Gop Is Killing Their Own Party

[Chreees]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/22/debt-ceiling-obamacare_n_3794987.html

 

Do they not understand that majority of Americans WANT healthcare reform?? The more stunts they pull, the deeper they bury themselves.

 

At least this guy gets it: http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/archive/segment/gop-rep-defunding-obamacare-may-lose-us-the-house/520d3df678c90a63a60003be

 

Btw, best comment:

 

 "Marge, I've been thinking about this a lot. And I've decided that
unless you agree that we're not going to pay the hospital bills that
little Johnny has incurred, I'm going to show you. I'll stop paying the
mortgage, the credit card bills, the bill for our security system, and
the gas card bill."



"John, you'd really hurt our whole family and our credit rating just to keep from paying our son's hospital bills?"



"You bet. It's the fiscally responsible thing to do. And we need to teach little Johnny to stand on his own two feet."

 

[DrSmokes]

I very much disagree with Obamacare and almost everything it stands for.  I don't know a single doctor that agrees with Obamacare.

[Rani]

You know, it was funny.... After the 2012 election in which they'd planned to completely trounce Obama and other Democrats, and it didn't happen, for about 5 minutes they looked around and said "Maybe we're on the wrong track....."  I had a flicker of hope that maybe they could finally compromise and actually work together to bring about an upswing in the economy.  But then the old "Let's obstruct everything." mentality kicked in.  And they're so off target it's become sad.

 

Most people are fairly centrist.  They're conservative about some things, more liberal about others.  Most people believe we need a good combination of both liberals and conservatives for the best possible government.  By leaning so far to the right, the GOP is alienating a huge portion of the electorate.  Not that there aren't some loony lefties out there too, but frankly the right is far more vocal about it, far more inclined to take up obvious lies as tactics, and they've aligned themselves with both policies and parties like the Tea Party that clearly have no understanding of the American people as a whole.  Even Keli Carender the person credited with the founding of the Tea Party had to do an appearance on The View last year and was distraught  because a party she'd taken part in creating with intent towards fiscal responsibility and only fiscal responsibility had been sidetracked.  When asked during that interview by Whoopi Goldberg why there were so many racist in the party, she was brought nearly to tears trying to explain they weren't wanted.  Yet still the wackos keep flocking to the movement.  And the weirdest thing about them being attached to the GOP?  Clinton had a plan in place and working that would have completely eliminated the national debt by 2016.  Something that hasn't been done since Andrew Jackson pulled it off about 200 years ago!  But GW came along an threw it out the window along with the surplus he inherited.  I mean really, the GOP couldn't do better than him?????

 

Take the thing about them trying to reduce SNAP by $40 billion dollars.  I have no problem with the program being looked at and tightening up inefficiencies but we have 5.5 million CHILDREN in this country who don't get enough to eat.  Out of them 1.7 million of them are homeless.  87% of SNAP recipients are elderly, disabled and/or living well below the poverty level.  AND SNAP is also a substantial portion of the relatively few benefits available to military families when the parent is in a war zone and transferring money back and forth is slow and difficult at times.  They want to penalize the elderly, disabled and military????? I mean, can you say stupid?  The fact they refuse to face is that we simply don't let people starve in this country if we can avoid it, despite the fact that there may be some abuses.  It's part of our culture, our history, and our goals to take care of each other.  It's not going to go away.  Not until America itself falls.  They need to understand that and work to make it a better more efficient system and save money through that efficiency instead of punishing people who find themselves needing it.

 

The "block anything the black guy in the White House tries to do" is seriously pissing people off.  Look, most of us get it.  People aren't happy their guy did or didn't win.  But it is what it is.  He IS the president.  It's reality.   Deal with it, work with it.  The rest of us are.  The more they continue to try to block him and we don't improve, the worst they look.  For God's sake kindergartners in the playground work together better than these guys!  I mean, really, aren't they supposed to be the grown ups in the room?  You certainly can't tell by the way they're acting these days.

 

Supreme Court Justice Scalia gave a speech recently in Montana i think it was that made the papers.  Mostly conservative rhetoric to suit the audience who'd paid to have him speak, but he did get one thing right when he said the President is the LEAST powerful position in all of our government.  In Scalia's words...."Congress are the ones in control  They can do anything they want if they'd only get together."  I don't know about everybody else, but I'm sick and tired of them not getting together.  The scariest thing I can think of is the GOP continuing down the path they're on, because it may very well mean the death of their party, and we need that conservative edge for balance.  The saddest thing I can think of?  They don't seem to care.

