Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has both undergraduate and post-graduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but the GOP lawmaker was ridiculed for his lack of reasoning after he posted an outrageous attack on Medicare.
" Over 70% of Americans who died with COVID, died on Medicare, and some people want Medicare for All?" he asked on Wednesday.
Massie made the elementary mistake of confusing correlation with causation. Were people who died of coronavirus more likely to have Medicare health insurance? Yes. Did having Medicare cause COVID fatalities? No.
One key trait of COVID-19 is that it primarily killed older people, regardless of country or health insurance provider.
NPR
reported in December that "people 65 and up make up 75 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S." Medicare is the government health insurance program for Americans over 65, so of course there is a correlation. But it no way does it imply any causation.
Massie's smear of the popular and successful program was ridiculed online. Here's some of what people were saying:
This guy is out here trying to single handedly kill @MIT brand. This may be the single dumbest thing I have ever read.— Mike Kirby (@Mike Kirby) 1644426106
100% of Americans who died with COVID breathe oxygen, and some people want to keep breathing?https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Josh Chafetz (@Josh Chafetz) 1644423570
Over 70 percent of Americans who died of heart attacks own a washing machine. We must ban washing machines.https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Ian Millhiser (@Ian Millhiser) 1644423041
This idiocy makes my head hurt. There are other, rational ways to critique M4A.https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Chris DiLapi (Big Twelve Conference Supporter) (@Chris DiLapi (Big Twelve Conference Supporter)) 1644424546
This is not a serious political party and every day reporters act like it is.https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Erick Fernandez (@Erick Fernandez) 1644424663
How could this be, unless Medicare was given only to the elderly and the clinically vulnerable.\n\nOh, it is?https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Arieh Kovler (@Arieh Kovler) 1644423734
Probably 95% of Americans who died of Covid were pensioners. And some people want Social Security?https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Arieh Kovler (@Arieh Kovler) 1644423796
Our children are not learning about confounding variableshttps://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Russell Brandom (@Russell Brandom) 1644423541
[P] Hey @MollyJongFast: a challenger emerges from the ranks to battle Gohmert for Dumbest Congressperson!https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Paul and Storm (@Paul and Storm) 1644425657
do you know how many people die while in a BED??? ban beds imohttps://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— maura quint (@maura quint) 1644424389
The fact that many of those killed by a disease are older is not a good argument against providing everyone access to health care, actuallyhttps://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Rep. Don Beyer (@Rep. Don Beyer) 1644424719
They are this stupid.https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Greg Pinelo (@Greg Pinelo) 1644423537
Over 70% of Americans who died with COVID died in hospitals, and some people want more hospitals?https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Patrick W. Watson (@Patrick W. Watson) 1644427091
This man sits in the US House and gets to vote on everything from taxes to war to health care.https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Jeff Greenfield (@Jeff Greenfield) 1644427056
This dude is desperately aiming for the Legendary Moron Hall of Fame \n\nI mean goddamn, you almost can\u2019t look directly at this tweethttps://twitter.com/repthomasmassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Mike B (@Mike B) 1644424580
"a third rate Grandstander named @RepThomasMassie" -- Donald Trump.https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Joshua Israel (@Joshua Israel) 1644422811
The correlation v. causation hall of fame has a new inductee.https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— David Knowles (@David Knowles) 1644425428
Medicare Kills, Actually, is ... certainly a new onehttps://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Sara B. (@Sara B.) 1644424458
Death rate at hospices is also horrifying. Abolish hospices.https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Jeet Heer (@Jeet Heer) 1644424373
Worse, every person covered by Medicare has or will die. Being covered by Medicare is basically a death sentence.https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1491441851748204546\u00a0\u2026— Jake Swearingen (@Jake Swearingen) 1644423304
IN OTHER NEWS: Trump's 'beef' with the Debate Commission might come from an old Casino foe
Trump's 'beef' with the Debate Commission might come from an old Casino foe www.youtube.com
