Once again, ever since the 1930’s, alarms are being raised on how America “cannot afford” to pay for Social Security. These are false, as they always have been. Alarms are also being raised about the “affordability” of Medicare. These, again, ignore serous discussion about why America has the 37th best rated health care system; about why Americans pay double for Health care compared to other “rich” nations {with frequent less satisfactory results]; about why Americans pay double for prescription drugs; about why nearly 50% of American bankruptcies involve medical bills – often foe people who supposedly had Health care insurance coverage.”
The immediate, and forever lasting, permanent cure for any supposed “Social Security shortfall” is simple. Tax all income’ end the Social Security tax income cap. In 2018, the maximum Social Security taxable amount is $128,400. So, once a millionaire pays the tax on that $128,400 – all other income is tax free. The rationalization is the millionaire/billionaire “doesn’t get any benefit” from being required to pay Social Security tax on 100% of his/her income. Seriously? Living in the richest nation provides no benefits? Having a legal system protecting his/her wealth is of no benefit? Enjoying the infrastructure paid for by allAmericans’ taxes is of no benefit? Being defended by the world’s best and most expensive military is of no benefit? Enjoying the safety and security of being protected by some of the world’s best police, fire and EMT people is of no benefit? Seriously?
The real, and perpetual question is this: will the wealth of America be shared in any democratic and civil manner Will the lower 95% be “given” any meaningful share of America’s wealth? American workers work harder, and longer, and more hours than most people in other “rich” nations. They have, and use, less vacation time. Increasingly, they take work with them on “vacation.”
Americans have never asked foe a “hand out.” They aren’t asking for it now. No – the request is simply this: let us live a life with some dignity. After 50 years of work {age l8-68}, let us finish our lives with a modest retirement. Or, increasingly, let us have a retirement. “70 is the new 60” is an obscenity. The idea that people should literally be worked to death in 2018 America is a monstrous insult. Supposedly, slavery in America ended in 1865.
During the middle class “golden age” of 1947-73, this was assumed. People had health care and guaranteed pensions from employers, plus Social Security, and then Medicare. Leaders like President Eisenhower assumed and accepted this. Then the top 1% revolted. This was “too good a deal” for ordinary people. First came the attacks on labor unions, and soon wages stagnated {that purchasing power stagnation has lasted to this day]. Then came attacks on government – government was “too friendly” with ordinary people. You were propagandized that there were “too many regulations” [like safe working conditions]. You were propagandized that corporate and top 1% {“the job creators” – but never, of course, the job eliminators] taxes were “too high.” It was forgotten that some people had fought and died to get benefits for ordinary people. It was forgotten that the top tax rates during the “middle class golden age” ranged from70-90%; producing the greatest mass prosperity in world history.
The “conservative”-reactionary talking point of the last 15 years is “entitlement reform.” What does this mean? To the corporate-WallStreet-top 1% pushing this “reform” it means cuts in your benefits, Mr and Mrs Lower 95%. But, by their definition, other “entitlements” like corporate subsidies, corporate welfare, tax law benefits favoring the top 1%, etc. are not up for any reduction. These “aren’t really benefits,” because these have “been earned” by the brilliance and “hard work” of the top 1%. In their minds, the top 1% are better than ordinary people. The mere fact they’re rich proves it.
The Reagan and Bush II tax cuts, the 2017 budget-busting Trump tax cuts are sacrosanct, and not up for discussion. Today’s paper just reported the Trump Administration is now pushing a new, $100 billion tax cut for the rich! They want to bypass Congress to do it. Stay tuned! The fact these tax cuts blew up the national debt from less than $1 trillion when Reagan took office to now about $21 trillion and climbing [future Bush II and Trump costs] is irrelevant. The fact that Bush II could have reduced the U.S. national debt to $0 had he followed the Clinton plan is irrelevant.