 

'Rani

[Rani]

I very much disagree with Obamacare and almost everything it stands for.  I don't know a single doctor that agrees with Obamacare.

 

In all fairness, they haven't experienced it yet.  Yes a new system is scary, but just like HMO's, they will find a way to work within it.  And those that don't?  The medical profession has become too much about money and not enough about healing anymore.  They could use some weeding out.

 

'Rani

[Fatalshizot]

Why does someone paying for their own health insurance have to pay more taxes to support those who don't? A local Applebee's in my area has adopted a policy that keeps as many workers as they can working below full time so they do not have to provide healthcare at the increased rate. My dads company now works understaffed and overworked to alleviate the cost. It's the actual WORKING class that's getting shit on.

[Chreees]

I very much disagree with Obamacare and almost everything it stands for.  I don't know a single doctor that agrees with Obamacare.

 

I don't think it's a perfect plan, but you gotta admit our current way is not efficient. You want to know how much my company insurance is PER CHECK (I get paid two times a month)? $600. I'd definitely say our healthcare system is flawed if I have to pay THAT much PER CHECK for my wife and I to be covered. Hell, I only make $720 a check! How do they expect me to pay rent and shit?? So yeah, while I do not think the ACA is perfect, it's a step in the right direction. And hell, it hasn't even REALLY gone into effect yet. Let's wait and see what everyone has to say about it once it's fully installed. Over time they will tweak it and make it work well like other countries have... if our Congress can get their shit together.

 

You know, it was funny.... After the 2012 election in which they'd planned to completely trounce Obama and other Democrats, and it didn't happen, for about 5 minutes they looked around and said "Maybe we're on the wrong track....."  I had a flicker of hope that maybe they could finally compromise and actually work together to bring about an upswing in the economy.  But then the old "Let's obstruct everything." mentality kicked in.  And they're so off target it's become sad.

 

Most people are fairly centrist.  They're conservative about some things, more liberal about others.  Most people believe we need a good combination of both liberals and conservatives for the best possible government.  By leaning so far to the right, the GOP is alienating a huge portion of the electorate.  Not that there aren't some loony lefties out there too, but frankly the right is far more vocal about it, far more inclined to take up obvious lies as tactics, and they've aligned themselves with both policies and parties like the Tea Party that clearly have no understanding of the American people as a whole.  Even Keli Carender the person credited with the founding of the Tea Party had to do an appearance on The View last year and was distraught  because a party she'd taken part in creating with intent towards fiscal responsibility and only fiscal responsibility had been sidetracked.  When asked during that interview by Whoopi Goldberg why there were so many racist in the party, she was brought nearly to tears trying to explain they weren't wanted.  Yet still the wackos keep flocking to the movement.  And the weirdest thing about them being attached to the GOP?  Clinton had a plan in place and working that would have completely eliminated the national debt by 2016.  Something that hasn't been done since Andrew Jackson pulled it off about 200 years ago!  But GW came along an threw it out the window along with the surplus he inherited.  I mean really, the GOP couldn't do better than him?????

 

Take the thing about them trying to reduce SNAP by $40 billion dollars.  I have no problem with the program being looked at and tightening up inefficiencies but we have 5.5 million CHILDREN in this country who don't get enough to eat.  Out of them 1.7 million of them are homeless.  87% of SNAP recipients are elderly, disabled and/or living well below the poverty level.  AND SNAP is also a substantial portion of the relatively few benefits available to military families when the parent is in a war zone and transferring money back and forth is slow and difficult at times.  They want to penalize the elderly, disabled and military????? I mean, can you say stupid?  The fact they refuse to face is that we simply don't let people starve in this country if we can avoid it, despite the fact that there may be some abuses.  It's part of our culture, our history, and our goals to take care of each other.  It's not going to go away.  Not until America itself falls.  They need to understand that and work to make it a better more efficient system and save money through that efficiency instead of punishing people who find themselves needing it.

 

The "block anything the black guy in the White House tries to do" is seriously pissing people off.  Look, most of us get it.  People aren't happy their guy did or didn't win.  But it is what it is.  He IS the president.  It's reality.   Deal with it, work with it.  The rest of us are.  The more they continue to try to block him and we don't improve, the worst they look.  For God's sake kindergartners in the playground work together better than these guys!  I mean, really, aren't they supposed to be the grown ups in the room?  You certainly can't tell by the way they're acting these days.

