In case you've been wondering where I've been these last few months, the unfortunate fact is that I've been kind of sick. I'm battling cancer, and am just past halfway in my chemotherapy treatment. My hope is that this round of chemo will do the trick and I'll be back to normal in about 3 more months. But I'm trying to stay positive and ready for whatever happens next.
My blog's always been mostly focused on current events, so naturally my health struggles have put my experiences with Obamacare front and center. We have been forced into the Obamacare exchange, which was not a good experience.
An Obamacare supporter would tell me I should be happy that I'm actually saving a little on my premiums over the previous plan that was cancelled. The principles I hold reach far beyond the price I have to pay. Government force is the most egregious part of the law, but I also chafe against the one-size-fits-all approach and the overbearing bureaucracy that's been empowered to make all of our individidual healthcare decisions based on statistical models instead of individual considerations.
Watching the Super Bowl was a little bit disappointing for me, since I'm still a Peyton Manning fan and hoped to see him get his second ring. But it's not a big deal, and I got over it quickly.
Anyone who hoped to get some news out of the brief interview of Obama from O'Reilly before the Superbowl was living in a fantasy world. Viewers got to learn that there are no scandals in Obamaland, just stuff made up by Fox News designed to detract from his presidency. Once again, the left half of the country pumped their fists and declared, "see, we told you so", while the right half were simply frustrated with the dishonesty of the president. Nothing new was to be learned in this exercise.
I'm not feeling great, so I can't guarantee how soon I'll return to the blog. But I'll try to be back soon.
Monday, February 03, 2014
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Dear Representatives, You Failed Us
Dear Senator Dan Coats, Senator Joe Donnelly, and Congressman Luke Messer:
As the three members of the Indiana delegation, by all appearances you have failed me and the rest of the Indiana citizens who voted to send each of you to Washington, DC as our representatives.
I remember your campaigns. You promised to be fiscally responsible, to fend off "Special Interests" in favor of American interests, and to always vote in the interests of the Hoosiers you represent.
Two of the three of you promised to do everything in your power to roll back the horrific law everyone now calls "Obamacare". The third, Donnelly, promised to be a "common sense" representative of Hoosiers who would break with the Democratic Party when their initiatives run afoul of the best interests of Indiana citizens.
Gentlemen, the evidence I've seen to date strongly suggests you didn't mean a word you said on the campaign trail. You seem to have been enticed into the Washington club, where the vices of elitism and special treatment trap so many well-meaning legislators from around the country. You become creatures of Washington who have all but forgotten the struggling folks back home you were sent to represent.
Senator Coats, if you really oppose the Affordable Care Act, why did you join with Democratic senators to roundly condemn your colleague Ted Cruz when he tried to mount a campaign to encourage grass roots Americans to join together to force either repeal or substantial rethinking of the most destructive law ever passed by congress, which negatively affects the health care of every American?
Senator Donnelly, send me one example of when you voted against your party because their position would have been harmful to average Hoosiers. If you have an example it must be pretty obscure, because you have voted exactly as Harry Reid has ordered on every issue that's come before the Senate since you managed to grab the seat by dishonestly exploiting a verbal gaffe by an admittedly weak Republican candidate.
Why have none of you come home to enlist the help of your constituents in finding the truth behind a multitude of Executive branch scandals? Where were you when Fast & Furious came to light? When our ambassador and 3 others were murdered by terrorists in Benghazi and the State Department colluded with the White House to make up a false cover story? When the White House shut down oil production in the Gulf of Mexico after the BP disaster had been addressed? As the White House still blocks construction of the pipeline that will help facilitate the movement of oil from Canada to our refineries in the United States, offering no reasonable explanation?
Where is your outrage that the Federal Reserve buys 85 billion dollars in United States government debt every single month, watering down the value of every dollar we citizens have scraped together in hope of a decent retirement? Do you not care that the Executive Branch has now been proven to be using the IRS to suppress and harrass all groups that support their political opposition, and even after those practices were brought to light seem to be continuing those practices?
Are First Amendment violations none of your concern? When the Executive Branch openly discriminates against people who hold Christian values? When the military is forced to change their regulations regarding homosexual behavior and record incidents are occurring of unwanted sexual advances? As the Executive Branch also pushes for expedited promotion of homosexual officers, do you not care that some of those officers use their new positions of authority to mistreat Christian soldiers?
What about 17 Trillion dollars in national Debt? At least all three of you promised to do something about that, but where's the evidence? When have any of you proposed the reduction in spending of a single dollar from the federal budget?
The purpose of this letter is to remind you why you are serving in the national legislature. You are not there to join the wealthy elite, to wine and dine with dignitaries and celebrities and take exotic junkets. You are there as a representative of average Hoosiers, to at least try your best to reduce the impact of big government on our families and farms and small businesses. To preserve our liberty and allow us to pursue our dreams.
Please try to remember.
As the three members of the Indiana delegation, by all appearances you have failed me and the rest of the Indiana citizens who voted to send each of you to Washington, DC as our representatives.
I remember your campaigns. You promised to be fiscally responsible, to fend off "Special Interests" in favor of American interests, and to always vote in the interests of the Hoosiers you represent.
Two of the three of you promised to do everything in your power to roll back the horrific law everyone now calls "Obamacare". The third, Donnelly, promised to be a "common sense" representative of Hoosiers who would break with the Democratic Party when their initiatives run afoul of the best interests of Indiana citizens.
Gentlemen, the evidence I've seen to date strongly suggests you didn't mean a word you said on the campaign trail. You seem to have been enticed into the Washington club, where the vices of elitism and special treatment trap so many well-meaning legislators from around the country. You become creatures of Washington who have all but forgotten the struggling folks back home you were sent to represent.
Senator Coats, if you really oppose the Affordable Care Act, why did you join with Democratic senators to roundly condemn your colleague Ted Cruz when he tried to mount a campaign to encourage grass roots Americans to join together to force either repeal or substantial rethinking of the most destructive law ever passed by congress, which negatively affects the health care of every American?
Senator Donnelly, send me one example of when you voted against your party because their position would have been harmful to average Hoosiers. If you have an example it must be pretty obscure, because you have voted exactly as Harry Reid has ordered on every issue that's come before the Senate since you managed to grab the seat by dishonestly exploiting a verbal gaffe by an admittedly weak Republican candidate.
