Remember the "Makers and takers" post?   
      
    Well, I warned you.   
      
    If you are on medicare or social security you are now labeled a   
    "Taker".   
      
    As such you are an inferior being.   
      
    So, just how are they going to do away with medicare? It is   
    widely supported, so politicians fear to touch it. Oh, the   
    answer is simple, destroy that support.   
      
    They start by cutting just a bit, say, $500 million? Seems   
    that's what the republican Paul Ryan budget will subtract. Which   
    is funny since they screamed that Obamacare would cut that much   
    from Medicare. Only the Obamacare cuts were from private sector   
    insurance companies.   
      
    Ok, we got medicare weakened, just a bit. Now, the next step is   
    to reduce the support among those not collecting medicare. That   
    is, everyone under the age of 65 without one of the few, and   
    very serious, conditions medicare pays for among under 65s.   
      
    The best way I can think of to do that is to either eliminate   
    medicare for those not covered now, or to damage it so much it   
    becomes unattractive to them. That won't work if you try to take   
    it from those near qualifying, so just take it from those not so   
    close, say those who won't qualify for ten years or so.   
      
    Hey... they have that in the Republican plan already. Switch   
    those under 55 from medicare to subsidized private insurance   
    plans. (Please don't mention that that is actually more   
    socialism than medicare.) That way, those under 55 will think   
    they are getting the same coverage, but not realize, no private   
    sector company is going to come up with anything nearly as good   
    for the price they will be paid.   
      
    Oh, you can make it look good by talking good numbers, but as   
    long as you conceal the fact that inflation is going to eat up   
    that subsidy the public may not catch on to how it's going down   
    the tubes.   
      
    On top of that you make the subsidy a fixed amount, not just   
    specify enough to cover the insurance. So, when the cost does   
    rise you can claim it's just how it was set up, so the elderly   
    are going to have to come up with the money out of their own   
    pockets.   
      
    That should work, but where it will really dig in is when those   
    between 55 and 65 start qualifying. Ya see, it's like this. As   
    those under 65 get older, those over 65 also get older. Those   
    over 65 will be dying and thus reducing the numbers of those   
    eligible for the old social security system.   
      
    Somewhere in there those not eligible will see the costs of   
    their insurance going up to where they won't be able to afford   
    it. Now just how much are they going to support medicare for the   
    over 55s when they see nothing for themselves?   
      
    When will they start to ask, "Why should I be paying for your   
    medicare when I won't get anything near as good, if I can afford   
    anything at all?"   
      
    Yes, this is a long term plan to sink medicare, but given enough   
    time it does have an excellent chance of working. Perhaps less   
    than a decade.   
      
    Now, if you are in a hurry to do away with medicare, there is   
    another way. Just challenge Obamacare in the Supreme Court.   
      
    What? You think there's no connection? Oh, but there is. You   
    see, medicare and Obamacare have exactly the same constitutional   
    status. Both are government programs for health care, and both   
    have the dreaded mandate. Yes, remember, you have to pay into   
    medicare. In fact, under Obamacare there is no actual   
    requirement you pay for insurance, you can get it through your   
    employer or you can buy it yourself. You are just required to   
    have coverage, there is no requirement you pay for it youself.   
      
    Medicare doesn't require you pay for it yourself, but it is   
    taken out of your paycheck, so it's automatic, no choice.   
      
    So, if Obamacare is declared unconstitutional then medicare is   
    also unconstitutional. It's actually close to automatic. The   
    only question left is, does all you paid in go away? Do you have   
    nothing to show for all those years?   
      
    Then again, do you really think young people who lose their   
    coverage when they are pushed off their parent's plans will   
    support continuing your coverage? Do you think they will when   
    they realize they will never get what you got? Do you really   
    believe there are enough elderly votes to outweigh all the   
    younger people who are getting cut out? How long will it be   
    before those shut out gather enough votes to close down medicare   
    completely?   
      
    Yes, it was a committment, but it was a committment between   
    generations. If the committment is broken for the upcoming   
    generations, why would they vote to continue it for the   
    currently eligible generation?   
      
    Obamacare=Medicare... equally unconstitutional.   
      
    It's all so unnecessary, since the republican arguements are all   
    so fraudulent. However, expensive medical care is, it's not as   
    expensive as doing without it. On top of that, all the   
    republican options to solve the problem are based on fraud and   
    deceit. The right doesn't want to fix American medical care,   
    they want to overturn it. If they really wanted to fix it, they   
    have had 17 years since Hillarycare failed, yet they did not   
    lift a finger to fix any of it.   
      
      
      
   BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn   
      
   ... Don't tell me you are pro-life if you don't support health care for all.   
   --- Via Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]   
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