Privatizing SS, Medicare, Medicaid is not a populist stance

[Equinox Moon]

I don't believe there are national polls stating, "The majority of Americans want it all privatized." This is a belief only held by some elite politicians. If they move on this "idea" they are going against the majority and it will hurt everyone. I don't get it, how did America come to this republican-toilet take-over? The thing is, all the horrible legislation they do, hurts the republicans that vote for them, as well as the rest of us.

I wonder if America is too large to be a democracy? I can equate it to what happens with companies. I enjoy the services of small to moderate sized businesses, but when they are huge businesses the whole company goes to pot. The smaller countries in Europe can maintain democratic socialism, for example. This is my conclusion, America is too large to be a democracy.

What say you?

[world wide wally]

1. If people really oppose this, why do they vote so many Repblicans into office?

A question for the ages?

[WhiteTara]

2. God, Guns, Gays and Abortion.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. And white supremacy.

[WhiteTara]

6. Ah, yes. Mustn't forget the number one reason

that country folk are such nasty pieces of work.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. didn't say it was just country folk. Large part of Staten Island voted for Trump.

as did many district in NJ and NY that are not rural

[WhiteTara]

14. True. I just live in the heart of the blood red beast

and they are EVERYWHERE!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

16. sorry, i thought you were being sarcastic about my white supremacy comment

so many people here deny racism and sexism played a giant role in this campaign, that i was being overly sensitive and didn't interpret you correctly. My apologies.

[WhiteTara]

17. No apologies needed

These are strange and terrible times and as my mother always told me, "Just because you are paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you!"

[workinclasszero]

27. Looks like that was the main reason we got Fuhrer Dump

SINCE TRUMP ELECTION, U.S. HAS SEEN NEARLY 900 HATE INCIDENTS: REPORT
BY LUCY WESTCOTT ON 11/29/16 AT 3:28 PM
http://www.newsweek.com/hate-incidents-trump-election-southern-poverty-law-center-526511

'Make America White Again': Hate speech and crimes post-election
By Holly Yan, Kristina Sgueglia and Kylie Walker, CNN
Updated 12:54 PM ET, Tue November 29, 2016
http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/10/us/post-election-hate-crimes-and-fears-trnd/

Trump's election led to 'barrage of hate', report finds
Southern Poverty Law Center counts 867 hate incidents across US in 10 days since election, with many targeting immigrants, African Americans and Muslims
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/29/trump-related-hate-crimes-report-southern-poverty-law-center

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. Probably right.

And the privatization of SS, Medicare, V.A. Medical benefits, etc, was not brought up as an issue during the campaign. Or, if it was, it didn't make the headlines.

[WhiteTara]

7. Well, Scum straight up lied!

I know that is hard for anyone to believe that he would like about such an important matter. But thinking people were shut out of the conversation and like the crowds at the coliseum the masses were filled with blood lust, and they got to scream Lock Her Up and then go home and beat the wife, kids and dog.

[TrishaJ]

30. Why NO

I mean SS, Medicare, etc. was not as important as EMAIL.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

31. Email, yes. And, of course, BENGHAZI!!! nt

[TwilightZone]

5. And fear of "others". Or fear of pretty much everything.

[WhiteTara]

9. Yes. Fear is the basis of it all.

[liberal N proud]

8. These are not the issues that provoke the republican voter

They are thinking more along the lines of stopping that abortion, keeping their guns and paying less taxes.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. Yes

but they won't be able to focus so much on those issues if they have to go to the ER or need treatment for something like Cancer.

[atreides1]

29. Not to be a total dick

But, I'm at the point now where I hope that many of them can't get through to 911, or get to the ER in time!!!

[world wide wally]

21. But we're not allowed to call them stupid. right?

[liberal N proud]

23. Not afraid to do that anymore

Stupid and deplorable fit them well.

[world wide wally]

25. Honesty is the best policy

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. They are stupid to even be talking about it

But please proceed, Republicans. Democrats will gladly take it and run with it. Bush II tried the same gambit with Social Security Privatization in 2005 with another Republican Trifecta and got absolutely nobody to go along with it and that blunder- which nobody asked for- helped build the Democratic wave that crashed down on them in 2006. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that they probably won't end up repealing ACA either despite their long-standing and well-known opposition to the law. Repealing it would probably even be politically perilous for them now because of the chaos that it would create in the insurance market,how many people would be negatively affected (and would die) without the law, and, most importantly, they have NO viable alternative to it waiting in the wings (and, no, the Democrats shouldn't- and probably wouldn't- swoop in to bail them out after their ACA repeal causes the aforementioned problems).

