"Crystal power, my ass." - MC Hawking

good god, this is priceless. i'm putting that shit on a t-shirt.

Stephen Hawkings response to this -

"I wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for the NHS. I have received a large amount of high quality treatment without which I would not have survived."

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/erica/2009/08/stephen-hawking-likes-his-deat.php?ref=recdc

Editor's Note: This version corrects the original editorial which implied that physicist Stephen Hawking, a professor at the University of Cambridge, did not live in the UK.

LMAO!! Open mouth, insert foot.

^ Which doesn't address what they should be apologising for.

When I first saw that comment about Stephen Hawking, on another site, I genuinely thought it was a joke, a pretty funny piece of satire. But no. Is this really the level of misinformation about the NHS that is being spread in the US? I find it incredible that those opposed to reform will say that other countries' not-for-profit healthcare systems treat those who are severely ill or disabled as "worthless", when this is precisely the way private health companies treat their clients.

Well, I suppose Stephen Hawking does have an American accent! I too thought this was a joke, and then I was astounded when I found out it was true.

British diplomats are *politely* trying to correct the (soemtimes bizarre) dis-information being spread about the NHS without getting embroiled in the politics.

"Evil and Orwellian' – America's right turns its fire on NHS".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/11/nhs-united-states-republican-health

And here's a comparison of health cost/outcomes for various systems. Japan looks a particularly attractive option.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2009/aug/12/nhs-us-healthcare-obama

The US is in the great postion of being able to examine all current systems - not just the UK NHS - and choose the one which fits best with its philosophy, quality requirements and yet delivers healthcare to all.

An elderly relative of mine has just received exceptional healthcare from the UK NHS - three weeks in hospital, tests, scans, consultations wth expert teams, drugs and home visits by a district nurse -and it cost him nothing. Every system can be improved, but I never begrudge my taxes going to fund the NHS.

Very funny. I only wish that more of the lyrics were against the creationists rather than new agers. They aren't as organized and, so far, I haven't found new agers to be as anathema to the whole of science. Like geology, for instance. OK, crystal healing? WhatEVer! But, I haven't met one New Ager who thinks that the crystals were made at sundown of Saturday, October 22, 4004 BC.

Shockingly, though, I have met "scientists" who probably do!

A horror story: I am a geotech engineer. That's a civil eng. who deals with foundations, soil stabilization, tunnels, retaining walls, etc. We work with geologists a lot. You'd think that of all the disciplines, geology would be the LEAST likely to have any creationists in it, right? Well, maybe it is unlikely, but there are some. I've met one. It caused a thick and filthy fog of Cognitive Dissonance to settle in around us. After that conversation, I went away to get blinding drunk to clear the rest of my mind out. It was either that or a scrub brush and toilet cleaner.

LaSargenta: Then some inner voice tells me you may prefer his "F the Creationists" :)

@ Hypocee: I tip my hat! Many thanks!