 

Supreme Court Justice Scalia gave a speech recently in Montana i think it was that made the papers.  Mostly conservative rhetoric to suit the audience who'd paid to have him speak, but he did get one thing right when he said the President is the LEAST powerful position in all of our government.  In Scalia's words...."Congress are the ones in control  They can do anything they want if they'd only get together."  I don't know about everybody else, but I'm sick and tired of them not getting together.  The scariest thing I can think of is the GOP continuing down the path they're on, because it may very well mean the death of their party, and we need that conservative edge for balance.  The saddest thing I can think of?  They don't seem to care.

 

'Rani

 

Well said, Rani. I have become extremely independent as of late, due to my growing distaste of how things are going. I've determined that it's not one party's fault, but both. The Republicans are too obstructionist, whereas the Democrats have no backbones whatsoever. We will accomplish nothing if things stay this course. I think we need to do a major overhaul of our government and remove greed, corruption, and money from the system. You do this by reversing the Citizens United decision which said corporations are considered people (seriously???), and abolish the political parties. Every man for himself. You can't identify with any one party. You are then forced to no longer be a sheep and actually think for yourself, come up with new ideas. Then everyone votes on the ideas, and the best one comes out on top. Additionally, you can only serve two terms, just like the president, and you return home after your term is up, and you get no benefits whatsoever. You return to your old job. This will ensure that the politicians actually CARE about their decisions, because hey, it'll affect them too when they return to their home state! Is this all really that hard to imagine?? I guess it is... Either way, I hope I see this happen before I die. If not, I really question the future that I am leaving for my kid(s).

[Rani]

Why does someone paying for their own health insurance have to pay more taxes to support those who don't? A local Applebee's in my area has adopted a policy that keeps as many workers as they can working below full time so they do not have to provide healthcare at the increased rate. My dads company now works understaffed and overworked to alleviate the cost. It's the actual WORKING class that's getting shit on.

 

I keep hearing that about the part time work, but in all honesty, I haven't found a single incident where it could be proven that healthcare had anything to do with it.  And believe me I looked.  People in industries that have a lot of varying shift work have ALWAYS been fighting to keep their hours full time.  (Wait service, hotels, drivers, etc.)

 

Also.........In reality those of us insured have ALWAYS been paying for those who aren't.  Who do you think has been footing the bill every single time someone goes to the emergency room without insurance?  WE DO!  It's pay for with higher premiums and costs to cover the losses.  Just as theft in an industry drives the paying prices up.  

 

I actually talked to a former employer a few days ago.  He hated Obamacare with a passion.  Now he loves it.  Why?  He's going to end up saving about $150,000 a month, that's right A MONTH through the program.  He actually sat down with his accountant and ran the numbers.  By continuing to pay 2/3rds of the premium costs for each employee, he's going to cut his costs by that much.  And he's going to do it the same way public governments have been doing it for decades.  He's going to pay for one of his HR people to get their insurance license.  Or hire an agent, whichever so he can offer it on the premises instead of going through a broker.  Once their premium is determined, which is based in part on salary under the AHAC, he's going to continue to pay the 2/3rds, with an employee deduction of the remaining 1/3rd just like it's always been done in the past.  Family coverage will always be extra, just like it's been done in the past.  He's going to save about $150 per month per employee even after he pays the new "insurance person", and he has over 1,000 employees.  Plus the average employee is going to save about $65 a month.  So having actually looked at the number, nobody is having any tantrums.

 

I understand most people are scared about it.  It's different, it's new, and frankly insurance, ALL insurance, has been one of the most difficult of all things to understand for those of us not in the industry.  Hell, I gave up HR management as a potential career because the insurance side of it was so bloody complicated.  But really, everybody needs to settle down.  Just like every other change that's come about, we will all manage to find a way to work with it.  Right now it's just a big scary question mark that's got everybody in a tizzy.

 

'Rani

[DrSmokes]

I think most of you are messing up HEALTHcare reform and INSURANCE reform.  We don't need a healthcare reform.  Insurance companies are DICTATING what we can and can't do, how much time we can and cannot spend with patients to be profitable.  I'm happy I stepped into a busy practice that is all cash so I'm not too worried about it affecting me much (and btw, I'm very affordable and spend at least 15 min with each patient, not to mention the life changing results I have been consistently getting).

 

There needs to be a look at the insurance companies.  Obamacare is still going to screw over the physician.  That is NOT what we want.  We want QUALITY physicians and if we can't make a good living on it after all the debt and time spent getting our degrees, there is no reason to really get into the field seeing all the headaches my colleagues are going through with insurance companies for the little reimbursement they get.  Fix the insurance industry, which is booming in profits, so more people can afford the care they need.

