'Where the hell did you pull this gem from?' ThinkProgress' Ebola take is 'beyond stupid'

If only. But no. They’re therial. They’re thuper-therial:

You know what's essential to containing the spread of Ebola?

A robust government-sponsored health care system.

— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) October 1, 2014

Guh.

1 year after GOP shut down government to defund Obamacare, we're looking to government-sponsored health care to stop Ebola.

— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) October 1, 2014

GUH.

How government health care will save us from Ebola: http://t.co/ZCyA5FKPgm pic.twitter.com/16VBIZ4w65

— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) October 1, 2014

And yes, Obamacare will also help prevent an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. http://t.co/ZCyA5FKPgm

— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) October 1, 2014

Ebola is another reminder why health care is a public good, not a private commodity to be sold on free market: http://t.co/ZCyA5FKPgm

— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) October 1, 2014

Let’s give him a chance to explain, hmmm?

And what about Obamacare, the very law Republicans sought to defund? It too is playing a role in preventing an epidemic. Research has shown that people who lack health insurance delay or skip health care services or substitute home remedies or over the counter drugs for doctor visits that can diagnose and prevent the spread of communicable disease. People who have access to routine needed care are less likely to be susceptible to disease, leading to improvements in individual and community resilience.

The law also establishes a Prevention and Public Health Fund that provides state and local governments with additional resources that can help “prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks” and includes provisions that can be “leveraged to integrate preparedness into daily health care and to help create stronger routine and emergency health care delivery systems that can surge to respond to disasters.”

Ultimately, Americans can feel secure that Ebola will be contained in the United States because we’ve established a robust government funded health care system that, in collaboration with the private sector, protects everyone from a public health catastrophe. Any health emergency serves as a reminder why health care is a public good rather than a private commodity to be sold on the free market.