Why have none of you come home to enlist the help of your constituents in finding the truth behind a multitude of Executive branch scandals? Where were you when Fast & Furious came to light? When our ambassador and 3 others were murdered by terrorists in Benghazi and the State Department colluded with the White House to make up a false cover story? When the White House shut down oil production in the Gulf of Mexico after the BP disaster had been addressed? As the White House still blocks construction of the pipeline that will help facilitate the movement of oil from Canada to our refineries in the United States, offering no reasonable explanation?
Where is your outrage that the Federal Reserve buys 85 billion dollars in United States government debt every single month, watering down the value of every dollar we citizens have scraped together in hope of a decent retirement? Do you not care that the Executive Branch has now been proven to be using the IRS to suppress and harrass all groups that support their political opposition, and even after those practices were brought to light seem to be continuing those practices?
Are First Amendment violations none of your concern? When the Executive Branch openly discriminates against people who hold Christian values? When the military is forced to change their regulations regarding homosexual behavior and record incidents are occurring of unwanted sexual advances? As the Executive Branch also pushes for expedited promotion of homosexual officers, do you not care that some of those officers use their new positions of authority to mistreat Christian soldiers?
What about 17 Trillion dollars in national Debt? At least all three of you promised to do something about that, but where's the evidence? When have any of you proposed the reduction in spending of a single dollar from the federal budget?
The purpose of this letter is to remind you why you are serving in the national legislature. You are not there to join the wealthy elite, to wine and dine with dignitaries and celebrities and take exotic junkets. You are there as a representative of average Hoosiers, to at least try your best to reduce the impact of big government on our families and farms and small businesses. To preserve our liberty and allow us to pursue our dreams.
Please try to remember.
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
Ever Notice Something about Online Comments?
Have you ever read an online article, then scanned through the comments posted by random persons in response?
Unfortunately, civility is not in play in the cyber world. I would imagine that many of the comment posters would never dare say the horrible things to the writer in person, but there seems to be safety in anonymity.
I happened to read this post from Michelle today. The article was basically her celebration of the misbehavior of Americans throughout the country who are moving the barricades (aka "Barrycades") aside and taking in the national parks and monuments in spite of all the park rangers who have been deployed by the White House to stop them.
Sure I think it's pretty cool that Americans are defying the President to send a message that he won't be allowed to suppress Americans from seeing their own parks. So a decent story that helps people like me feel a little better about the current state of our out-of-control government. Otherwise, I would say I'm generally neither a rabid Malkin fan nor a Malkin hater. My hat's off to her for turning her blog into such a huge success. That's all fine with me.
But check out the trolls who posted their hateful comments.
Did they try to deny any of the information in the story? Nope.
Did they make an argument in favor of barricading all of our national parks during the shutdown so people can feel the pain and demand their congress cave into Obama and give him everything he demands so his budget is fully funded? Not a word.
I'll characterize the Leftist commenters by cleaning up their language a bit. Let's see, the points being made are pretty much:
Michelle's Ugly and Stupid. We can't believe anyone with half a brain even reads her stuff.
I've heard it said that you know when you've won an argument when the other side starts making snarky personal attacks. This time they skipped the argument entirely and went straight to the snarky personal attacks.
Yep, that's the state of reasoned debate in our country these days. Somebody writes an article from a right-of-center perspective, and rather than take on the writer of the article on its merits, the Left decides to dredge up the good old standby attacks. You're fat, you're stupid, you're ugly, you're a right-wing extremist, you're a member of the flat-earth society, you're a racist, you hate women, you and your friends want to starve children and take healthcare away from Grandma.
It's really getting old, liberals. Can you at least come up with some new accusations to change things up a bit?
Unfortunately, civility is not in play in the cyber world. I would imagine that many of the comment posters would never dare say the horrible things to the writer in person, but there seems to be safety in anonymity.
I happened to read this post from Michelle today. The article was basically her celebration of the misbehavior of Americans throughout the country who are moving the barricades (aka "Barrycades") aside and taking in the national parks and monuments in spite of all the park rangers who have been deployed by the White House to stop them.
Sure I think it's pretty cool that Americans are defying the President to send a message that he won't be allowed to suppress Americans from seeing their own parks. So a decent story that helps people like me feel a little better about the current state of our out-of-control government. Otherwise, I would say I'm generally neither a rabid Malkin fan nor a Malkin hater. My hat's off to her for turning her blog into such a huge success. That's all fine with me.
But check out the trolls who posted their hateful comments.
Did they try to deny any of the information in the story? Nope.
Did they make an argument in favor of barricading all of our national parks during the shutdown so people can feel the pain and demand their congress cave into Obama and give him everything he demands so his budget is fully funded? Not a word.
I'll characterize the Leftist commenters by cleaning up their language a bit. Let's see, the points being made are pretty much:
Michelle's Ugly and Stupid. We can't believe anyone with half a brain even reads her stuff.
I've heard it said that you know when you've won an argument when the other side starts making snarky personal attacks. This time they skipped the argument entirely and went straight to the snarky personal attacks.
Yep, that's the state of reasoned debate in our country these days. Somebody writes an article from a right-of-center perspective, and rather than take on the writer of the article on its merits, the Left decides to dredge up the good old standby attacks. You're fat, you're stupid, you're ugly, you're a right-wing extremist, you're a member of the flat-earth society, you're a racist, you hate women, you and your friends want to starve children and take healthcare away from Grandma.
It's really getting old, liberals. Can you at least come up with some new accusations to change things up a bit?
Saturday, October 05, 2013
We Live on Different Planets
A long time ago I did a post where I put forward the theory that Conservatives live on Earth, while Liberals live on some other planet, say Venus. A little play on the popular book from a couple decades ago, "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus".
Proof can be found in just a look at the headlines in www.realclearpolitics.com Here's a sampling:
The War on Obamacare is Far from Over
House GOP's Terrible, Tragic Game
Obama's Reckless Default Fear-Mongering
Manning the Barrycades of Punitive Liberalism
The Rise of the New Confederacy
An Entitlement-Driven Disaster Looms for America
The Benefits of Intransigence
Obama Plays Politics with Veterans
Next for Wendy Davis: Winning over Texas
California's New Feudalism
Staring Down the Irrational Wing of the GOP
The House is Doing its Job
The President Shouldn't Encourage Panic
Unreasonable Tea Party Drags Nation into Turmoil
Pent-Up Demand for Health Insurance
Ben Carson's IRS Audit Can't Possibly Be Coincidence
I'll bet you can tell whether each of the above articles came from the Right and which from the Left without reading them. Some aren't obvious, but most are. The only hopeful sign I take from the list is that conservative points of view seem to be outnumbering liberal ones about two-to-one.