 

Also, insurance companies *should* be paying for wellness visits to chiropractors, acupunturists, nutrition experts, etc. as it will save them money in the long run.  But instead, they would rather you wait and wait and wait until something gets so bad for you to need medication, surgery, or some other life altering "treatment" for them to help pay for.  It's a broken system.  We don't need to fix the healthcare system, in which other countries envy, we need to fix the insurance industry.

[Rani]

Smokes, other countries don't envy our healthcare system......... They think we're much worse off than them.  There's a reason more and more American's are going elsewhere for surgery and medications.  I've actually been in countries with universal healthcare and needed treatment.  And although I'm only one person, I can tell you that every single time, I got better care there than I ever did here.  And please don't repeat the old saw about people coming here for treatment. The people who come here for treatment are 99% 3rd world country citizens who are getting their care pro bono as part of a charity program.  The remaining 1% are almost always looking to see one particular doctor, usually a specialist that they'd be seeing no matter where they're practicing.  They're looking for that doctor, not our healthcare.  What's more you're only hearing from the American media about patients coming here.  Just as many go to elsewhere, France especially, even Brazil before they come here.  We rank 37th in the world for healthcare.  37th!  I get being proud of your profession, but damn........

 

Honestly no offense to you personally, but doctors for the most part aren't healers anymore.  And they should get a wake up call.  It's our own fault though.  I once heard a doctor say....."If you want us to stop having a God complex  then you need to get off your knees."  A lot of people are starting to stand up.

 

'Rani

[Rani]

By the way Smokes, my saying we need changes in health care itself, DOES NOT mean I disagree with your about insurance.  It's one of the biggest rackets going now.  And the AHCA likely wouldn't have been necessary in the first place if health care insurance hadn't been raping and pillaging the public for the past 40-50 years.  They are indeed one of the reasons doctors have become more money focused than healing focused.

 

'Rani

[Chreees]

When I say healthcare reform, I mean insurance as well... The two go hand-in-hand, essentially. Insurance is part of the issue that is being addressed with the ACA, as far as I can tell...

 

Not to get off topic, but I had a Canadian professor in school. She got ovarian cancer and was EXTREMELY thankful that she could just go back to Canada and get taken care of.

 

Without the ACA, I would be without insurance right now. The whole "you are now able to stay on your parents' insurance until age 26 regardless of if you are in college" bit has helped out my wife and I greatly... Now I'm just waiting for all that other potentially good stuff to kick in so I can look at my options to get on my own plan ASAP. From what I hear, it will make insurance rates VERY competitive, which is exactly what we need. Suck it, greedy insurance companies!!!

[Hassouni]

Just wait till you're 26, Chris, then it will be you who sucks it  <_<

[Chreees]

I know... :( That's why I'm trying to get things in order by then.

[DrSmokes]

Honestly no offense to you personally, but doctors for the most part aren't healers anymore.  And they should get a wake up call.  It's our own fault though.  I once heard a doctor say....."If you want us to stop having a God complex  then you need to get off your knees."  A lot of people are starting to stand up.
 
'Rani

Yeah, that would be the medical profession. I'm most certainly a healer. People come to me after the medical profession fails them. I'm very reasonable for what you get out of each treatment. I've saved multiple people from getting surgeries...they had them already scheduled before they came to me (as a last resort of course...a last ditch effort). They then canceled their surgeries. I wish I could get paid what they were about to pay for that surgery. And I saved them time, pain, and a life long, irreversible surgery if it went wrong...no time off of work. Instead, they got all this for $50 instead of paying $30,000..... If only I could get paid based on the medical bills they would have had had they not come to me.

[Stuie]

Screw insurance.....

 

http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/11/news/economy/cash-only-doctors/index.html

 

My wife is on medicare.... after 2 kids and spending 4 years paying the hospital we still owe $10,000 to the hospital and medicare is govenment insurance! Sorry if I have my doubts that the government can make something new and better when I have I will have paid almost $15K in medical bills for the births of 2 children on my Medicare (No I don't need Medicaid). Unless the government desides to reimburse us for my payments and cover my current debt....because they did such a great job saving us money with their "insurance" ... the execiutive and legistlative branches can sit on a spike and spin evertime they mention healthcare... that doesn't first regulate insurance companies which are the cause of all the high prices.

[ChicagoRSX]

Every time I'm ready to swear off the Democratic party, the Republicans do something that makes me stand there and again realize that I'm completely screwed no matter who I vote for.

