In the context of the right’s bizarre attack on 12-year-old Graeme Frost and his family, the WaPo’s E. J. Dionne Jr. takes a closer look at the policy context of the smear. Unwilling to just “condemn the right-wingers as meanies,” Dionne wants to “seriously” consider how the right looks at the same problems underpinning the broader debate.
In the process, he finds — wouldn’t you know it — that some of the same people attacking the Frosts are engaged in “a perverse and incoherent form of class warfare.”
Most conservatives favor government-supported vouchers that would help Graeme attend his private school, but here they turn around and criticize him for … attending a private school. Federal money for private schools but not for health insurance? What’s the logic here?
Conservatives endlessly praise risk-taking by entrepreneurs and would give big tax cuts to those who are most successful. But if a small-business person is struggling, he shouldn’t even think about applying for SCHIP.
Conservatives who want to repeal the estate tax on large fortunes have cited stories — most of them don’t check out — about farmers having to sell their farms to pay inheritance taxes. But the implication of these attacks on the Frosts is that they are expected to sell their investment property to pay for health care. Why?
Oh, yes, and conservatives tell us how much they love homeownership, and then assail the Frosts for having the nerve to own a home. I suppose they should have to sell that, too.
Dionne posed these as rhetorical questions, but let’s take them one at a time anyway.
First, yes, many conservatives believe it’s great for public funds to finance private school tuition, but wrong for public funds to finance private healthcare plans. The difference is, these same conservatives don’t like public schools. Helping kids is irrelevant.
Second, yes, these same conservatives talk about small businesses with a certain fondness, but only in the context of tax cuts. If a small-business owner can’t afford healthcare, then the family is supposed to go without — or apparently rely on private donations from generous people in the community who are somehow willing to subsidize private insurance.
Third, these conservatives really do expect the Frosts to sell their modest row house to help pay for health insurance. As Tom Tomorrow imagined it, for those who are fortunate enough to find an insurance company willing to cover them, cutting back on having a home in order to pay for insurance — “in case anything bad happens to me” — makes perfect sense.
Dionne added, “Conservatives claim to be in favor of stable families, small businesses, hard work, private schools, investment and homeownership. So why in the world are so many on the right attacking the family of Graeme Frost?”
Because they got in the way, and might have encouraged others to do the same. See how easy this is to understand?