We can only hope that reflects a shift in thinking by Americans. The country's only hope is that a large segment of the population suddenly begins to realize they've been supporting the insane Venutians and begin to at least listen to what the Earthings have to say.
Proof can be found in just a look at the headlines in www.realclearpolitics.com Here's a sampling:
The War on Obamacare is Far from Over
House GOP's Terrible, Tragic Game
Obama's Reckless Default Fear-Mongering
Manning the Barrycades of Punitive Liberalism
The Rise of the New Confederacy
An Entitlement-Driven Disaster Looms for America
The Benefits of Intransigence
Obama Plays Politics with Veterans
Next for Wendy Davis: Winning over Texas
California's New Feudalism
Staring Down the Irrational Wing of the GOP
The House is Doing its Job
The President Shouldn't Encourage Panic
Unreasonable Tea Party Drags Nation into Turmoil
Pent-Up Demand for Health Insurance
Ben Carson's IRS Audit Can't Possibly Be Coincidence
I'll bet you can tell whether each of the above articles came from the Right and which from the Left without reading them. Some aren't obvious, but most are. The only hopeful sign I take from the list is that conservative points of view seem to be outnumbering liberal ones about two-to-one.
We can only hope that reflects a shift in thinking by Americans. The country's only hope is that a large segment of the population suddenly begins to realize they've been supporting the insane Venutians and begin to at least listen to what the Earthings have to say.
Thursday, October 03, 2013
Observations
Recently I was working on a data conversion, porting dependents and beneficiaries from an outside source into a Benefits system. About a decade ago I think I was working on a similar conversion for a different company, and seem to recall I posted back then about my observations on how that conversion awakened me to the surprising degree to which the nuclear family has been destroyed.
Things have changed in a decade. Not that the nuclear family has returned, if anything there are even fewer intact families than even back then.
What's changed is that the family itself, whether nuclear or mixed, is fading away. This conversion shows fewer children than I've ever seen. And fewer married adults than ever before.
Families with 2 or more children are extremely rare. When there are children, they're more likely to belong to a single parent, who is overwhelmingly the mother. Young adult employees simply aren't getting married in the first place.
All these trends are demoralizing, because without the nuclear family society falls apart. Come to think of it, isn't that exactly what's happening right now?
Perhaps we need to stop railing against dysfunction in Washington and start paying more attention to the dysfunction in our own families. Unfortunately, I fear it's already too late.
Update:
Working on an entirely different conversion for a different company from California, I have more observations. It seems that California is the modern version of an American state of immigrants. Just scanning surnames, I found none that were European until I got to the Professional and Management positions.
It makes me wonder, where has California's working class gone? They all seem to have been replaced with immigrants. Obviously I can't detect whether these are first, second, or third generation immigrants who mostly came from Mexico and Asia, but why is it that there are virtually zero European names among the front-line workers roster?
Did they move out of California? Are they living on unemployment going into their fifth year? Are they on welfare? Do they just prefer to work elsewhere? The pay rates on the front line aren't terrific, but they're not terrible either.
I'm seeing it outside of California, but never to this extent.
Things have changed in a decade. Not that the nuclear family has returned, if anything there are even fewer intact families than even back then.
What's changed is that the family itself, whether nuclear or mixed, is fading away. This conversion shows fewer children than I've ever seen. And fewer married adults than ever before.
Families with 2 or more children are extremely rare. When there are children, they're more likely to belong to a single parent, who is overwhelmingly the mother. Young adult employees simply aren't getting married in the first place.
All these trends are demoralizing, because without the nuclear family society falls apart. Come to think of it, isn't that exactly what's happening right now?
Perhaps we need to stop railing against dysfunction in Washington and start paying more attention to the dysfunction in our own families. Unfortunately, I fear it's already too late.
Update:
Working on an entirely different conversion for a different company from California, I have more observations. It seems that California is the modern version of an American state of immigrants. Just scanning surnames, I found none that were European until I got to the Professional and Management positions.
It makes me wonder, where has California's working class gone? They all seem to have been replaced with immigrants. Obviously I can't detect whether these are first, second, or third generation immigrants who mostly came from Mexico and Asia, but why is it that there are virtually zero European names among the front-line workers roster?
Did they move out of California? Are they living on unemployment going into their fifth year? Are they on welfare? Do they just prefer to work elsewhere? The pay rates on the front line aren't terrific, but they're not terrible either.
I'm seeing it outside of California, but never to this extent.
Wednesday, October 02, 2013
Baby Obama
It sounds like we've had a fresh example proving that it's a baby in the White House rather than an adult man. The stories were about the DC Parks Service trying to barricade access to the WWII Memorial yesterday, but someone with the group of veterans simply moved the barricades aside so the vets could visit the memorial.
Further stories confirmed that the barricades were ordered by the White House. Another report said the Parks Service was further ordered today to haul in concrete barricades and again close off the memorial. It's like a spoiled child who didn't get his way, so he threw a tantrum.
I saw something just a few minutes ago that reported that the Parks Service has given up, and is now allowing people access to the memorial.
Did Americans really elect this infantile President twice?
Further stories confirmed that the barricades were ordered by the White House. Another report said the Parks Service was further ordered today to haul in concrete barricades and again close off the memorial. It's like a spoiled child who didn't get his way, so he threw a tantrum.
I saw something just a few minutes ago that reported that the Parks Service has given up, and is now allowing people access to the memorial.
Did Americans really elect this infantile President twice?
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
A Little Fun
As the government is shut down and the Obamacare website doesn't work, I think today's an appropriate day to have a little fun.
Here's my fun topic for today. I wonder whether I'm a good judge of character. To test that, I'm thinking that what if I took a look at celebrities and tried to figure out which ones are truly good people. Which celebrities would I like to meet and hang out with for a day, to test my theory about whether my impression about them as people was correct?
It isn't an easy task, because I tend to believe that most celebrities are insufferable narcissists. But let's give it a shot.
Actors/Actresses
Gary Sinise - strikes me as a truly genuine, great guy
Tom Selleck - I always believed I would like the guy
John Wayne - I know, easiest pick. Too bad there's no chance I could ever meet the Duke.
Bruce Willis - I'll bet Mr. Die Hard is pretty likeable.
Denzel Washington - Seems like a genuine guy.
Mel Gibson - as long as he's not drunk
Kevin Kline - reminds me a lot of a talented college classmate
Actresses are a lot tougher for me, as even though many are very attractive, most strike me as not very good people. Let's give it a try anyway:
Sandra Bullock - I don't know, she just seems to be a likeable lady.
