
EW1(SG) (edc268) — 3/21/2010 @ 5:45 amHere’s a must-read for everyone
According to this, the health care bill will add $562 billion in debt over the next 10 years. And even that is assuming the rosiest of scenarios.
The only amazing thing about this piece is that The New York Times printed it.
Some chump (c2555f) — 3/21/2010 @ 6:18 amMaybe the NYT printed the Holtz-Eakin piece because it sginifcantly UNDERstates the problem. Holtz-Eakin fails to mention the double-counting of the “Medicare savings,” which are not only counted as savings on one side of the sheet but added into the Medicare “trust fund” balances as assets as well. (Hint for those no familiar with government accounting: “Trust fund” balances are money borrowed from, and thus owed to, the programs.)
Tully (4dce1a) — 3/21/2010 @ 7:21 amFurther hint on Govt Accounting…
If any private employer raided his employee’s retirement account in this manner, he would go to jail, and probably lose everything.
But, Hey, I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help you (after I get mine, that is; and if there’s anything left for you, consider yourself lucky).
AD - RtR/OS! (4c0b43) — 3/21/2010 @ 7:38 amHoward Stern said it better than I ever could-the Democrats are communists.
FatBaldnSassy (9520fd) — 3/21/2010 @ 7:51 amWatching the excreable Dem House whip talk over and through Wallace’s questioning and Ryan’s responses this morning was truly disgusting and was all too typical of the Left’s intellectual fallowness on this entire debate. When you can’t debate your opponent on the facts, change the subject, impugn his motives, or if all else fails, just filibuster until the time alloted expires. They’ve learned well from their Dear Leader, have they not? Good little sheeple they are, all of them.
These people have no credibility anymore, and they will reap the whirlwind this Fall, and for many years beyond. I can’t wait.
Dmac (ca1d8c) — 3/21/2010 @ 7:53 amVery detumescent on #13, brokedick.
GeneralMalaise (20e943) — 3/21/2010 @ 8:29 amCould it be more obviously a troll?!
JD (f5b496) — 3/21/2010 @ 8:32 am“…When you can’t debate your opponent on the facts, change the subject, impugn his motives, or if all else fails, just filibuster until the time alloted expires…”
Straight out of the Marxist/Leninist handbook!
AD - RtR/OS! (4c0b43) — 3/21/2010 @ 8:36 am“Straight out of the Marxist/Leninist handbook!”
Indeed. The marxist leninist filibuster.
imdw (1af0fd) — 3/21/2010 @ 8:40 amWhy am I not surprised that you are unaware of the differences between “extended debate”, and hogging the time until your opponent just gives up and goes home.
This is a truly ignorant one.
AD - RtR/OS! (4c0b43) — 3/21/2010 @ 8:46 amPowerful words?
larry reilly (fadcab) — 3/21/2010 @ 8:57 amNo.
Deep.
As in, off the deep end.
Why don’t you guys rent a bus, come to Washington, D.C. and scream “n–g–” and “faggot” and hock some loogies onto anyone who doesn’t agree with you?
You know you’d like to.
Olga’s words have little meaning to the left: they’re anecdotal at best and easily written off. You could have thousands of Olga’s and it wouldn’t matter. The blinders are firmly in place. And it’s essential they remain in place. If they didn’t, their entire ideology would be exposed for what it truly is. Can’t have that.
Dana (1e5ad4) — 3/21/2010 @ 8:59 amlarry reilly, we would never scream such words to anyone who disagrees with us. Because we are not you.
Dana (1e5ad4) — 3/21/2010 @ 9:01 amComment by larry reilly — 3/21/2010 @ 8:57 am
That is the most despicable posting yet by this incredibly vile, disgusting, example of human refuse (if it is even human?).
AD - RtR/OS! (4c0b43) — 3/21/2010 @ 9:05 amForever more, when I look into the dictionary for “euthanasia”, I shall see the words “larry reilly”.
I would spit in Nancy’s face enthusiastically even as she holds our little country down for so the little president man can anal rape us all.
happyfeet (71f6cb) — 3/21/2010 @ 9:09 amI had unpleasant dreams the monstrosity had already passed. Waking up was a relief that we can still keep hope alive.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641) — 3/21/2010 @ 9:29 amBend over America. You have sold your soul.
MikeD (c83900) — 3/21/2010 @ 9:33 amWell, folks, you fought the good fight, you held the moral high ground, you were the voice of reason in the wilderness, and all your impassioned, intellectual, arguments (it appears) are going to come to no good result. I’m not sure what the next step is for you. It seems the America of your dreams, the America which arouses and rewards your passions is no more. You can’t just pull an Alec Baldwin and leave the country (I suppose he didn’t either); the situation elsewhere is no better.
