Oscar Wilde takes a dump

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.org/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7895565

Oh my.

Cyrano  (1000+ posts)        Thu Mar-11-10 01:48 PM
OSCAR WILDE, THE LARGE-PROBOSCISED PRIMITIVE
Original message

“Let’s dump Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.”

Over the past month or more, I’ve read pieces that reported that a few Republicans and their enablers have actually said these things in public.

We always knew that this was part of their “master plan,” but we’ve never, until now, heard them say so out loud.

Perhaps they’ve reached some crossover point of insanity where they believe that they can say anything and have a majority of people agree with them.

Well, “welfare queens driving Cadillacs” worked out pretty well for them, so I guess they believe they can sell any and all crap to the masses.

But here’s what amazes me about this. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefit the vast majority of the American people. (And, yes, I know that millions of people are really dumb.) But there has to be some point where even Forrest Gump would understand that he was being screwed.

The other thing that amazes me is why the Republican Party hasn’t been tarred, feathered and run out of the country. Perhaps someone can explain to me why this hasn’t happened.

Lars39  (1000+ posts)      Thu Mar-11-10 02:23 PM
Response to Original message
 
22. Some #@%!@% idiot was just on CNN talking about a plan to end unemployment benefits.

Cyrano  (1000+ posts)        Thu Mar-11-10 02:46 PM
OSCAR WILDE, THE LARGE-PROBOSCISED PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #22

27. Not surprising. Republicans couldn't give a damn if we have jobs or not, live in cardboard boxes, or die in the streets. As long as they've got theirs.

I've never understood how they got to be this way. But I do know that they are our deadly enemies and the enemy of all that is decent in this world.

Cleita  (1000+ posts)        Thu Mar-11-10 02:12 PM
Response to Reply #3
 
16. Just for an example.

I'll tell you my personal story. When my husband and I retired, we had SS of course and also savings to get income from. At that time we could get 6% on our savings and that with our Social Security gave us a nice livable income. Over the years, the interest paid became less and less and I believe all you can get on CDs these days is 1%. It wasn't enough to live on anymore so we were going into our principle. Then my husband decided to put the money into mutual funds for a better income and growth.

Well, for awhile it was fine until the market started crashing. Then my husband fell ill and his medical treatment for the rest of his life was $3,000 a month more than our entire income. Thank God for Medicare, they paid 80% of it. Of course by then we had to get a supplemental insurance that was more expense. Oh he did have a Medicare Advantage plan at first that turns out not to pay for his disease, and we got stuck with $10,000 in medical expenses for an emergency that they found a loophole not to pay. Since then we have both had traditional Medicare until he died. I still have it. I have never been fearful of not having my medical paid for because of exclusions or loopholes.

Okay let's go through the years, inflation, gas prices rising to $4 and still is around $3 a gallon. Each rise in prices makes me go into the principle of my savings. As I watched our nest egg rapidly disappearing, I started living off of my credit cards for major expense and then the credit cards started changing the interest to usury rates so I'm having a hard time paying them off. Finally, I got a part time job and I'm getting on top of things again. I don't know how much longer I can work though as I'm getting medical issues of my own, yet if it weren't for Medicare and Social Security I would have run out of my savings long ago and would probably be working full time if I could possibly even get a job and keep it.

When you say stuff like that you want to save your money instead of paying into social security, it chills my blood, because you are going to need it. Savings are not secure. You can save through IRAs, which is how my husband and I did it. But today with the huge debt this country has, they will have to start printing money, which will cause inflation and make your savings pretty worthless. Fight for your Social Security and Medicare, which is what we did so it would be there when we needed it.

[Carl]

She writes as if these were choices...they were not SS and Medicare are mandatory and as such affected savings decisions with the reliance on them.

She admits to several bad decisions...

Okay let's go through the years, inflation, gas prices rising to $4 and still is around $3 a gallon. Each rise in prices makes me go into the principle of my savings. As I watched our nest egg rapidly disappearing, I started living off of my credit cards for major expense and then the credit cards started changing the interest to usury rates so I'm having a hard time paying them off.

No doubt they were living well beyond the means of their savings and that didn`t stop leading to the predicament she describes.
Once again there is much that has been left out of this little story.