The blown up U.S. national debt will now be weaponized by the Republican-Wall Street-corporate-top 1% reactionaries to claim we “need”austerity. The major “necessary” sacrifice is Social Security and Medicare benefits must be reduced. These claims have already been made, repeatedly. There will be no permitted discussion of reducing Congressional pensions, or of any sacrifice of any kind by the top1%. Consider this quote from a Bush II White House memo to pro-privatization groups regarding Social Security “reforms:”
“Our strategy will probably include speeches…to establish an important premise: The current system is headed for an iceberg. That reality needs to be seared into the public consciousness; it is a pre-condition to authentic reform.”
There you have it, Mr. & Mrs. Lower 95% – the propaganda was to be “seared into your consciousness” by repeated messages. Repeated lies. Outside of of reducing Social Security benefits for you, another favorite scheme has been “privatization” of Social Security. Bush II wanted there, was stopped. Good thing too, his mini-2008 depression would have severely hurt seniors with their retirement savings in a Wall Street fund. Great Britain tried a privatization scheme. After 25 years they gave it up. It was a failure. Bothe the public and government lost money. A major item, “administrative costs” [profits] – which is why Wall Street wants to get its hands on people’s retirement money.
another small point is that in all the “reform” propaganda, there is no discussion of paying back to the “Social Security Trust Fund” the trillions that Congress has “borrowed” to run your government {instead of raising income taxes}. So, part of the “Social Security crisis” is totally manufactured. This is a “win-win” scenario for the top 1% – didn’t have to pay the taxes, they’ll get debt financing income, and – they cut your benefits [is this a great country, or what?]. They’ll get away with this scam if you, the lower 95% don’t act.
So – Mr. & Mrs. Lower 95% – you should be asking lots of questions about any so-called “entitlement reform.” In this case, “reform” really means regression.
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare mailed out a list of twenty things and events they’d done from 2005-2018 to protect Social Security and Medicare for you. This involved stopping closures of Social Security offices; stopping a so-called “Balanced Budget Amendment” to the Constitution [various right wing forces badly want this to force all kinds of cuts]; stopping 20l5 cuts to pay for a highway bill.
The Alliance for Retired Americans just mailed out a warning about current Republican-backed legislation to pay for the Trump top 1%-corporate record 2017 tax cut [they will be working on the July 3l, 2018 scam soon]: The bill will strip health insurance from14-15 million people immediately, more millions later; massively increase premiums for anyone with a pre-existing condition; charge an “age tax” for seniors up to five times more; drive up Medicare premiums by $8.7 billion to pay for a sweetheart tax break for pharmaceutical corporations [no dripping cynical irony here!]; put senior home-based care in severe doubt. If you can think of a more immoral bill than this…….
Then there is Medicare itself. Two books to read here. One is New York Times bestseller by T.R.Reid, “The Healing of America.” Reid: “All the other developed countries on earth have made a different moral decision… guarantee medical care to anyone who gets sick…everyone has a right to medical care.” And they do this without resorting to “socialized medicine.” He tells you how they do it. Reid opens his book with this: “If Nikki White had been a resident of any other rich country, she would be alive today.” But she lived, briefly, in America. The other nations would’ve given her a standard treatment for lupus. But, sick, with a “pre-condition,” Nikki died here, in the world’s richest country, at age 32; after spending the last few months of her life pleading for help. Nope, “the market” can’t help you, Nikki. Sorry, “the market” is never wrong.
Reid talks about the French “card of life.” He talks about Otto von Bismarck’s l883 “Sickness Insurance Act” in Germany. When Bismarck first proposed this in 1881, “He described it as a means for the more fortunate Germans to care for the least of their brethren…as “a program of applied Christianity.'”
