January 30, 2014
Let’s Decide Fate Of Social Security, Medicare, On The Words Of An Email Chain Letter
So here’s an inane chain email by some anonymous fool…
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January 13, 2014
Talking Absolutes: The Language Of Free Market Conservatives
Free market conservatives say government cannot address the problem of poverty. They say government can’t create jobs. They assume all people who are not making a living wage must not be working, or working hard enough, and so that means they are undeserving of any government assistance. And they say government cannot give to someone unless it has taken from someone else.
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September 21, 2013
35-Year-Old Afghanistan Veteran Writes That He’s On Food Stamps, Tells Republicans He Would Prefer Not To Starve
If you are a Republican in congress voting to cut food stamp funding, you must convince yourself you are doing right by the people. You don’t want people telling you that you are an uncaring person who wants people to starve, because you don’t see it that way. So you must utilize a series of lies to assure your psyche of absolution, that you are only participating in this exercise out of concern and love for those less fortunate. Because you are the adult in the room. You are the authority on this topic. You must teach people a hard life lesson, and possibly be the bad guy for a while, for the people to see the light.
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September 12, 2013
The Public Is Obtuse On Medicare Spending, While Conservative ‘Leaders’ Bank On This Ignorance
There are conservatives who believe government is incapable of doing anything meaningful. They believe the only true purpose of government is national security. And these conservatives believe programs like Medicare are saddled with massive fraud and waste. And there are conservatives who are on Medicare that hold these beliefs while gobbling up more Medicare services than they paid for. But because they are conservatives, that means they abhor welfare, and would never be caught getting a free handout. And they believe this of themselves because they are ignorant to the fact that Medicare pays $3 in benefits for every $1 it takes in.
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September 3, 2013
Lacking Compassion: Conservatives Cannot See Past Their Contempt
I’m actively engaged in what has evolved to become a “mostly” cordial conversation with a conservative via Facebook private message on the Left Call fan page. You’d be surprised that I even bothered to respond to this person given it did not start out cordially. This was his first message:
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August 1, 2013
The Tasty Pick of American Exceptionalism: Minimum Wage Or Incarceration?
America is exceptional all right, its exceptionally jaded, exceptionally cynical, exceptionally resentful, and exceptionally callous. We are so judgmental of others, so righteous of our own strengths, so high on our own self-worth, we believe we need to be exceptionally tough when it comes to anyone who does not measure up. And nowhere is this more true than America’s “tough on crime” stance. I’m not saying we shouldn’t have laws. I’m not saying criminals shouldn’t go to jail. What I’m saying is we need to take it down a notch or two or a thousand. And we need to stop taking discretion away from judges and juries with “mandatory minimums” and other similar legislative “solutions” to crime.
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June 1, 2013
Chart: Medicare Insolvency Projections 1980 to 2013
Every year we find out the long-term insolvency projection from the Medicare Trustees, and every year we hear calls from Republicans for major changes and cuts to Medicare in response. So this week we find out that the insolvency projection has been expanded by 2 years to 2026. That’s 13 years until insolvency. That sounds bad right? Well it’s not. The historic average Medicare insolvency projection since 1980 is over 12 years. It’s been as low as 4 years and as high as 28 years during that span. So with the latest report from the Medicare Trustees, we find out the sky is not falling because the program’s insolvency projection is sitting right at it’s 30-year average.
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April 14, 2013
Obama’s Proposed Social Security Cuts Are Wrong
Last week, The White House released a summary of President Obama’s budget. The proposal aims for a 3 to 1 spending cuts to tax increase ratio to reduce the deficit over the next 10 years. But the biggest headline from Obama’s budget plan is the $230 billion he wants to cut from Social Security.
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January 22, 2013
Inaugural Address: Empathy And Basic Human Dignity Are Not Partisan
President Obama talked race, gay rights, social safety-nets, liberty and freedom among many of the topics he mentioned during his second inaugural address on Monday.
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January 5, 2013
Does Social Security Add To The Federal Budget Deficit?
Every time we have a national debate about the deficit, Republicans start talking about cuts to Social Security while Democrats, at least some of them, say that Social Security does not contribute to the deficit. So who is correct?
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