[Stuie]

Every time I'm ready to swear off the Democratic party, the Republicans do something that makes me stand there and again realize that I'm completely screwed no matter who I vote for.

 

 

 

lp.org

 

 

pp-international.net

[Rani]

Stuie, I'm going to be brutal and you're probably going to be mad at me but here goes.....  Why are you having children when you can't afford to have them?  If you can't afford the payments for their birth and health care you shouldn't be having them.  Now before you take that as a personal attack, let me point out that you are one family.  But you're multiplied by MILLIONS doing exactly the same thing.  What on earth happened to personal responsibility anymore?  My generation had children only when we were fully prepared to pay for them.  Pay the deductible for their birth, pay for their health, education and well being after.  

 

I have one grown child, a son.  Why only one?  Because things changed financially after he was born and we couldn't afford to have more.  After his father and I split, I considered having more, but still wasn't comfortable enough financially to risk it.  And before it seems like I'm patting myself on the back, this is what almost my entire generation did.  We were raised to think exactly that way.  Don't buy a house until you can put enough down that you can afford the payments on one salary easily.  Don't buy a new car the moment you finish paying off the last one.  Don't buy champagne on a beer income.  

 

I look around at your generation and wonder what the heck is wrong with you guys that you put that much stress on yourself and risk everything just because "Hey it happened......"  Not a reason.  Not even close to a reason and that basic mentality is why we're circling the drain.  

 

I have always said I thought the best birth control billboard in the world would be a picture of a baby with the dollar figure to raise them to the age of 18 written underneath.  Next to it, a condom wrapper with the price under it.  You can pick the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or you can pick the 12 pack for $7.99.  Bet it would sell one hell of a lot of condoms.

 

'Rani

[ChicagoRSX]

I have always said I thought the best birth control billboard in the world would be a picture of a baby with the dollar figure to raise them to the age of 18 written underneath.  Next to it, a condom wrapper with the price under it.  You can pick the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or you can pick the 12 pack for $7.99.  Bet it would sell one hell of a lot of condoms.

 

'Rani

 

 

LOL yeah, cause kids today are rational. Besides, most guys get in these dumb girls' pants, and then they are done with them and have no intention on raising the kid.   Then the guy didn't have to wear the condom(cause hey, those things feel bad mang) and still don't have to care/deal with the repercussions. But as a society, we don't care, we'll keep giving them more and more welfare for each additional mistake they have. 

[Rani]

I have always said I thought the best birth control billboard in the world would be a picture of a baby with the dollar figure to raise them to the age of 18 written underneath.  Next to it, a condom wrapper with the price under it.  You can pick the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or you can pick the 12 pack for $7.99.  Bet it would sell one hell of a lot of condoms.

 

'Rani

 

 

LOL yeah, cause kids today are rational. Besides, most guys get in these dumb girls' pants, and then they are done with them and have no intention on raising the kid.   Then the guy didn't have to wear the condom(cause hey, those things feel bad mang) and still don't have to care/deal with the repercussions. But as a society, we don't care, we'll keep giving them more and more welfare for each additional mistake they have. 

 

I had an employee years ago who said he had never heard any reason that could convince him not to wear a condom.... In his words....."I have to have sex longer to get off..... Oh yeah THAT'S a hardship!"  

 

You know it's not only about having children though.  It's this whole impervious attitude.  The housing market crashed mostly because people were buying homes they couldn't possibly afford.  "But you can make interest only payments for the first 3 years!.  Sure the payments will double when you start paying the capital, but you'll be making more money then!"  Look how well that worked out.  Remember the old saying..... Hope for the best but plan for the worst?  Why doesn't anybody do that anymore?  And yes, we definitely need to do something about the welfare situation, but nobody thinks any more. 

 

Every single action has a reaction.  Simple physics and logic.  Don't want to end up on Maury Povich with him yelling "You ARE the father!"?  Then wear a condom.  Why would any woman want to find herself bound at home for YEARS with screaming children running around all day?  It's like no one sees any consequence any more, about anything.  

 

Ziommerman taking a gun to a neighborhood watch with absolutely no common sense that he was supposed to be WATCHING.  Last time I checked guns were for hunting, not watching.  Never once occurred to the moron, "Gee I've got a gun, might end up shooting somebody."  Or it did and he didn't care.  

 

And don't get me started on the Kardashians...........  Same thing with the GOP..... So sure they can squeak by, they're going to be amazed when it comes back and bites them in the ass.  Stupid.  Americans have just become stupid.