The second book is from Pulitzer Prize-winners, Donald L. Bartlett & James B. Steele: “Critical Condition, How Health Care In America Became Big Business – And Bad Medicine” Page 34: the #1 U.S. cost driver is “market-based” health care. Page 75-76: Wall Street corrupts medicine and increases costs. The “financialization” of U.S. health care comes courtesy of the Reagan Administration, determined to alter health care drastically [sure did!] by “unleashing market forces.” They cut off funding foe HMO’s and sold investors and venture capitalists on investing in health care’s “profit-making potential.” The move to for=profit health care was “rationalized, explained, justified for one reason – as the only way to control costs.” Yup, you read that right – restrain costs.
It might be difficult, but try to follow this “market-based” right wing logic. Non-profit HMO’s were begun during World War II by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser. Kaiser’s goal wasn’t to make money, but to keep workers healthy so they could keep building Kaiser’s ships. Republican President Nixon’s law helped increase American HMO’s to around 300 in 1980, with an enrollment over 10 million. From 1973 to 1980, it cost $350 million in loans and grants, to promote quality care and restrain costs. This wasn’t acceptable to the Reagan Administration. So, here we are, talking about cutting Medicare benefits – because of exploding costs. America has the #37 best health care system. But, we’re #1 in fraud; pay double for sub-standard care; pay double for drugs – and see various health care for-profiters making billions. The “free market” that didn’t work for Nikki White works well for others.
One would think that America, the nation of inventors and entrepreneurs, possessing the world’s [for now] #1 economy, might want to learn something from the 36 countries above us in health care. You’d be wrong. In all the crazy events from 2010 forward – Obamacare, Republican efforts to repeal/sabotage it – what is non-existent is any serious talk about actually creating a system improving health care for all 330 million Americans. There is now some talk about “Medicare for All.” But without a new U.S. government, this will not happen. Too “socialist” you know. Sounds like ‘communism.” Funny, one wouldn’t generally think of Otto von Bismarck as either a socialist or communist.
A 2013 analysis of poverty with and without Social Security provided some shocking insights about its value. 11.9% of Arkansas residents lived in poverty with S.S. – but without S.S., 55% would live in poverty. 5.6% of Iowa residents were in poverty with S.S., but without Social Security, 47.3 would be poverty stricken. North Carolina had a 10% poverty rate with S.S., without Social Security would be at 50.9%. Vermont had 8.5% with. 49.1% without Social Security. A normal person, looking at these numbers, might think this is a very critical part of America’s social contract and “national security.”
President Teddy Roosevelt, 1910: “Conflict between the men who possess more than they have earned and the men who have earned more than they possess is the central condition of progress. In our day it appears as the struggle of freemen to gain and hold the right of self-government as against the special interests, who twist the methods of free government into machinery for defeating the popular will.”
My fellow Americans, it is no mystery. Some of your ancestors fought, and some of them died, often shot in the back, or lynched, standing up for their rights. You don’t have to die – but you do have to fight. What Roosevelt said in 1910 is true right now. For the last 40 years, the right wing forces have attempted, with much success, to wipe out the entire 20th century progress of humans on every field – health, education, fair taxation, a government of-by-for the people. Nothing is more emblematic of this than their attempt to take away elementary dignity for people in old age.
Time is short. Maybe another election or two. The plans to turn America into a theocratic plutocracy are all too real. The organizations that want to do this have announced it. People in previous Republican administrations and the current one, were/are hostile to the agencies they led/lead – and they’ve publicly said so. They’ve told you they want to “privatize” both Social Security and Medicare. When the robots take your job, it’ll be too late. The top 1% will own them too. Start with the 2018 election. Ask candidates tough questions about how they’ll protect your future. No “canned happy talk.” What is their track record of Congressional votes? What is their party’s record?
Anybody that tells you America “can’t afford” to allow hard-working Americans to live a decent retirement with Social Security and Medicare is lying, badly. We have the money. The top 1% doesn’t think you deserve it. If you work 50 years [l8-68] earning $30,000 each year, you’ll make $1.5 million in your life. Top 1% members make that in one year, maybe in one month – year after year. America has the money. The only question is this: will you be allowed to live with any kind of decent respect? Start asking questions.
With Justice For All 