[La Lioness Priyanka]

13. if by populous you mean popular, none of his stances really are, else he would have won

the popular vote

[still_one]

15. The strategy of the republicans is based on tapping into people's selfishness

They will try to privatize social security and Medicare, which will lead to its collapse. They will do it by exempting those who are 55 or older, and effectively screwing future generations. Nothing can be more despicable.

The Democrats need to fight this with everything they have. The republicans tried to do this when George Bush was president, and fortunately it failed. That was just before the stock market crash. It would have been a disaster.

People don't remember, and the media failed at their job, that when Al Gore was running he promised that he would protect social security by not allowing congress to borrow from it. Borrow is too kind a word, they stole from it to finance military spending. The media

Today, the most straight forward way to address social security is to raise the cap. The short fall is because of Congress robbing the social security trust fund for other purposes, and the baby boomers. The baby boomers will resolve itself through attrition, and raising the CAP will pay back the social security money that was used for other purposes by Congress.

Medicare has the same baby boomer issue, which also will resolve itself through attrition, but it is the price gouging that goes on that is the biggest threat to Medicare. However, this is also very solvable. If Medicare was made available to all, it would solve the problem, by adding a huge segment of healthy people into the pool. Those who work would pay into the Medicare system as they do today, but they would not have to wait until 65 to start receiving Medicare benefits. The Medicare taxes, premiums if you will, would increase, but that increase would offset by what people currently pay directly to insurance companies. Insurance companies would not be put out of business, because they would still offer supplemental and drug coverage, which would still be necessary under Medicare, it is just that they will not be making AS MUCH MONEY. People could still opt to go with a private insurer, but they will still be obligated to pay their Medicare tax.

Unfortunately, none of that is going to happen

[Equinox Moon]

19. I like your post.

You have distilled the issues into a clear stance that makes sense. Have you written this up for media ops? It would be good. Let me know when you do and DM me with the link. Post it for all DUers.

"The strategy of the republicans is based on tapping into people's selfishness"

Wow. This is such a sad truth. I would add that the country is spiritually impoverished. I am not talking about religion or any particular views.

[still_one]

22. You're too kind, and it is pretty much of a variation of you elaborated in your OP

[The Wielding Truth]

28. Ding.Ding. Ding. Exactly. Plus the fear of sharing. It could happen with a well informed public.

Information has been prostituted since the axing of the Fairness Doctrine and the idea that paid cable means truth is optional.

How we have let the bullies take our country is mind bending. I'm still with Bernie and I like that Elizabeth Warren is an well spoken champion for us. Sherrod Brown has been constant and many other prime Democrats have been unwavering. This is where we are and it is somewhere.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

24. Doesnt matter! Theyll do it anyway - and then after piling on the propaganda that frames the issue

as "saving" SS rather than destroying it, all the gullible will be quite happy to go along with it after a few wks.l

We've had 5 yrs here in WI to observe the modus operandi - and doesn't the election of DT prove that any old outrage after 2 or 3 wks simply become the new normal?

I don't think all is lost - but our dem leadership better get their collective fat arses in gear and stop it with the navel gazing about "what went wrong" AND START DEFENDING THE NEW DEAL and 100 yrs of progressive populism.... in the most vigorous and inspiring terms possible. Its been what, 3 wks since Ryan stated Medicare will be on the table? And, our response, the Dem Party's response is.........what.......?????

[bravenak]

26. We need to attack them with it daily

We need to make our own media

[0rganism]

33. "make our own media" is how we got here

when everyone and their goldfish can "make our own media" we end up in a bunch of segregated echo chambers. "truth" becomes momentary and fungible. facts no longer matter.

by ceding position in the mass media, we've ceded consensus reality to the sithlords.

[bravenak]

34. They made their own media.

At least our will have facts and science.

[0rganism]

35. too bad the bottom just dropped out of the "facts and science" market

"facts and science" are big losers in the new world order
the RW mass media has its own set of "facts and science" they will present as reality

[bravenak]

36. I know. Fucking disgrace

[0rganism]

32. that's what manufacturing consent is for

at such time as the Republicans are ready to make this move, which will be non-trivial and require significant legislation modifications and careful cost-benefit analysis to ensure proportional payout levels to various GOP donors, they will go with a full media blitz led by Trump himself to tell us all what a lousy deal those programs are and how much better off we'll be with glorious privatization.

major media outlets will eat that shit up with a serving spoon, and pass it right on through to the voting public.

in the end, it will be insanely popular. Democrats will either roll over or triangulate to find a "middle position" that keeps a handful of essential services in the public sector.

the destruction will be complete and irreversible.