No other choice–Get thee to a death panel!
I would say though, that Olga, being a (seemingly recent) immigrant seems to have a better command of the language than most natural-born citizens. Demagoguery, indeed.
theocracy (64e989) — 3/21/2010 @ 9:42 amtheocracy
well, there was an election and the people, idiots and lazy scum they are, voted in democrats in all three branches
like sh*t wasnt going to happen…
Olga needs to quit crying and realize that one party was duly elected – against all reason but they were
instead of russia where you put the yes ballot in one box or they put you in the other
EricPWJohnson (44912d) — 3/21/2010 @ 9:50 amKindly go f*ck yourself, theocracy.
JD (df3a77) — 3/21/2010 @ 9:57 amEPWJ shows his depravity yet again. How “unexpected” of him.
John Hitchcock (f974b7) — 3/21/2010 @ 9:58 amgood intentions
That’s what the road to hell is paved with. And that’s what is pathetic about the left.
They believe the humaneness (real or counterfeit) at the core of their ideology absolves them of a lack of logic, if not outright stupidity. That, worse of all, their supposed humaneness and compassion absolves them of being the horrible, unkind humans they associate with the ideology of their opponents.
That’s why they can embrace fanatics like Jeremiah Wright or Hugo Chavez (or give a million benefit of the doubts to societies like Olga Brenner’s Soviet Union), without seeing themselves as idiots—useful or otherwise. Or certainly the opposite of compassionate, caring people.
and scream “n–g–” and “faggot”
I think the word “troll” (or “trolling”) is overused in forums like this. But in your case, you’re a troll.
Mark (411533) — 3/21/2010 @ 10:02 amListening to Juan Williams proclaim that once the bill is passed all of the Dems won’t have to worry about it in November (because the public will have been properly bribed by that time), it really appeared that he was whistling in the dark past the graveyard. The public is enraged, and this will enrage them to levels unseen since the Vietnam War protests. Except this time it won’t be the under 25 crowd, more like the over 40 crowd.
Do not ask for whom the bells toll, it tolls for thee. Bring it, game on.
Dmac (ca1d8c) — 3/21/2010 @ 10:03 am“No other choice–Get thee to a death panel! ”
Well, get thee to a nunnery won’t work. The nuns favor the bill.
imdw (842182) — 3/21/2010 @ 10:05 amreality has deemed you to be a liar.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 3/21/2010 @ 10:08 amThat’s how I’m feeling, Dmac. Bring it.
DRJ (daa62a) — 3/21/2010 @ 10:12 amIt’s too bad larry reilly does not have the stones to hang around and defend his vile comments.
daleyrocks (718861) — 3/21/2010 @ 10:20 amJohn
again without a clue
Drj
there was an election, people danced sang made tea, run off no votes in the name of conservative principles ad naseum…
and they reaped what they sowed
Now we have something horrible but somehow no riots in the streets happened about social security or medicaid and all reagan did was to increase both to win a cold war
when oh when are people going to wake up?
apparently not soon enough – there should be no Democrat safe seats in the house nor the senate right now, sure we get the senate but we dont – we need 67 votes to pass and override the president
not going to happen….
Depravity is thinking Obama/democrats weren’t going to do this in the first place…
EricPWJohnson (44912d) — 3/21/2010 @ 10:27 amUntil the usual suspects produce a link to a video from yesterday’s D.C. rally that shows the vile behavior they (and Clyburn) claim went on, they should just STFU.
Here’s an interesting side by side photo comparison of Saturday rallies in D.C….
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NTRjMDIyNjA5OTk2OTE3MjhjNmU3ZjA3NDIxNjZmZDc=
GeneralMalaise (20e943) — 3/21/2010 @ 10:39 amvideo disproving the alleged racism.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 3/21/2010 @ 10:43 amDepravity is telling someone who has lived under oppressive totalitarian government and sees the same thing happening here to “suck it up.” That is one of the most disgusting things to say. And that is what you said to Olga, EPWJ.
And then you added to your depravity with out-and-out lies.
John Hitchcock (f974b7) — 3/21/2010 @ 10:45 amEricPW – Are affirmative action bake sales held as a means of protesting college affirmative action policies racist acts? If so, you should send out notifications to the numerous college conservative groups that have held such events or may be planning them in the future. James O’Keefe did not invent them.
daleyrocks (718861) — 3/21/2010 @ 11:52 am