 

'Rani

[Stuie]

It wasn't a matter of affording them. It's that Medicare promised to cover it each time and denied us both times. 

 

We were lied to....twice.

 

If my wife was able to have home births we would have. 

 

I cannot and will never equate the cost of having children... to my children. They are priceless. (Not meant to provoke any agitation)

 

Great Documentary "Business of Being Born"

[Rani]

It wasn't a matter of affording them. It's that Medicare promised to cover it each time and denied us both times. 

 

We were lied to....twice.

 

If my wife was able to have home births we would have. 

 

I cannot and will never equate the cost of having children... to my children. They are priceless. (Not meant to provoke any agitation)

 

Great Documentary "Business of Being Born"

 

Suite, Medicare is public assistance.  It's not health insurance you purchased for yourself.  So no, you could not afford them and you didn't pay for them.  WE DID.  WE DO.  I'm not agitated....... I understand that your generation simply doesn't see the difference and that's OUR fault.  Honestly, we apparently did a pretty lousy job of raising up the next generation.  So while I think the GOP are being morons in the way they handle some things, I also understand the conservative frustration.  I mean think about it for a moment.... Why are our taxes paying for your children?  And of course they're priceless and none of this should ever be held against them.  They're here and they need to be provided for even if we have to do it.  .  But still, we're providing their health insurance.  And we shouldn't be.  Like I said, you're one family.  But you're multiplied by millions and frankly what are you going to do if the GOP gets their way and cut all entitlements?  Think you're in deep kimchee now?  What will you be in if that happens?

 

'Rani

[ChicagoRSX]

Although, the flip side of this is Insurance companies are garbage as well. If you buy them, and they are taking your money, they shouldn't be able to decline coverage when something serious is discovered. Just my .02.

[Stuie]

Maybe I have them mixed up Rani. Melody has insurance through SSI, not medicaid. Pretty sure it's insurance. They cover her doctor visits 100% I know, we hardly pay anything directly until the kids were born. She has the old people insurance.

[Rani]

Maybe I have them mixed up Rani. Melody has insurance through SSI, not medicaid. Pretty sure it's insurance. They cover her doctor visits 100% I know, we hardly pay anything directly until the kids were born. She has the old people insurance.

 

 

SSI is another entitlement.  Paid for by our taxes.  Not you purchasing it through your employer or with your own hard earned cash.  It's paid for with our hard earned cash....... But look, I need to say something......Which I actually popped back on to say before seeing you'd posted again.

 

I am NOT in any way trying to  impose guilt or to make Stuie or anyone else feel bad if they need that public assistance.  Taking care of each other has always been a part of our history and our culture.  You could find a half dead homeless man one step above roadkill in the street and take him to the most expensive private hospital in the neighborhood and they would treat him.  They might not treat him all the way through recovery, but they wouldn't turn him away.  They'd stabilize him before sending him on to a public hospital.  They would do everything in their power to help him.  That's a huge part of who we are as culture and it's important we cherish that about ourselves.  It keeps us humane and compassionate.  Of course the far right thinks both those things are vastly overrated and should be done away with.  All the while failing to remember if it's used against the other guy, it will be used against you.

 

The problem becomes when those safety nets, like SSI, Medicare, Medicaid, etc., become something we think is normal and that it's all okay.  We'll just get Medicare, or SSI or whatever.  Because it's not all okay.  We not only impose ourselves on others, but there's something incredibly empowering about taking care of yourself.  Providing for yourself.  Not having to use that safety net.  All these programs were designed as just that - safety nets when someone reaches a point, usually limited in time where they just plain need a little help.  They were never designed to become part of our everyday culture and there for the taking by everyone.  We have expanded them far beyond their original intention and an entire generation is giving up a piece of their self worth, and a huge part of their independence,  Don't regret having to use those safety nets in the past or feel bad, but think about what they really are and what they deprive you of by making you dependent on them.  

 

We all need to become a little more self aware.  We need to make choiced understanding what those choices are actually going to do to us.  Not just assume we can get by, because getting by isn't enough.  Being strong, and independent, and standing on our own two feet is what we should all be striving for.  So then we CAN help others.  And we do it with a generous and open heart from a position of strength.  Isn't that the ultimate goal?  To be strong and independent?  I'm pretty certain the American Dream didn't include sitting at home on Section 8 watching General Hospital.  People need to stop thinking it does.

 

And now stepping down off the soapbox.............

 

'Rani