Elizabeth Banks - I sense a likeable person behind her on-screen characters
Jennifer Garner - Seems genuine
Angie Harmon - The tall Texan gives off a down-to-earth vibe
Kate Jackson - Was the only member of Charlie's Angels that seemed real to me.
Mary-Louise Parker - Loved her in Red
Janine Turner - She became a pro-life activist, which I like
Jennifer Lawrence - She seems almost like a real person
Singers
Carrie Underwood - A country singer I'd like to meet without all the makeup
Reba McEntire - I've heard from people I know who've met her that she's very friendly
Harry Connick Jr - Always exudes an approachability
Donnie Osmond - Actually met him once, seemed like a good guy
Olivia Newton-John - Always liked her, even if she's so crazy about animals she created a game preserve in her backyard
Karen Carpenter - Would have liked to have met her before she died
Shania Twain - She's pretty much out of the spotlight now, but a talented singer. Reading that she and her former husband swapped partners with another couple really turns me off, though.
Others
Jay Leno - Who doesn't like Jay?
Larry Bird - Always wanted to meet Larry Legend.
Peyton Manning - No explanation necessary
Benjamin Netanyahu - Seems like a fascinating person to meet
Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toewes of the Chicago Blackhawks. I'm just a fan.
Bob Knight
Ted Cruz
Megyn Kelly
Lee Child
I'm sure there are plenty of other famous people that would be delightful to meet. But these are the ones I could come up with just by sitting down and thinking about it for a few minutes. I wonder if you agree, or what names would you add or subtract from my list?
Here's my fun topic for today. I wonder whether I'm a good judge of character. To test that, I'm thinking that what if I took a look at celebrities and tried to figure out which ones are truly good people. Which celebrities would I like to meet and hang out with for a day, to test my theory about whether my impression about them as people was correct?
It isn't an easy task, because I tend to believe that most celebrities are insufferable narcissists. But let's give it a shot.
Actors/Actresses
Gary Sinise - strikes me as a truly genuine, great guy
Tom Selleck - I always believed I would like the guy
John Wayne - I know, easiest pick. Too bad there's no chance I could ever meet the Duke.
Bruce Willis - I'll bet Mr. Die Hard is pretty likeable.
Denzel Washington - Seems like a genuine guy.
Mel Gibson - as long as he's not drunk
Kevin Kline - reminds me a lot of a talented college classmate
Actresses are a lot tougher for me, as even though many are very attractive, most strike me as not very good people. Let's give it a try anyway:
Sandra Bullock - I don't know, she just seems to be a likeable lady.
Elizabeth Banks - I sense a likeable person behind her on-screen characters
Jennifer Garner - Seems genuine
Angie Harmon - The tall Texan gives off a down-to-earth vibe
Kate Jackson - Was the only member of Charlie's Angels that seemed real to me.
Mary-Louise Parker - Loved her in Red
Janine Turner - She became a pro-life activist, which I like
Jennifer Lawrence - She seems almost like a real person
Singers
Carrie Underwood - A country singer I'd like to meet without all the makeup
Reba McEntire - I've heard from people I know who've met her that she's very friendly
Harry Connick Jr - Always exudes an approachability
Donnie Osmond - Actually met him once, seemed like a good guy
Olivia Newton-John - Always liked her, even if she's so crazy about animals she created a game preserve in her backyard
Karen Carpenter - Would have liked to have met her before she died
Shania Twain - She's pretty much out of the spotlight now, but a talented singer. Reading that she and her former husband swapped partners with another couple really turns me off, though.
Others
Jay Leno - Who doesn't like Jay?
Larry Bird - Always wanted to meet Larry Legend.
Peyton Manning - No explanation necessary
Benjamin Netanyahu - Seems like a fascinating person to meet
Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toewes of the Chicago Blackhawks. I'm just a fan.
Bob Knight
Ted Cruz
Megyn Kelly
Lee Child
I'm sure there are plenty of other famous people that would be delightful to meet. But these are the ones I could come up with just by sitting down and thinking about it for a few minutes. I wonder if you agree, or what names would you add or subtract from my list?
Monday, September 30, 2013
What Liberals Can't Understand about Conservatives
Liberals believe in government. Most of all, they believe in government run by - you guessed it - Liberals. Because they're the smart ones, don't you see? They're the ones who know what's best for everyone.
That's why Michele Obama can't grasp why schools across the nation are throwing her new school lunch menus in the trash along with tons of uneaten green vegetables the kids simply left on their plates.
Michelle apparently believes that if all you give kids to eat at lunch is green vegetables and fresh fruits, they will eat them. Sorry Michelle, but millions of us out in the hinterlands know that if you serve something to kids they don't like, they simply won't eat it. They'll go hungry before they eat that broccoli, which is exactly what millions of kids did with Michelle's new school lunch menus.
If Michelle ever deigned to be involved in raising her own children, she might have learned that basic fact. Even if the elitist Michelle talked with her nanny (or maybe it's "au pair" now), the lesson might have been learned second hand. But I can practically guarantee that the girls dig in their heels if presented with the demand to "eat your vegetables". We already know that a hen-pecked Barack likes to sneak out for a cheeseburger whenever Michelle's not around to stop him.
But Barack suffers from the same delusions. All those mandates in the Affordable Care Act? Barack calls them "The Right Thing to Do". So what if they trample on the rights of American adults to make their own choices about their healthcare? So what if they violate the rights of concience for individuals, executives, and even Doctors and Nurses to be allowed the flexibility to refuse to perform procedures or provide drugs with which they have a serious moral objection.
For Barack and Michelle, the only morality that matters is their own. And we've discovered that the Obama's aren't Muslim, because they certainly don't promote Muslim values. They aren't Christian either, because Christian values aren't just ignored, but ridiculed and called insensitive by the Obamas.
In the current healthcare funding debate, Democrats are saying, "People need healthcare. The Affordable Care Act gives it to them. That's what we need!". Meanwhile, the law spends the country into bankruptcy and places all of the power into the hands of the federal government, which to the Democrats means a perpetual liberal bureaucracy. They don't have a problem with that, because they're the smart people who need to be given paternalistic powers to take care of the people as they see fit.
If only those silly conservatives would get out of the way, Democrats really seem to believe they will bring a perfect society that is peaceful and fair.
I prefer freedom.
That's why Michele Obama can't grasp why schools across the nation are throwing her new school lunch menus in the trash along with tons of uneaten green vegetables the kids simply left on their plates.
