--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What would you do, sir, if terrorists…" description: "\"What would you do, sir, if terrorists were killing 45,000 people every year in this country? Well, the current health care system, the insurance compan..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/keith-olbermann-10325_america_what-would-you-do-sir-if-terrorists-were_411513.jpg" --- # What would you do, sir, if terrorists were killing 45,000… ![“What would you do, sir, if terrorists were killing 45,000 people every year in this country? Well, the current health care system, the insurance companies, and those who support them are doing just that. [...] Because they die individually because of disease and not disaster, [radio host] Neal…” quote by Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/keith-olbermann-10325_america_what-would-you-do-sir-if-terrorists-were_411513.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/keith-olbermann-10325_america_what-would-you-do-sir-if-terrorists-were_411513.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/keith-olbermann-10325_america_what-would-you-do-sir-if-terrorists-were_411513.jpg) > “What would you do, sir, if terrorists were killing 45,000 people every year in this country? Well, the current health care system, the insurance companies, and those who support them are doing just that. \[...\] Because they die individually because of disease and not disaster, \[radio host\] Neal Boortz and all those who ape him approve this. Forty five thousand a year in America. Remind me again, who are the terrorists?” [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights how systemic failures in healthcare act as indirect violence, causing massive preventable deaths. **In simple terms:** Healthcare failures cause many deaths. Key Takeaway Address systemic health issues urgently. Themes healthcare policy violence systemic failure Mood concerned urgent Type political social commentary When to use this quote - political debate - healthcare reform - public awareness campaigns Key Concepts public health social responsibility policy reform Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens influence health policy? - What reforms could reduce preventable deaths? A Different Perspective Complex political and economic forces hinder rapid change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Apes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apes/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Health care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health-care/) [Health care system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health-care-system/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Radio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radio/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Terrorists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorists/) ## Related quotes > [What would you do, sir, if terrorists were killing 45,000 people every year in this country? Well, the current health care system, the insurance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/what-would-you-do-sir-if-terrorists-were-killing-45-000-people-every-2/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [From the first day I took the decision as President to defend my country. So, who killed ? That's another question. Actually, the terrorists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/from-the-first-day-i-took-the-decision-as-president-to-defend-my-2/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [You've got to kill the terrorists before the killing stops and I am for the President - chase them all over the world, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-falwell/you-ve-got-to-kill-the-terrorists-before-the-killing-stops-and-i-am/) [Jerry Falwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-falwell/) > [What the insurance companies have done is to reverse the business so that the public at large insures the insurance companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-spence/what-the-insurance-companies-have-done-is-to-reverse-the-business-so/) [Gerry Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-spence/) > [Obamacare is collapsing. It's dead. It's gone. There's nothing to compare anything to because we don't have health care in this country. You just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/obamacare-is-collapsing-it-s-dead-it-s-gone-there-s-nothing-to/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In my own business, I took on the insurance companies and built my own self-insured plan for my employees that was cost effective and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-braun/in-my-own-business-i-took-on-the-insurance-companies-and-built-my-own/) [Mike Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-braun/) > [The best thing that is happening with the health care is premiums will come down. We'll have tremendous competition; you know, we're getting rid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-best-thing-that-is-happening-with-the-health-care-is-premiums/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Reasoning based on cost has been strenuously resisted; it violated the Hippocratic Oath, was associated with rationing, and derided as putting a price on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezekiel-emanuel/reasoning-based-on-cost-has-been-strenuously-resisted-it-violated-the/) [Ezekiel Emanuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezekiel-emanuel/) > [We shouldn't be bailing out insurance companies under ObamaCare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-scalise/we-shouldn-t-be-bailing-out-insurance-companies-under-obamacare/) [Steve Scalise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-scalise/) > [Would Americans really feel better with insurance companies deciding whether they or their parents get the care they need? Probably not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neera-tanden/would-americans-really-feel-better-with-insurance-companies-deciding/) [Neera Tanden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neera-tanden/) > [Back in the late '90s, I put together a humorous newsmagazine program called 'The Awful Truth' for Bravo. We helped one guy get an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/back-in-the-late-90s-i-put-together-a-humorous-newsmagazine-program/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [Insurance companies, whether private or government owned, must be compelled to pay for health-promoting measures. In turn, this will encourage physicians to offer such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-weil/insurance-companies-whether-private-or-government-owned-must-be/) [Andrew Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-weil/) > [Like other magicians, Obama has chosen his distractions well. The insurance industry is currently his favorite distraction as scapegoats, after he has tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/like-other-magicians-obama-has-chosen-his-distractions-well-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The insurance companies do not refer to the key policy rate when they send their statements. We can only control that rate. Long-term interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-draghi/the-insurance-companies-do-not-refer-to-the-key-policy-rate-when-they/) [Mario Draghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-draghi/) > [In the case of The Thin Blue Line, I was surprised actually by many things. I was shooting down in Texas where the actual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/in-the-case-of-the-thin-blue-line-i-was-surprised-actually-by-many/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) ## More by Keith Olbermann > [Reagan's dead, and he was a lousy President.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/reagan-s-dead-and-he-was-a-lousy-president/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [ On so many levels \[S.E. Cupp\]’s a perfect demonstration of the necessity of the work Planned Parenthood does. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/on-so-many-levels-s-e-cupp-s-a-perfect-demonstration-of-the-necessity/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [I just think if you're 44 years old and you're not smarter than you were when you were 35 years old or 25 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/i-just-think-if-you-re-44-years-old-and-you-re-not-smarter-than-you/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [I don't think there are huge divergences between my personality and what they see on TV. And I think that's why I have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/i-don-t-think-there-are-huge-divergences-between-my-personality-and/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. But he still says so. There was no link between Saddam Hussein and al Qaida.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/there-were-no-weapons-of-mass-destruction-in-iraq-but-he-still-says/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [Wanting to be on television is a mental illness. Wanting to be president of the United States, wanting to be an actor - these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/wanting-to-be-on-television-is-a-mental-illness-wanting-to-be/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [What was the more likely cause of the Oklahoma City bombing: talk radio or Bill Clinton and Janet Renos hands-on management of Waco, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/what-was-the-more-likely-cause-of-the-oklahoma-city-bombing-talk/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [I do know without fear of contradiction what the definition of life is and it is 12 words long. 'Life is defined by how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/i-do-know-without-fear-of-contradiction-what-the-definition-of-life/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [The format of the nightly newscasts is still very much 1981 - "Tremble, onlookers! I am the anchorman and now here is a miracle:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/the-format-of-the-nightly-newscasts-is-still-very-much-1981-tremble/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [Success is overrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/success-is-overrated/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [You risk becoming a parody of yourself by not innovating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/you-risk-becoming-a-parody-of-yourself-by-not-innovating/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [It's very tough to get yourself around the idea that there could be a mechanism being used or abused to restrict and alter the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/it-s-very-tough-to-get-yourself-around-the-idea-that-there-could-be-a/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) > [Health care is, at its core, about improving the odds of life in its struggle against death. 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Looks like about 15 feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-olbermann/what-s-the-difference-between-a-hockey-mom-and-a-mass-turkey/) [Keith Olbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) [Explore all 66 Keith Olbermann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-olbermann/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What would you do, sir, if terrorists were killing 45,000 people every year in this country? Well, the current health care system, the insurance companies, and those who support them are doing just that. 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