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The British Medical Association Weighs in WRT Abortion Rights in the US
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I think those are the only two possible reactions. YMMV. She said, in a sudden outburst of IAB (Internet Acronym Behavior). Crimenutely. (I’d use the Internet acronym for that, if I could, but as far as I know, there isn’t one. Yet.)
Somewhere, on today’s Daily Telegraph site, amidst the driveling over the Duke of Sussex’s “guttural” (as reported by his wife) reaction to the overturning of Roe v Wade, and the mourning over the death of Dame Deborah James–a lovely and real heroine in the fight against “bowel” (known in the US as “colon”) cancer–is a moronic “news briefing” suggesting that (this is the actual headline) “UK should offer American women free abortions, say doctors.”
Now, I don’t know how many of you know how much about the UK National Health Service. It’s supposed to be the jewel in the crown of British social policy. The world’s best socialized medicine. The Brits seem overawed by its magnificence in the way that populations love the sandy beaches and the picnics of their coastlines–that is, until they discover the marching ants, and the way that the sand tends to get into all their private creases, gets really itchy, and renders them completely miserable.
And so. What I know about the NHS, over decades as a British native struggling to find the means to assure her family’s health, and whilst listening to others in my family perfectly capable of doing the bit for themselves and still finding themselves adrift (parents, siblings, in-laws, friends–you name it–I’ve been there) is that the NHS is far from perfect.
A quick Google search makes the point. Patients drinking the stale water from their floral gifts because no-one on the staff brought them hydration alternatives. Patients waiting months, or years, for rather simple exams and tests that might have been life-saving, had they been delivered in time. Mothers desperate upon discovering that the remains of their stillborn babies were used as fuel for their hospital’s “heating plant.” (This was my mother’s own personal nightmare, in case anyone is interested.) Refusals of general practitioners (PCPs, for the American audience) to meet with sick patients in-person for fear of Covid concerns. I could go on and on in this sick-making way. But, I’m hoping, without further ado, that you get the idea. If not, please search on your own. You’ll thank me, I promise.
Still, today, it seems, the British Medical Association, which apparently finds itself with time on its hands, having excellently provided medical care for all British citizens over the past 2-1/2 years (sarcasm off), is concern-trolling American women who may not have access to enough abortion rights in states which aren’t minded to allow the procedure to excess:
But in an emergency debate on the issue on Wednesday, the BMA agreed doctors would lobby to “support the provision of free and safe abortion care to all nationals seeking this in the UK, without subjecting them to the overseas patient upfront tariff, regardless of borders”.
Glory be.
National Health Service, please take care of your own. You recently commissioned a report led by a veteran “Sir” of the Iraqi war campaign (Gordon Messenger) which turned out to be nothing more than a plea for more diversity, inclusion, and equity at NHS management levels, and which seemed to have little to do with what actuates and improves patient care for actual–you know–patients.
When you can demonstrate to me, and to members of my family in the UK who have been suffering under your inadequate interventions over the past years and decades that we should listen to you, then perhaps we’ll budge.
If ever there were a case for, “physician, heal thyself,” this might be it.
And, if you can’t get your head around that, perhaps you should “do the other thing” (h/t my mum).
Similarly, it seems that many of the critics of the Supreme Court decision on carry permits in New York believe that it means that anyone can carry any gun, any time, anywhere. I don’t expect the average Joe to read the Supreme Court decisions, but maybe have a clue what the case was about before going into panic mode?
Wait, why would that panic anyone? I thought that was just the American way.
The Democrats and the media – but I repeat myself – want panic.
Had to look up WRT. Don’t think I’d seen that one before.
I wouldn’t want the guy who has just been released from prison for multiple convictions of armed robbery to be able to buy a gun. The released prisoner who has been convicted of assault and making homicidal threats shouldn’t be able to buy more guns. We don’t let 6-year-olds buy firearms. This Supreme Court ruling doesn’t forbid all restrictions, nor should it.
All the laws might possibly do, even if they worked perfectly, would be to stop them from buying guns legally.
I understand that. We could debate whether or not there should be any restrictions at all on firearms sales, but I don’t want to continue straying from the point of She’s post.
Surely you aren’t counting Noted Constitutional Scholar Piers Morgan among these!
It’s that, but it’s also the certainty that America is The Worst!
I noes! What if one of those View harpies found xerself in need of an abortion, whatever would they do then?
Umm. Yes. Yes, I am. He is clueless.
I don’t count NCS PM for much at all, actually. He may, on occasion, be an amusing gadfly, but I’m a Mark Steyn girl myself, not least because he took note of my father’s Telegraph obituary on National Review’s “Corner” when Steyn was still there.
Steyn regularly flays Piers Morgan in the Battle of the Snarky Talk-Show Hosts at 8PM (UK time) weeknights on British television. Steyn is on the embattled, but apparently sincere, GBNews outfit; Morgan has Murdoch backing on another, johnny-come-lately, more financially well-endowed, channel. (You can look it up.)
Steyn posts links to his appearances on his website, if anyone is interested. It may be a little too UK-cent(r)e(re)d for some of you. I may be a special case, having one foot firmly planted on each side of the Atlantic, but even absent that, his show is noteworthy.
This past Monday (27 June) his show opened with the now widely-reported interview of some Harry Potter has-been star being asked a question about J.K Rowling’s absence in current promotional materials, with the equivalent of the Joe Biden advisor in the bunny-costume jumping to the fore and immediately barking, “next question please.” The intro is a bit hashed up (often happens on GBNews, bless their hearts), but if you listen to the next couple of minutes of Steyn’s rant, you’ll get the idea:
Steyn has also stuck with the EIB connection, (although he doesn’t make much of a secret of his contempt–perhaps that is too strong a word but I can’t think of another one– for the sports-obsessed followers-on to Rush, or those who spend their lives on talk radio yammering reactively to the tweets of the day) with an appearance every Tuesday on Bo Snerdley’s talk show on WABC, New York. He also shows up on the volunteer-presenter channel Serenade Radio, every Sunday at 12:30PM Eastern US time with his “Song of the Week.”
The last two are charming. The Mark Steyn Show on GBNews is provocative and sometimes, I’m sure, infuriating to those who find almost everything he says triggering or offensive.
All the above are highly recommended.