Michelle apparently believes that if all you give kids to eat at lunch is green vegetables and fresh fruits, they will eat them. Sorry Michelle, but millions of us out in the hinterlands know that if you serve something to kids they don't like, they simply won't eat it. They'll go hungry before they eat that broccoli, which is exactly what millions of kids did with Michelle's new school lunch menus.
If Michelle ever deigned to be involved in raising her own children, she might have learned that basic fact. Even if the elitist Michelle talked with her nanny (or maybe it's "au pair" now), the lesson might have been learned second hand. But I can practically guarantee that the girls dig in their heels if presented with the demand to "eat your vegetables". We already know that a hen-pecked Barack likes to sneak out for a cheeseburger whenever Michelle's not around to stop him.
But Barack suffers from the same delusions. All those mandates in the Affordable Care Act? Barack calls them "The Right Thing to Do". So what if they trample on the rights of American adults to make their own choices about their healthcare? So what if they violate the rights of concience for individuals, executives, and even Doctors and Nurses to be allowed the flexibility to refuse to perform procedures or provide drugs with which they have a serious moral objection.
For Barack and Michelle, the only morality that matters is their own. And we've discovered that the Obama's aren't Muslim, because they certainly don't promote Muslim values. They aren't Christian either, because Christian values aren't just ignored, but ridiculed and called insensitive by the Obamas.
In the current healthcare funding debate, Democrats are saying, "People need healthcare. The Affordable Care Act gives it to them. That's what we need!". Meanwhile, the law spends the country into bankruptcy and places all of the power into the hands of the federal government, which to the Democrats means a perpetual liberal bureaucracy. They don't have a problem with that, because they're the smart people who need to be given paternalistic powers to take care of the people as they see fit.
If only those silly conservatives would get out of the way, Democrats really seem to believe they will bring a perfect society that is peaceful and fair.
I prefer freedom.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
The Compromise for ObamaCare
There is a simple solution that would allow each side to proclaim victory and end the impasse.
Republicans want Obamacare repealed, for very good reasons.
Democrats stand on the walls with weapons drawn and shout, "Never!"
What if they agreed to this compromise?
Eliminate all the mandates, especially those aimed at both Employers and Individuals. Remove the fine for folks who choose not to buy insurance in the exchanges. Set tax law back to what it was before and let Employers self-insure or negotiate with insurance providers as they always have.
Keep the exchanges in place, where everybody can buy the health plan of their choice. Pre-Existing conditions or not. Subsidize those who can't afford their premiums if you must. But let every qualified insurance company offer their products in the exchanges. Make it a national exchange only. But allow states to set up their own if they choose.
Cancel the IPAB and the Medical Devices tax.
Let the next election decide what changes will be made to the law after that.
Everybody wins. Democrats will take credit for cutting out the most unpopular elements of the law, and Republicans can take credit for heading off a disaster.
If only.
Republicans want Obamacare repealed, for very good reasons.
Democrats stand on the walls with weapons drawn and shout, "Never!"
What if they agreed to this compromise?
Eliminate all the mandates, especially those aimed at both Employers and Individuals. Remove the fine for folks who choose not to buy insurance in the exchanges. Set tax law back to what it was before and let Employers self-insure or negotiate with insurance providers as they always have.
Keep the exchanges in place, where everybody can buy the health plan of their choice. Pre-Existing conditions or not. Subsidize those who can't afford their premiums if you must. But let every qualified insurance company offer their products in the exchanges. Make it a national exchange only. But allow states to set up their own if they choose.
Cancel the IPAB and the Medical Devices tax.
Let the next election decide what changes will be made to the law after that.
Everybody wins. Democrats will take credit for cutting out the most unpopular elements of the law, and Republicans can take credit for heading off a disaster.
If only.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Name-Calling
Let's see if I have this right. Ted Cruz and his colleagues have been subject to an amazing array of derogatory attacks. It's not all that surprising that most of them came from Democrats, but what surprises me is how many of them came from fellow Republicans. Let's see if I can remember most of them.
Wacko Birds
Hobbits
Terrorists
Hostage Takers
Anarchists
Grandstanders
Lemmings
Anti-Government
Extremists
Heartless
Anti-Women
Racist
Greedy
Elitist Snobs
Who want to
Starve Grandma
Starve Children
Take food off the table of the needy
Deny Healthcare to millions
Destroy the Planet
Enrich Oil Barons
Entangle us in Endless Foreign Wars
I'm sure I missed some. I only wonder, if they're going to call you nasty names anyway, why not just stick up for your principles and let all this roll off your back?
Wacko Birds
Hobbits
Terrorists
Hostage Takers
Anarchists
Grandstanders
Lemmings
Anti-Government
Extremists
Heartless
Anti-Women
Racist
Greedy
Elitist Snobs
Who want to
Starve Grandma
Starve Children
Take food off the table of the needy
Deny Healthcare to millions
Destroy the Planet
Enrich Oil Barons
Entangle us in Endless Foreign Wars
I'm sure I missed some. I only wonder, if they're going to call you nasty names anyway, why not just stick up for your principles and let all this roll off your back?
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Golly, Why Didn't You Tell Me This Before?
Today President Obama gave a speech which has been played incessantly over the radio all day. He doesn't understand all the opposition to his healthcare law. He tells us that beginning this week, we can all sign up for a great health plan that costs less than my monthly cellphone bill. What's not to like?
Gee, is that all there is to Obamacare, really? Gee, why have I been wasting so much time opposing the law? Maybe I should have been supporting it all along.
Unbelievable.
Gee, is that all there is to Obamacare, really? Gee, why have I been wasting so much time opposing the law? Maybe I should have been supporting it all along.
Unbelievable.
Demographics
I recently noticed that polls are pretty consistently showing a 5 point lead for Terry McCauliffe over Ken Cuccinelli (pardon my spelling) for the Virginia governor's race. I wondered, how is it that McCauliffe, the Clintonista well known for his dishonesty and corruption, could possibly be polling even close in a state like Virginia?
Then I saw an analysis someplace, I think maybe on CNBC. The commentator said that while the Republican candidate is doing well among conservatives in general, he's losing big in the female vote. Apparently, McCauliffe's campaign has been running highly effective ads suggesting his opponent is destined to implement Texas-style restrictions on abortion as soon as he's elected. So all those millenial single women who work in and around the Federal government in DC but live in Virginia are planning to vote to keep their access to the final birth control solution intact.
I don't know what Ken Cuccinelli has planned in terms of abortion policy. Naturally I wouldn't lose any sleep if all the Planned Parenthood abortion clinics in Virginia closed tomorrow. But the worst, most corrupt, most untrustworthy Democrat seems to have a chance to win nearly any political office if only he or she paints their Republican opponent as "anti-women".
