There's a lot to be puzzled about in the "debate" (I hesitate to dignify it with that term) over health care reform: Palin's exploitation of her infant son with her instantly infamous "death panel" comment; the anti-reform protester who was supposedly injured in a scuffle with SEIU members who is taking up a collection to pay his medical bills because he (wait for it) recently lost his job and is uninsured; the anti-reform protester at a townhall meeting in South Carolina who told his conservative congressman to "keep your government hands off my Medicare." But I think this line from an Investors Business Daily editorial in opposition to health care reform may win the prize:

People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldnt have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless.

Can a democracy function at this level of discourse? The mind reels.P.S. The IBD line is so breathtakingly stupid, I initially thought maybe their site had been hacked, but the editorial is still up, so I am assuming it is authentic.UPDATE: I assumed everyone knows this, but a commenter emailed me to suggest that I make it clear for those who do not -- Stephen Hawking was born and has lived his entire life in the U.K. But that's only one of the reasons the IDB quote is stupid.