Donna Smith:: What Will We Do With People Like Me?

[eridani]

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/02/01/iowa-2016-what-will-we-do-people-me

It all seems an unlikely scenario. It also seems unlikely that a person such as me will have a piece published on Monday morning, February 1, 2016. I don't hold the sway or nearly the level of expertise that so many, many others do in the political world. It also seems such a pivotal time for the nation.

Years ago when Michael Moore filmed my family for his 2007 documentary, SiCKO, one my sons was filmed asking me, "What do we do with people like you?" He was wondering aloud what to do about aging parents who were drowning financially due to medical debt. He was making it clear that his generation didn't want to sweep up the mess that was my life. My heart broke. My spirit was crushed. My child saw me as a failure and worse, my child saw me as a problem to be solved.

That is what this election is all about. To the extent that Iowa sets the stage for what is to come down the road of this election season, the Iowa caucuses may begin to answer the question my child asked so many years ago. What do we do with people like me?

When I view the current candidates for president of the United States, I can see only one who answers the question in a way that prevents any mother from ever hearing that from her son again. You see, I had become such a drain. As the profit-crazed U.S. healthcare system ground away at us with insidious persistence, I fought to make sure my children had access to as many opportunities as I could so that they might never have their dreams deferred or destroyed. I was only partly successful. While I could protect my kids from some of the financial trauma for a time by working more and more, I forever altered their paths forward.

[OneGrassRoot]

1. K&R n/t

[Doctor_J]

2. I know! we can force everyone to buy private insurance! That will help!

Rec

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. Ha!

[blackspade]

4. That was a super powerful bit of writing

[antigop]

5. Oh, Donna, I'm crying. When are we going to live in a civilized society? When? nt

[antigop]

6. and it makes you wonder what the HELL HRC supporters do for a living. They all aren't independently

wealthy.

I guess bad stuff only happens to someone else.

[eridani]

11. They may not be wealthy, but they probably aren't sick either

In every age demographic, 5% of that demographic accounts for 50% it its health care costs, and 15% account for 85% of costs. That means that the healthy 85% are free to think that they have good insurance, an opinion which is worth exactly what their opinions about how good their fire extinguishers are work.

[Maru Kitteh]

12. I beg you to leave your heart open

I support Hillary, but I support Bernie too. We really are on the same team, have the same goals. I am so proud of both of our candidates. I will proudly give my time and treasure to either one. Any confusion about this is quickly cleared with the .00085 seconds I can stand to watch the Focx channel.

I voted for Bill twice, voted for Gore, voted for Kerry, voted for Obama twice. Straight up - they all disappoint you at some point. It's important to understand that candidates can always afford to be perfect while they are candidates.

[antigop]

13. No, you are NOT on my team. YOU. ARE. NOT. When you support a candidate who

openly has said the following:

We DO NOT have the same goals.

Thousands of our jobs in the computer industry have been lost.

Try getting a job in the computer industry when you are in your 40s.

When you support a candidate who is beholden to Wall Street and corporate donors, DON'T SAY THAT YOU ARE ON MY TEAM.

[HughBeaumont]

7. Some solutions:

1. Shrink the social safety net even further instead of greatly expanding it. The threat of starvation, destitution and death builds character quickly.
2. Tether weal . . . er . . . "HEALTHCare" to how gainfully one is employed. Obviously, "to the victors go the spoils", right? That's the way life works, you poor gravy sucking fuckers. Earn more money and stop whining.
3. Do away with pensions. That forces the worker to study up on investment and speculation. Their prognostication abilities should improve and there'll be no need for companies to keep such bottom-line-draining CRAP.
4. Reinforce ageism; 'nother words, "Fire 'Em At Fifty!". Or Forty, if you're a really smart CEO. Think of it as doing them a favor and help them discover their inner entrepreneur.
5. Blame them if they didn't do every single thing precise and correct from the time they were 18 years old.

[Octafish]

14. Universal Wealth Care.

Thank you for a most informative post, HughBeaumont!

[FailureToCommunicate]

8. Powerful questions!

Thanks for posting this.

[smirkymonkey]

9. K&R

How tragic!

[treestar]

10. Go and work on campaigns for Congress rather than relying on the Presidency alone

And aging parents would have Medicare.