Can it be that millenial women are really that promiscuous? It seems to me if they're eschewing casual sex in anticipation of finding their future husbands, perhaps abortion wouldn't be such a huge single-issue priority for them. Could it be true that young women in DC are easy?
Anyway, the stark division between conservative and liberal has a bold line. It's now very easy to identify who belongs to each ideology.
Democrats own:
Young, single women
Welfare recipients to the working poor
Blacks
Lawyers
Celebrities
Homosexuals
City Dwellers
The Press/Media
Government workers of all kinds - teachers, professors, bureaucrats, etc
Republicans own:
Rural folk
Christians
Small Businesspeople
Working White Men from Middle Class to Upper-Middle Class
The Military
The Democrat constituency is outstripping the Republican constituency. The next two election cycles are going to either cement the Democrats hold on power or break up the Obama regime and begin to roll back the clock on the extreme leftward shift pushed through over the last 5 years.
I'm not very hopeful. Ted Cruz gave a courageous and cogent argument in his 21-hour speech on the Senate floor, but was dismissed by a group of collaborating Republicans, Democrats, the White House, and the news media. None of whom chose to engage Cruz on the subject matter itself, but resorted to impugning Cruz' motives and denying any possibility that he may have approached his presentation out of principle.
When the Republican leadership collaborates with Democrats, all is lost for America.
Then I saw an analysis someplace, I think maybe on CNBC. The commentator said that while the Republican candidate is doing well among conservatives in general, he's losing big in the female vote. Apparently, McCauliffe's campaign has been running highly effective ads suggesting his opponent is destined to implement Texas-style restrictions on abortion as soon as he's elected. So all those millenial single women who work in and around the Federal government in DC but live in Virginia are planning to vote to keep their access to the final birth control solution intact.
I don't know what Ken Cuccinelli has planned in terms of abortion policy. Naturally I wouldn't lose any sleep if all the Planned Parenthood abortion clinics in Virginia closed tomorrow. But the worst, most corrupt, most untrustworthy Democrat seems to have a chance to win nearly any political office if only he or she paints their Republican opponent as "anti-women".
Can it be that millenial women are really that promiscuous? It seems to me if they're eschewing casual sex in anticipation of finding their future husbands, perhaps abortion wouldn't be such a huge single-issue priority for them. Could it be true that young women in DC are easy?
Anyway, the stark division between conservative and liberal has a bold line. It's now very easy to identify who belongs to each ideology.
Democrats own:
Young, single women
Welfare recipients to the working poor
Blacks
Lawyers
Celebrities
Homosexuals
City Dwellers
The Press/Media
Government workers of all kinds - teachers, professors, bureaucrats, etc
Republicans own:
Rural folk
Christians
Small Businesspeople
Working White Men from Middle Class to Upper-Middle Class
The Military
The Democrat constituency is outstripping the Republican constituency. The next two election cycles are going to either cement the Democrats hold on power or break up the Obama regime and begin to roll back the clock on the extreme leftward shift pushed through over the last 5 years.
I'm not very hopeful. Ted Cruz gave a courageous and cogent argument in his 21-hour speech on the Senate floor, but was dismissed by a group of collaborating Republicans, Democrats, the White House, and the news media. None of whom chose to engage Cruz on the subject matter itself, but resorted to impugning Cruz' motives and denying any possibility that he may have approached his presentation out of principle.
When the Republican leadership collaborates with Democrats, all is lost for America.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
September 11, 2021
The 20th anniversary of 9/11 arrived on a Saturday.
At 8AM Eastern Time in the United States, a mushroom cloud blossomed over Tel Aviv. A video of the explosion was played on all television networks and viewed by the majority of people across the planet.
The Alliance of Islamic States, led by Iran and including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Lebanon, and Pakistan, demanded the immediate surrender of Israel within an hour of the attack. The Iranian President announced that in return for peaceful surrender, all Jews that survived the attack will be given safe passage to the Western European country of their choice or America.
The AIS also reportedly sent a letter to Saudi Arabia demanding that the House of Saud leave the country in exile or they can expect the same fate. Egypt was reportedly invited to join the AIS.
In the United States, President Hillary Clinton expressed "grave concern" over the unprovoked attack on Israel, and announced that she was dispatching her Secretary of State, Diane Feinstein and the UN Ambassador, Susan Rice to meet with the United Nations Security Council to discuss serious sanctions to be placed on the AIS in retaliation for the attack. Russia and China immediately announced that they would support no sanctions on their allies in the AIS.
Less than a week later, Hillary Clinton addressed the country on television. She announced that China has graciously agreed to assist the United States government in restoring order. Chinese troops would partner with Federal militias to quell a growing right-wing rebellion. No, not a rebellion in the middle east, but in the United States. Clinton accused a coalition of Tea Party groups, Christians, and the NRA of mounting a rebellion aimed at overthrowing the United States Government. Evidence was presented on CNN and MSNBC of people rioting in some cities, but several voices claimed that those were a combination of stock footage from old riots dating back the 1960's and some newer films produced by leftists out of Hollywood. Clinton promised that these measures would be only temporary, and designed to proactively head off expected violence from this right-wing army of rebels.
Clinton stated that while she shared the outrage of many Americans over the unprovoked nuclear attack on Israel by the Alliance of Islamic States, that was no reason for anyone to react with violence against their government. Most citizens have not observed any acts of right-wing violence against the government, although growing crowds were gathering across the country to loudly protest the failure of the Administration to protect America's friend, Israel, from nuclear annihilation.
On Sunday, September 12th, a Chinese company of soldiers, accompanied by dozens of federal militia members who were armed but not members of the United States Military, descended on thousands of churches across America during Sunday morning services. Many churchgoers were wounded or killed, and an estimated 90 percent of priests, pastors, and ministers were executed. Thousands of Christians that survived the raids were transported to internment camps that had been secretly been built over the past 12 months, apparently for this purpose.
The Chinese troops first invaded all of the National Guard armories across the nation and were given total control of permanent US military bases. Outraged United States soldiers, sailors and airmen begain organizing themselves to repel the Chinese invaders. Unfortunately, they were too late to protect the hundreds of thousands of Christians executed and imprisoned by the suprise Chinese Sunday raids.
Please, God, do not allow this vision of the future to come true.
At 8AM Eastern Time in the United States, a mushroom cloud blossomed over Tel Aviv. A video of the explosion was played on all television networks and viewed by the majority of people across the planet.
The Alliance of Islamic States, led by Iran and including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Lebanon, and Pakistan, demanded the immediate surrender of Israel within an hour of the attack. The Iranian President announced that in return for peaceful surrender, all Jews that survived the attack will be given safe passage to the Western European country of their choice or America.
The AIS also reportedly sent a letter to Saudi Arabia demanding that the House of Saud leave the country in exile or they can expect the same fate. Egypt was reportedly invited to join the AIS.
In the United States, President Hillary Clinton expressed "grave concern" over the unprovoked attack on Israel, and announced that she was dispatching her Secretary of State, Diane Feinstein and the UN Ambassador, Susan Rice to meet with the United Nations Security Council to discuss serious sanctions to be placed on the AIS in retaliation for the attack. Russia and China immediately announced that they would support no sanctions on their allies in the AIS.
Less than a week later, Hillary Clinton addressed the country on television. She announced that China has graciously agreed to assist the United States government in restoring order. Chinese troops would partner with Federal militias to quell a growing right-wing rebellion. No, not a rebellion in the middle east, but in the United States. Clinton accused a coalition of Tea Party groups, Christians, and the NRA of mounting a rebellion aimed at overthrowing the United States Government. Evidence was presented on CNN and MSNBC of people rioting in some cities, but several voices claimed that those were a combination of stock footage from old riots dating back the 1960's and some newer films produced by leftists out of Hollywood. Clinton promised that these measures would be only temporary, and designed to proactively head off expected violence from this right-wing army of rebels.
Clinton stated that while she shared the outrage of many Americans over the unprovoked nuclear attack on Israel by the Alliance of Islamic States, that was no reason for anyone to react with violence against their government. Most citizens have not observed any acts of right-wing violence against the government, although growing crowds were gathering across the country to loudly protest the failure of the Administration to protect America's friend, Israel, from nuclear annihilation.
On Sunday, September 12th, a Chinese company of soldiers, accompanied by dozens of federal militia members who were armed but not members of the United States Military, descended on thousands of churches across America during Sunday morning services. Many churchgoers were wounded or killed, and an estimated 90 percent of priests, pastors, and ministers were executed. Thousands of Christians that survived the raids were transported to internment camps that had been secretly been built over the past 12 months, apparently for this purpose.
The Chinese troops first invaded all of the National Guard armories across the nation and were given total control of permanent US military bases. Outraged United States soldiers, sailors and airmen begain organizing themselves to repel the Chinese invaders. Unfortunately, they were too late to protect the hundreds of thousands of Christians executed and imprisoned by the suprise Chinese Sunday raids.
Please, God, do not allow this vision of the future to come true.
Monday, September 23, 2013
When the Dust Settles
It is hard to predict where things will stand with the Affordable Care Act, or that terribly ironically named disaster we've come to call Obamacare.
There's no longer any argument that Obama was ignorant, wildly exaggerating, or outright lying for those years leading up to now. No, if you like your insurance, you may not keep it. No, if you like your doctor, you might have to find another one. No, the ACA will not drive your insurance cost down by $2,500 per year; instead it will grow dramatically.
Even though the financial outcomes were predictable from day one and are no surprise to anyone with a functioning brain, those were never the source of my major objections.
The ACA puts all medical decision-making into the hands of Kathleen Sebelius and a newly formed Independent Payment Advisory Board. Democrats screamed bloody murder when Sarah Palin called that a "Death Panel". But now we know that this board will make decisions on what procedures and treatments will be allowed by the Federal Government, which I think strongly suggests that the outcome of this unaccountable board of Obama cronies actually may soon prove to be indeed a Death Panel.
You see, that and so many other power-grabbing mandates in the act are what earned my strong objection to the ACA. In effect, the government has stepped in between every physician and patient, making itself the final arbiter of our care. Along the way, they will violate the privacy of every citizen by collecting deeply personal data about our habits, preferences, and vices. Which seems to indicate that they are prepared to make value judgements regarding that information. If that's the case, then who's to say they won't begin to say things like,
"Well, you smoked tobacco for 20 years, therefore you may not undergo that life-saving cardiac bypass."
"I see here that you're 60 pounds overweight. Your overeating and unsufficient exercise have led to a stroke, therefore we will not authorize treatment."
Or what if it comes to this?
"We see here that you're an activist member of the Tea Party. Since you're chosen to align yourself with this anti-government terrorist group, we will not support any medical attention now or in the future."
Think it won't come to that? Given the IRS revelations of the last several months, I wouldn't put it past them. I'll bet there are thousands of Lois Lerners in the HHS bureaucracy even now.
Worst of all is the anti-Christian mandate. The government has essentially gone to Catholics throughout the country, whether they are health providers, college administrators, managers of charitable organizations, or even private business owners, and said, "You must provide free birth control drugs to all of your employees".
These are people who regard most artificial contraceptives as harmful. Especially the abortifacient drugs, which will actually kill the fetus before it can plant itself in the uterus. Despite Sebelius' claims to the contrary, that is a drug that kills a fetus, which by definition is an abortifacient.
So the Obama government has passed a law that effectively requires every citizen that owns or operates a business or charity in America to actively participate in bringing about the death of children while risking the health of women. A positive link has already been proven between contraceptive drugs and breast cancer in women, so the government is also forcing Americans to give women who work for them drugs that significantly increase the probability they will contract breast cancer.
This is a fascist law from a fascist government. America must not comply like sheep to this horrific tyranny. Senators who won't support the House's efforts to overturn this horrible law are complicit in the destruction of the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.
There remains only a small glimmer of hope that the cadre of principled senators, led by Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, can overcome the fascist collaborators like John McCain and Lindsey Graham and free us all from this tyranny.
There's no longer any argument that Obama was ignorant, wildly exaggerating, or outright lying for those years leading up to now. No, if you like your insurance, you may not keep it. No, if you like your doctor, you might have to find another one. No, the ACA will not drive your insurance cost down by $2,500 per year; instead it will grow dramatically.
Even though the financial outcomes were predictable from day one and are no surprise to anyone with a functioning brain, those were never the source of my major objections.
The ACA puts all medical decision-making into the hands of Kathleen Sebelius and a newly formed Independent Payment Advisory Board. Democrats screamed bloody murder when Sarah Palin called that a "Death Panel". But now we know that this board will make decisions on what procedures and treatments will be allowed by the Federal Government, which I think strongly suggests that the outcome of this unaccountable board of Obama cronies actually may soon prove to be indeed a Death Panel.
You see, that and so many other power-grabbing mandates in the act are what earned my strong objection to the ACA. In effect, the government has stepped in between every physician and patient, making itself the final arbiter of our care. Along the way, they will violate the privacy of every citizen by collecting deeply personal data about our habits, preferences, and vices. Which seems to indicate that they are prepared to make value judgements regarding that information. If that's the case, then who's to say they won't begin to say things like,
"Well, you smoked tobacco for 20 years, therefore you may not undergo that life-saving cardiac bypass."
"I see here that you're 60 pounds overweight. Your overeating and unsufficient exercise have led to a stroke, therefore we will not authorize treatment."
Or what if it comes to this?
"We see here that you're an activist member of the Tea Party. Since you're chosen to align yourself with this anti-government terrorist group, we will not support any medical attention now or in the future."
Think it won't come to that? Given the IRS revelations of the last several months, I wouldn't put it past them. I'll bet there are thousands of Lois Lerners in the HHS bureaucracy even now.
Worst of all is the anti-Christian mandate. The government has essentially gone to Catholics throughout the country, whether they are health providers, college administrators, managers of charitable organizations, or even private business owners, and said, "You must provide free birth control drugs to all of your employees".
These are people who regard most artificial contraceptives as harmful. Especially the abortifacient drugs, which will actually kill the fetus before it can plant itself in the uterus. Despite Sebelius' claims to the contrary, that is a drug that kills a fetus, which by definition is an abortifacient.
So the Obama government has passed a law that effectively requires every citizen that owns or operates a business or charity in America to actively participate in bringing about the death of children while risking the health of women. A positive link has already been proven between contraceptive drugs and breast cancer in women, so the government is also forcing Americans to give women who work for them drugs that significantly increase the probability they will contract breast cancer.
This is a fascist law from a fascist government. America must not comply like sheep to this horrific tyranny. Senators who won't support the House's efforts to overturn this horrible law are complicit in the destruction of the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.
There remains only a small glimmer of hope that the cadre of principled senators, led by Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, can overcome the fascist collaborators like John McCain and Lindsey Graham and free us all from this tyranny.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Honesty About Social Security
If I were talking about this in a speech as a candidate for office, I suppose it would help guarantee my loss. Because apparently in modern America, telling the truth about Social Security just isn't done. Remember when George W Bush first took office and proposed a modest change that would allow folks to elect to control the investment of their own Social Security contributions? Democrats screamed bloody murder, and the proposal faded away.
Let's start with what Social Security actually is, and always has been. A welfare program for seniors. It was sold in an outrageously fraudulent way. My own parents and grandparents believed the lie, and any attempt to inform them that they're not receiving their own money back in retirement that they paid in during their working lives, but simply getting the money our generation is paying in taxes.
For the most part, my parents and grandparents were proud people. If they actually understood that their monthly Social Security checks were in truth a simple welfare scheme, I believe some of them might have sent their checks back.
Just think about it for a minute (please!). Look at your lifetime earnings, and calculate what you've paid into Social Security over the course of your working life. Compound that over 35 to 40 years at a modest annual percentage rate of return at 5 percent, and find out how much money you would have had at retirement if only the government wasn't squandering it.
Most of us who work for a living will have plenty of money for a comfortable retirement after we turn 65, and would never need anything from the government. Those folks who didn't work for a living won't have anything to use in retirement. But seriously, isn't that a different problem?
Let's consider Democrat arguments against privatizing retirement accounts.
Greedy bankers will take advantage of Americans to make obscene profits on our retirement accounts. Well, no doubt some will try. But if their fees get too high, won't they be guilty of fraud? Aren't there already protections for consumers against predatory banking practices?
Too many irresponsible people will choose bad investments or blow all their retirement money in their first year. So? Once again, if a retiree becomes destitute due to their own bad decisions, isn't that a different problem? I struggle to understand why that justifies the government confiscation and waste of 15 percent of the earnings of every single citizen.
What about additional benefits like Disability and Minor Dependents benefits received upon the death of the family's wage earner? Indeed. Don't you think bankers and insurance agents will design products for people's retirement investment money that could provide exactly those protections?
I do wish I'd saved 15 percent of my earnings every year since 1980. My retirement accounts would be much healthier today had I done so. In fact, I probably would have enough in those accounts that I could realistically retire early. Unfortunately the government confiscated and wasted all that money and there's nothing to show for any of it today.
Privatization will never happen, not because it's a great idea. But because Democrats will successfully instill so much fear in most Americans that they will oppose it without really understanding what they're opposing.
Let's start with what Social Security actually is, and always has been. A welfare program for seniors. It was sold in an outrageously fraudulent way. My own parents and grandparents believed the lie, and any attempt to inform them that they're not receiving their own money back in retirement that they paid in during their working lives, but simply getting the money our generation is paying in taxes.
For the most part, my parents and grandparents were proud people. If they actually understood that their monthly Social Security checks were in truth a simple welfare scheme, I believe some of them might have sent their checks back.
Just think about it for a minute (please!). Look at your lifetime earnings, and calculate what you've paid into Social Security over the course of your working life. Compound that over 35 to 40 years at a modest annual percentage rate of return at 5 percent, and find out how much money you would have had at retirement if only the government wasn't squandering it.
Most of us who work for a living will have plenty of money for a comfortable retirement after we turn 65, and would never need anything from the government. Those folks who didn't work for a living won't have anything to use in retirement. But seriously, isn't that a different problem?
Let's consider Democrat arguments against privatizing retirement accounts.
Greedy bankers will take advantage of Americans to make obscene profits on our retirement accounts. Well, no doubt some will try. But if their fees get too high, won't they be guilty of fraud? Aren't there already protections for consumers against predatory banking practices?
Too many irresponsible people will choose bad investments or blow all their retirement money in their first year. So? Once again, if a retiree becomes destitute due to their own bad decisions, isn't that a different problem? I struggle to understand why that justifies the government confiscation and waste of 15 percent of the earnings of every single citizen.
What about additional benefits like Disability and Minor Dependents benefits received upon the death of the family's wage earner? Indeed. Don't you think bankers and insurance agents will design products for people's retirement investment money that could provide exactly those protections?
I do wish I'd saved 15 percent of my earnings every year since 1980. My retirement accounts would be much healthier today had I done so. In fact, I probably would have enough in those accounts that I could realistically retire early. Unfortunately the government confiscated and wasted all that money and there's nothing to show for any of it today.
Privatization will never happen, not because it's a great idea. But because Democrats will successfully instill so much fear in most Americans that they will oppose it without really understanding what they're opposing.
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